Return of the all-singing, all-dancing karaoke queen, Onatejiro Odudu

AJ Odudu joins a host of other famous names taking part in the new series of Celebrity Karaoke Club.

AJ Odudu in Celebrity Karaoke Club

Ahead of the second series airing on ITV2 tonight, we speak with the presenter about the show, as well as testing her cooking smarts ahead of her appearance on new ITV series Cooking With The Stars.

Odudu says, “I was asked to take part in it and it was right after a lockdown. Gosh, there’s been so many, I don’t know which one! I just jumped at the opportunity, I just thought, ‘what a good way to see people in an environment which is just full of fun and laughter and a bit of flamboyancy’. I knew I wanted to grab the microphone and get on stage and get my karaoke on.

“I am the sort of person who, if there is karaoke somewhere in the area, I am that person who is like, ‘Let’s go to the karaoke club,’ it’s not necessarily something I plan to do. I’ve been on a couple of nights out… when I’m like on a date or whatever and there’s nowhere else to go and I’m like, ‘I know this one place but it is a karaoke club and I will be singing, so if that doesn’t completely put you off then let’s go’. I jump at the opportunity to have fun and just be a bit silly.”

It’s so much fun and also I think it’s a good way to see whether they can take you, like, full throttle. Like, can you handle me when I am dancing on a table, singing out of tune, like, is this a vibe?

“The karaoke playlist is a dream for everyone, because it’s got every single genre for every single person.

“I’m more shouty and active. I don’t know whether anything I brought to the stage could be counted as singing or dancing per se, but I am very physical. I like to use the stage and there’s nothing subtle about me. I mean, hey listen, I committed, let’s just say that, I fully committed.

“Suzi Ruffell surprised me a lot. Obviously she is known for being an amazing stand-up comedian, and she’s got her own podcast, and I absolutely love everything she does outside of karaoke. So I wasn’t expecting, well, I personally think she can sing and I loved her song choices as well. I thought she was a dark horse.

“I wasn’t nervous in the slightest. I’m more nervous now that I’ve done it, because I wasn’t nervous, I was absolutely shameless and so I think I’m more nervous to watch it back…

“I am really happy to see drag kings and queens celebrated on this show and long live the celebration of that culture and those stories and those voices.”

Odudu’s forthcoming TV projects include Cooking With The Stars on ITV. "I’m so excited about Cooking With The Stars, what an amazing opportunity to actually learn how to cook properly. When I got asked to do it I just thought, ‘I can cook, I can do this,’ and then I got put with a professional chef and realised quickly that actually I’m not a cook. Then I thought, ‘I’ve bitten off more than I [can] chew,’ There were a lot of new skills that I learned and what an amazing experience.”