The new series of Big Brother could have a chaotic opening as both presenters have suffered ailments ahead of the launch show on Sunday night.
AJ Odudu and Will Best took over the reins of the hit reality show last year with the ITV2 revival and are preparing to welcome a new batch of housemates for the third time.
Appearing on Capital Breakfast on Thursday, Will, 39, revealed that both he and AJ, 36, are suffering from individual illnesses that could pose problems for the live launch show.
He explained that he had been affected by a ‘stiff neck’, meaning he has difficulty moving his head, and had been forced to visit an emergency physiotherapist.
Speaking to presenters Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby, Will explained: ‘Yes, I have a stiff neck. Today I’m a little better, yesterday was bad, I have an emergency physio in a few hours.’
The new series of Big Brother could have a chaotic opening as both presenters have suffered ailments ahead of Sunday night’s launch show
AJ Odudu and Will Best took over the reins of the hit reality show last year with the ITV2 revival and are preparing to welcome a new batch of housemates for a third time (pictured in March)
Appearing on Capital Breakfast on Thursday, Will, 39, revealed that both he and AJ, 36, are suffering from individual illnesses that could pose problems for the live launch show.
Joking about the awkward timing, he added: “It’s always good not to be able to move right before the biggest show of the year, when you go live for six weeks, with all kinds of crazy stuff.
“So I’m sorry Chris, I can’t really look at you [laughs]you’re on the wrong side!’
Sian then joked: ‘That’s why we bought you a swivel chair, so you can move your whole body,’ prompting Will to joke back: ‘I can just present the live show on one of these!’
However, he added that he couldn’t even lean on his co-host for support as AJ has “lost her voice.”
Will said: ‘AJ has lost her voice too, yeah sorry, I saw her yesterday, we recorded a podcast. That’s why she’s not doing radio today!’
He admitted he was ‘nervous’ about the live launch, but insisted it was down to his love for the show and his desire to ensure everything went smoothly.
He explained, “Yes, of course I get nervous because I love this show so much, so I’m nervous that we’re going to do it justice, the format justice, I’m nervous how the housemates are going to do it.
‘But once we get to Sunday, just before we go live, the nerves more or less disappear. I can’t wait to meet these people.’
He explained that he had been struck by a ‘stiff neck’, meaning he has difficulty moving his head, and was forced to visit an emergency physiotherapist after mocking the terrible timing.
While Will added that he couldn’t even lean on his co-host for support as AJ ‘lost her voice’ just days before the live launch (pictured together last month)
It comes after it was revealed this week that ITV has reintroduced the live element to the reality show after it was missing from the first series of the reboot.
When the show hit the screens last year, many of the original fans were disappointed that the series was not live.
Using clever editing to give the impression of a live format, the show was pre-recorded while attempting to recreate the perfect early 2000s formula, but ITV doesn’t make the same mistake twice.
Meanwhile, AJ and Will teased that bosses have also ‘raised the bar’ with ‘phenomenal’ new tasks in the new series.
Speaking to MailOnline ahead of the live launch, Will hinted that after a string of big-budget tasks last year, fans have even more to look forward to during the new series.
Fan favorite challenges in the first civilian series included the Big Wigs, the Ant Kingdom and Big Brother’s Hunger Games.
He said: ‘I’m excited about the tasks. I think the tasks this year, I think maybe some was learned, maybe some wasn’t learned, because it made it sound like there were things that could have been better.
“I mean, the tasks were phenomenal in the last series, but I’ve spoken to the members of the team and I think they’ve raised the bar even higher. I think this series has gone a step further.”
It comes after it was revealed this week that ITV has reintroduced the live element to the reality show, after it was missing from the first series of the reboot
Meanwhile, AJ and Will teased that bosses have also ‘raised the bar’ with ‘phenomenal’ new tasks in the new series
Fan favorite challenges in the first civilian series included the Big Wigs, the Ant Kingdom and Big Brother’s Hunger Games
AJ added that after the success of both a civilian and celebrity series with Will, they feel “fewer nerves” heading into the 2024 run.
She added: “This series is going to bring less nerves, more excitement. What I learned from the previous series is that you never know what will happen.
“All the people you think are going to win and just have an experience that’s like a walk in the park, it’s actually not, and you just can’t call it. literally you can’t. So that’s what’s really exciting about the last series and undoubtedly the next one coming up.”
Will added: “With the first series where you’re always in, there were so many nerves because we wanted to do justice to the format, we wanted to do justice to the show, which we ourselves love and would be avid fans of. are. whether we were working on it or not.’
‘Now that we’ve seen how the audience reacted to the way it was all put together, to the tone that was taken, to the set, to the new house, to the feeling that it had been an ITV show, now that we have seen that kind of thing work and the feedback has been so nice from people contacting us and saying how much they enjoyed it, how much it meant to them.
“It’s almost like you know I almost want to focus on enjoying it a little more this time, if that makes sense. I mean, I really enjoyed the first one.
“But you know, there were those kinds of questions, whereas now it feels like everyone is great, everyone who makes it is the best at what they do. We know it connects with the audience. So now let’s have a lot of fun.’
Big Brother: Live Launch reveals a new batch of housemates as they enter the country’s most iconic house, which has been given a new lick of paint ahead of the new series.
Housemates will combine complicated tasks, live evictions, gripping nominations and the usual dose of drama.
Once again, the public will decide the fate of the contestants as they vote throughout the series, leaving only one left to win the cash prize.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated spin-off Big Brother: Late & Live will also offer viewers ‘exclusive, unmissable action alongside hilarious discussions and deliberations’ with a star-studded panel of celebrity guests.
The Late & Live series also remains the only place to watch the deportee’s first live interview with hosts AJ and Will.
The epic reboot will air seven nights a week on ITVX, giving fans the opportunity to watch live footage from home.
Big Brother returns on Sunday, October 6 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.