AJ Odudu details the obstacles she faced while trying to make her way in the TV industry as she poses for a stunning British Vogue shoot

AJ Odudu has opened up about the almost impossible odds she faced while making her way in the British television industry.

The 35-year-old Big Brother host, who has become the toast of the small screen, was looking for her big break for years before she became a household name.

Speak with British Vogue in their February issue about the obstacles she faced during her rise to stardom, AJ admitted that her family “just didn’t have the resources.”

Growing up and trying to break into the industry, AJ said, “Someone once asked me what it was like to be a black woman coming up in the industry. I thought, ‘Oh my god, being black wasn’t even the hardest part.’

‘We just didn’t have the resources for it. The obstacle was geographical: how do I get from this corner of Blackburn to London, and then stay there? And that was just step one.”

But now that AJ has firmly found her footing in the presenting world, following a successful stint as co-host of the Big Brother revival alongside Will Best, AJ admitted it “feels good not to be defined by” her barriers.

She said: ‘I’ve been through so many hardships, so many setbacks, so many barriers. Now it’s just wonderful to know that I’m not defined by my class or my race.

‘I set the boundaries myself and that is exciting. With makeup, fashion and everything, I think, “Why not? Just try it.”

AJ, who first appeared on primetime TV in 2013 alongside Emma Willis and Rylan Clark-Neal in Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, revealed her mother Florence’s support has been unwavering since she was a child.

She said, ‘She’s an immigrant, a cleaning lady, and she said to me, “Yes, you can be a presenter, why not?” I had the feeling: if my mother says I can do it, then I can do it. It really shaped my way of thinking.”

Although her mother was always supportive, she admitted that not everyone supported her ambitions to make it in showbiz.

AJ recalled telling a career counselor that she wanted to be a TV host when she was in sixth grade: “They said, ‘Okay, that’s not really possible.’ And I was like,” she looks half confused, half offended, “Yes, that’s it!”

In addition to the interview, AJ posed for a beautiful photo shoot that will take place alongside the chat in the upcoming issue.

The 35-year-old Big Brother host, who has become the toast of the small screen, was looking for her big break for years before she became a household name

But now that AJ has firmly found her footing in the presenting world, following a successful run as co-host of the Big Brother revival alongside Will Best, AJ admitted it “feels good not to be defined by” her barriers.

AJ showed off her model figure in tiny black shorts, paired with a black crew neck sweater and stylish leather gloves.

Her hair was pulled back into a chic bun and her naturally beautiful features were given soft makeup accents.

A second look showed her model wearing a crisp white shirt with fluffy pants, tied together with a fun silver belt.

See the full article in the February issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 16 January.