Strictly star AJ Odudu reveals she nearly quit TV because of abuse over her ‘dodgy accent’
STRICTLY’s AJ Odudu has revealed how she nearly quit TV for good after being branded “the black girl with the dodgy accent” left her traumatised.
AJ, who endured constant racist slurs as a child growing up in Blackburn, was hit by a barrage of online hate following her TV debut on Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.
The abuse, which focused on her Northern accent, was so intense that Channel 4 staff advised her to get elocution lessons to help “soften” her voice.
AJ recalled: “It was brilliant but with that exposure comes a lot of pressure and a lot of criticism.
“I remember people tweeting, ‘Who is that black girl with that dodgy accent’ and, ‘Why does she sound like that?’ That made me feel so insecure (because) people were commenting on things I had no real control over.
“And it didn’t help that someone internally said, ‘AJ, we think you should get some help with your voice. Maybe you can speak clearer and we could soften your accent’.
"All of my insecurities were being reinforced by the team that were meant to be supporting me. Then, when my contract wasn’t renewed, that was tough.
“TV is one of those industries where you don’t really get told why something hasn’t worked out.
“So you are left wondering, ‘Was it my accent? Was it the way I looked?’ I didn’t work in TV for years after. It was so traumatic.
All of my insecurities were being reinforced by the team that were meant to be supporting me.
AJ Odudu
“It felt like it wasn’t my accent that was the problem, it was my accent and my appearance combined. Kind of like, ‘We can deal with a Northern accent but not a Northern accent on a black woman’.”
Speaking on the Nobody Told Me podcast, AJ went on: “Looking back, I’m so proud I’ve managed to come this far by staying true to myself and not changing. Keeping my accent, keeping my opinions, keeping my voice.”
AJ will appear on this year’s edition of Strictly alongside newly announced stars John Whaite, Robert Webb and Rhys Stephenson.
We can’t wait to see her shine on the dancefloor.
Lady Bin Baga
NOT many celebs could look glamorous strolling past a pile of bin bags . . . but Lady Gaga manages it with her trademark style and grace.
Far from looking trashy, the Born This Way singer struck a chic pose in her lemon-sherbert skintight dress, sunglasses and killer heels as she stepped out in New York.
Lady Gaga is starring in upcoming Hollywood fashion flick House Of Gucci and she certainly looks the part. With her fashion sense, big-screen success should be in the bag.
It's Dua at the double
WE thought we were seeing double when Dua Lipa posted these black bikini pics with a friend on Instagram.
The Hotter Than Hell singer lived up to her lyrics as she enjoyed a vaycay away in the sunshine, also sharing photos of herself in a blue swimsuit.
Dua whisked a host of pals away to a mystery location where she enjoyed some well-deserved downtime.
From waltzing to Matilda
STRICTLY star Aljaz Skorjanec is celebrating after landing a role in the much-anticipated Netflix remake of family favourite Matilda.
The pro dancer quietly auditioned for a place in the star-studded cast of the film, based on the stage production of the Roald Dahl classic kids’ book.
And sources say he was thrilled to learn his bid had been successful.
The gig will see him perform alongside Emma Thompson – who has been cast as the terrifying Miss Trunchbull – and Alisha Weir as Matilda.
The film, which also stars Andrea Riseborough and Stephen Graham, is due for release in 2022.
And filming is due to begin later this year after the original July start date was pushed back by a positive case of coronavirus among the team. Our source said: “Aljaz is delighted to have been cast and can’t wait to get started on set.
“It’s a really exciting project for him to be involved in. It is going to be a very busy few months for him.
“But luckily, even with the Covid delays there won’t be any clashes with his Strictly schedule.”
bizbits
- REALITY TV darling Megan McKenna says she was so accident-prone on Celebrity MasterChef that she may have fed judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode her own skin. The singer, who is appearing on the new series of the BBC1 show tomorrow night, told us: “Cooking is dangerous. I burned my hand, cut myself and grated my finger so I think I fed Gregg and John skin with their food. I don’t think they noticed, though.” Essex-born Megan is also hoping to educate viewers about gluten-free cooking after living with coeliac disease. Naturally slim, Megan adds that she still gets skinny-shamed online. She said: “The trolls who pick on me call me anorexic, skeletal, too thin. It’s frustrating. Fat-shaming isn’t allowed but everyone thinks it’s OK to skinny-shame.”
