Shake the dust off those sequins, and get those golden scorecards ready, as we gear up for Strictly Come Dancing 2021 with the announcement of the first three contestants to star in the hit BBC One show.
Presenter AJ Odudu is the first woman to be confirmed for the dancing competition, while McFly singer Tom Fletcher and Peep Show star Robert Webb are also set to strap on their dancing shoes to take part.
Here’s the lowdown on the latest addition to the Strictly line-up…
Who is AJ Odudu?
The Lancashire-born TV presenter, 33, grew up in Blackburn with seven siblings and her Nigerian parents.
AJ, real name Onatejiro Odudu, began her career after graduating from Keele University, as she landed a role as a reporter for BBC Blast at Radio Lancashire.
She made her TV presenting debut in 2009 on the BBC Two series The Almost Perfect Guide to Life, and also fronted the online BBC series The 5:19 Show.
AJ appeared on shows such as Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Toys, before she landed a gig co-hosting coverage of the Isle of Wight Festival in 2012 on Sky Arts.
The budding presenter then shot to fame in 2013 after she joined Emma Willis and Rylan Clark-Neal Big Brother's Bit On The Side, as well as appearing in Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Psych later that same year.
However, she was replaced in November 2013 by ex-Celebrity Big Brother contestant and former Loose Women co-host Carol McGiffin.
AJ then went on to present the ITV show The Hot Desk from until 2016, and then starred in 2018 show Manhunting With My Mum, in which she and mum Florence took a road trip around Nigeria to find AJ a husband.
The 33-year-old has since appeared on Bake Off: An Extra Slice, and last year, she took part in The Chase: Celebrity Special, Richard Osman's House of Games and Don't Rock The Boat.
She was also recently announced as the host of ITV2’s bizarre new gameshow Apocalypse Wow, which features celebs including Scarlett Moffatt, Love Island ’s Chris Hughes, and former Pussycat Dolls’ member Kimberly Wyatt battle it out in a "torture dome".
And AJ also competed in ITV’s Cooking with the Stars, alongside comedian Jason Manford and former EastEnders star Martine McCutcheon.
What else does AJ do?
The presenter is also a sought-after DJ, and before the Covid-19 pandemic, she regularly took to the decks around London and Ibiza.
She is also big on keeping in shape, as she previously trained as a sports nutritionist, and was able to use her extensive knowledge when she took part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins in 2019.
AJ, who is currently single, also starred in the fourth series of Celebrity First Dates Hotel, where she was joined by ex-Blue singer Duncan James and TOWIE star Pete Wicks.
