‘I was told I had lost my mojo’: AJ Odudu on being sacked, fighting back – and her stunning second act

The 35-year-old former Big Brother presenter, AJ Odudu, has been getting ready for the return of the programme.

She discusses her transition from television to call centre work to being in demand once more, emphasising the value of planning ahead and the difficulties she encountered along the way. Odudu was abruptly removed from a spin-off programme, but she is now hosting the main programme. She talks about her journey from working on TV to working in call centres to being in demand again, adding that she had to get ready for the launch-night attire, a custom-made latex catsuit.

At the age of 25, Odudu was one of three hosts of the Big Brother after-show. It appeared to be her big break, coming four years after she debuted on BBC Two. She ended up working at a call centre and sleeping on her dad’s sofa after she was unexpectedly fired six months later. When she was finally able to fit into the catsuit, she felt relieved.

Odudu is sipping a matcha latte at a private members’ club in London today, looking much more at ease in a jumper, pants, and sneakers. Her family and friends would make jokes about how little she has changed. Her birth name was Onatejiro Odudu, and she was the second youngest of eight children born to Nigerian immigrants. Her favourite times were spent with the whole family gathered around the television; her mother was always good at finding the humour in the most hopeless situations. For Odudu, television was a symbol of unity, and she consistently identified as a performer.

Odudu began his career in 2009 as a reporter for BBC Radio Lancashire while pursuing his studies in politics and English at Keele University. Her big break came when she co-hosted Channel 5’s Big Brother’s Bit on the Side with Emma Willis and Rylan Clark in June 2013. When November arrived, though, Carol McGiffin had taken her place.

Odudu claims that she received no justification for her dismissal and that this made it extremely difficult for her to accept. Everyone should, in her opinion, be aware of their opportunities to grow and make amends. She felt like “the classic: one minute they love you, the next minute they hate you,” so having to let go was difficult.