- MAX George has put the brakes on proposing to girlfriend Stacey Giggs, as he doesn’t want to put pressure on their relationship. The ex-Wanted singer has been dating former footballer Ryan Giggs’ ex-wife for three years. He is living with the mum of two in Manchester. Max, who is the host of Hits Radio’s new Friday Night Hits show from 7pm to 10pm, told us: “We’re so chilled and happy with each other, we don’t want to put pressure on changing it. We have not been able to go on many holidays yet so we need to get a few under our belt first.” He added: “If we have kids it would be amazing.”
Priya swapping virus for villa
PRIYA GOPALDAS has opened up about working gruelling hours on the front line of the NHS battling Covid-19.
The Love Island bombshell’s medical course was put on hold while the pandemic raged, leading Priya to work as a volunteer at an intensive care unit (ICU) battling the virus.
She told us: “I feel like this year has been so intense because of Covid. I was working in ICU for the whole of February.
“You would come back after every shift exhausted, so there definitely wasn’t time for dating or relationships.
“It was tough with the long hours but I find it so rewarding and it’s made me really resilient.”
Priya makes her debut in the villa tonight. She added: “I thought it was a challenge, something different. I’m single and I’m looking for love.
“I thought it’d take me out of my comfort zone.
“I’m nearing the end of medical school, so I’ve got my career on track. Now I just need a man!”
Shannon's in charge
LOVE Island evictee Shannon Singh poses nude with the words “Mine” scrawled across her skin in a bid to reclaim her image.
The former glamour model says she felt exploited after a photographer she worked with as a youngster sold images without her permission. Now
Shannon wants to inspire young models to speak up for themselves and be fully aware of their rights.
She told us: “Some photos came out I’m not proud of, taken when I was young and naive. I was exploited by the photographer.
“I’ve owned it now but I want to push out the message that young models should know what they’re getting into.
“When they sign a release, they are signing their rights away. And once something is on the internet, you can’t get it back.”
Shannon, a Scot of Indian descent, also told how she has come under pressure to hide her body from view – revealing she has even received death threats.
But she is now determined not to let trolls win, adding: “In this day and age, women and men should be able to be sexy, be confident and be who they are. They should be able to celebrate their bodies.”
We couldn’t agree more.
Caught out
- JESSIE J felt like she had “won a competition” when she recorded Bang Bang with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande. She apologised to Nicki after wrongly claiming that she “begged” to be on the song.
- CONGRATS to Jake Quickenden who is engaged to his girlfriend Sophie Church. The former X Factor star shared the happy news on Instagram with a smooching snap and the caption: “She said yes!”
- MAYA JAMA had bespoke body-defining treatment on her abs from skincare expert Shane Cooper last week. It uses electromagnetic waves to tackle body fat.
- LISA FAULKNER has joined forces with Volvic Touch Of Fruit to create the ultimate picnic menu. She said: “Nothing beats an English picnic with strawberries.”
- BROOKLYN BECKHAM’S fiance Nicola Peltz has revealed she swears by Rubis Tweezers to create the perfect bushy eyebrow.
Lads: We cannot Whaite
IT could be blood on the dancefloor between Strictly’s male pro dancers as they’re all desperate to be part of the show’s first same-sex male pairing with chef John Whaite.
We hear Graziano Di Prima, newcomer Kai Widdrington and Johannes Radebe are all lobbying to get the gig as they want to make UK TV history.
A telly source said: “The dancers saw how much glory and attention Katya Jones and Nicola Adams got last year and they want a piece of it, plus it will be exciting for them to work on new same-sex choreography.”
Nadiya's getting a fella
AFTER missing out on a celeb partner last year due to a slimmed-down cast, we can reveal Nadiya Bychkova is back in the running to get her hands on the Glitterball trophy.
Bosses have told the stunning Ukrainian pro dancer she will be paired with one of the male celebs this series.
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A telly source told us: “She was disappointed she didn’t get a partner but understood, as there were fewer celebs taking part.
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“She’s been training up and has more energy than ever. She’s raring to go.”
Who will be the lucky fella?