Not only does AJ Odudu have an enviable CV of television presenting gigs, including becoming the new co-host of Big Brother, and proven her physical prowess in boxing in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, but she’s also a dab hand when it comes to DIY and interior design. Seriously, is there anything this woman can't do?
‘I feel like so many rooms provide a bit of dopamine. As soon as your arrive in the hallway, it’s got a bright orange carpet, it’s like “boom, you’re in my house”,’ the presenter says on explaining her London home to us during an appearance on ELLE UK’s My Style, My Space. ‘And then you come upstairs, you’ve got a lot of textures, patterns and a bit of the outside with all of my foliage. I feel like this is the home of happiness, joy, and an instant dopamine hit from room to room.’
Odudu herself is a pure injection of joy, and has much to celebrate this month, with the revival of Big Brother, which she currently co-hosts alongside Will Best. Ahead of the show’s return this month, Odudu showed off her dressing room, filled with copious amounts of storage for her impressive shoe collection and clothes. ‘This is exactly where my mum sits with a cup of tea and judges me with my outfits,’ she notes, sitting on a plush baby pink velvet sofa. ‘I might not be Kim Kardashian, but we can have a walk-in wardrobe… I wanted to have an open wardrobe so I could see how many things I have,’ she adds, noting sliding doors and storage boxes are her go-to in order to maximise space.
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‘This is very important and very heavily used,’ she adds, gesturing towards her moss green-hued IKEA kitchen cabinets she measured and built herself during a sneak peek into her kitchen. ‘It made it easier for me to manoeuvre things – I could move the shelves if they weren’t in the right space. If I got a carpenter around... they want to be so specific!' The unit is filled with everything, from condiments and dried goods, as well as forming part of a bespoke bar area, filled with cocktail-making paraphernalia and Champagne to restock her fridge. ‘My happy hour cocktail of choice is a Margarita – 10 out of 10.’
In front of the green unit sits her kitchen table and upholstered black dining room chairs, inspired by artist Yinka Ilori. 'I saw some fabric and painted these chairs all by myself and reupholstered them. And I think I’ve done a good job!' she says. We couldn't agree more.
Elsewhere in the dining area, Odudu has hung an American choking advice illustration on her wall - yes, really - and a ‘cheap and cheerful’ up-cycled bench, covered with a Nigerian print fabric purchased from Deptford Market, south London. ‘It’s sturdy, it’s hard loads of wine spilled on it. I love being really playful with pattens and colours in my home. It really spoke to me.’
‘What attracted me to it is that it’s so light,’ she says of her home, referencing the three large sash windows in the lounge – a room decorated with black and white framed photos of her family and typography. By contrast, her hallway is filled with orange and black-hued illustrations by illustrator Hattie Stewart. ‘They’re really fun and playful, and reflect all of the colours I have in my home,’ she adds.
Elsewhere in her house, Odudu has created a ‘relaxing and zen’ blue-coloured bedroom, decorated with a reupholstered Harlequin-covered bed frame with matching pillowcases and curtains. ‘It’s a bit of a move from what I’m usually into. It’s really kitsch… it reminded me of staying of staying in a country hotel,’ she says of her private sanctuary.
Watch AJ Odudu’s entire My Style My Space video on our YouTube channel soon. Follow AJ's home Instagram account here.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
