A TV star has reportedly earned a whopping £1.2million since being on Strictly Come Dancing – making it one of their biggest success stories to date.
AJ Odudu, 35, who is currently co-hosting Big Brother with Will Best, raked in the cash despite leaving the competition early due to an ankle injury in 2021.
Meanwhile her estimated £500,000 payout for hosting Big Brother isn’t even included in the latest figures, obtained from a newly-filed accounts company.
According to The Sun, a TV insider said: ‘Before Strictly, she was a little known presenter who’d been grafting for years, but never managed to make her big breakthrough.
‘But after AJ dazzled on the dance floor, she became a household name and broadcasters were queueing up to give her work.
‘She didn’t hesitate to take up as many jobs as she could. The result is she’s now one of Britain’s highest achieving and high earning presenters.’
The publication found that AJ’s company, Piggy and Tuffs, show she has £1.8million in the bank, including earnings from eight years of smaller presenting jobs.
MailOnline have reached out to AJ’s representatives for a comment.
In Strictly, AJ, scored a perfect 40 with a quickstep in the semi-final, but was forced to pull out of the final.
AJ and her professional partner Kai Widdrington, 28, were unable to compete against EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis and Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite after she ripped a ligament during training the day before the final.
AJ has appeared on The Big Breakfast, Married At First Sight, Celebrity Bake Off and The Eurovision Song Contest.
It comes after AJ revealed that she ‘cried for months’ after being dropped from hosting Big Brother’s spin-off show in 2013.
In an interview, the presenter told how she was ‘absolutely devastated’ and ‘crushed’ when axed from Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.
She was the only one of the presenting trio, along with Rylan Clark and Emma Willis, to not be asked to return for the next series.
She told of being dropped in 2013: ‘I thought that was it for me. It was going to go series to series, strength to strength, and when it didn’t work out that way I was absolutely devastated. I was crushed.
‘It more than stung. I cried for months. I was so, so upset. I felt, like, gosh, what am I going to do?’
‘It was just a tragic time. My contract didn’t get renewed, my boyfriend was cheating on me and we broke up. It’s amazing how that door closed on me and then, ten years later, it’s like I’ve come back to own the whole building.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
