Presenter AJ Odudu Talks About Her Drive, Inspirations & How She Could Have Been PM On The Bustle Booth

When celebrities hang out with Bustle writers, we want to give them the chance to leave their mark. Literally. So we hand them a pen, a piece of paper, a few questions, and ask them to get creative. This time, presenter AJ Odudu is leaving her mark in the Bustle Booth.

It’s impossible not to like presenter AJ Odudu, whom many will recognise from The Voice UK's BTS moments, Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins or, most recently, Celebrity Come Dine With Me. With impeccable style and an infectious laugh, Odudu was made for television, which is convenient, as being a presenter is something she "always knew" she wanted to do, she tells me.

Odudu started her career hosting The Almost Perfect Guide to Life and The 5:19 Show on the BBC before making the move to co-present Big Brothers Bit On The Side in 2013 alongside it's celebrity spinoff show on Channel 5. While her rise to fame seemed pretty seamless to those of us on the outside, Odudu reveals that it wasn’t without setbacks.

"I believe we all face many challenges in life but each one teaches us something new," the Lancashire-born star says, adding: "My parents never had much money which taught me how to work for myself and manage my finances independently from an early age. I never knew anyone in the industry which taught me how to make important connections myself and then from there, nurture them. When faced with rejection and stress I have learnt who I can turn to for moral and emotional support."

Speaking more about her attitude to both work and life, she says: "I always try to focus on these valuable lessons and work out how to move forward in a positive way – I’m definitely a glass half full kind of girl."

See what I mean? Impossible not to like.

Watch AJ Odudu on E4’s Celebrity Come Dine With Me, which is available to stream on All4 now.