AJ Odudu lands brand new primetime ITV show with celeb co-host days after Celebrity Big Brother final
AJ Odudu has proved she is in no rush to slow down after signing up to host yet another major upcoming ITV show.
The TV presenter has seen her stardom, and workload, rise over the past two years and she is now firmly TV’s most in-demand woman thanks to her impressive hosting stints on Big Brother and it’s recent celebrity spin-off with Will Best.
Having worked with ITV, BBC and Channel 4 over the past 24 months, she has hosted a wide variety of shows and banked millions in the process.
Now, just days after the Celebrity Big Brother final, ITV have been quick to secure her down for their latest primetime show.
AJ will be paired up with TV favourite Vernon Kay to host a talent search competition to find the UK’s next top high street wear designer alongside retail giant, Marks & Spencer.
It is the latest venture of M&S and ITV with the shop also collaborating with the channel on the celebrity show Cooking with the Stars as well as their real-life behind the scenes documentary, Inside M&S.
Vernon and AJ previously worked together on The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon in 2022.
On the brand new show, both AJ and Vernon will lead proceedings on M&S: Dress The Nation in which 10 candidates will compete against each other across six weeks in order to secure a highly coveted in-house design role with the store.
The lucky winner will land the high-flying job and be based at the M&S colleague support centre in Paddington, London.
The show will aim to showcase how formal qualifications and industry experience is not necessarily the only route into the highly-competitive market of fashion design.
Across the weeks, the contestants will be set briefs to design pieces that match and line-up with M&S’ signature style.
It will see them identify key product trends, with the lucky 10 chosen working together in a purpose-built design studio where they will work both individually and collaboratively.
It won’t be AJ and Vernon judging however as a slew of senior leaders at M&S will team up with a rotating panel of A-list celebrities and designer heavyweights to see who should be crowned the winner.
Revealing her excitement at landing the new gig, AJ remarked: “I’m so excited to be hosting M&S: Dress The Nation on ITV alongside my mate Vernon.
“To host a primetime show that celebrates all things fashion is incredible and I can’t wait to help ITV and M&S unearth some brilliant new design talent.
“Accessibility to the creative industries for people across the U.K. is so important to me and shows like this provide an opportunity that really could change someone’s life forever.”
Her co-host Vernon went on to say: “I’m a strong believer in giving talent the opportunity to be seen and get a chance to make it. This is a great way for budding designers, especially those who don’t necessarily have any formal training or experience, to win a life-changing job at one of Britain’s most loved retailers.
“This is gonna be huge for all those who take part. And I’m so looking forward to working alongside AJ again.”
Whilst Katie Rawcliffe, the Head of Entertainment Commissioning at ITV added “M&S: Dress The Nation offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a member of the public to be able to design their fashion collection of dreams.
“We’ve had real success previously marrying two of the UK’s most loved brands in ITV and M&S for food content and so we’re hugely excited to be able to extend this partnership into the world of fashion.”
The show will air on ITV1 and ITVX from early Autumn.