AJ Odudu reveals all about ITV show M&S: Dress The Nation

AJ will host the show, which has been described as a ‘nationwide search’ for M&S’ next fashion designer, alongside Horwich’s Vernon Kay.

The winner of the series will be offered an in-house junior designer role with M&S which will be built around their skillset and experience.

AJ said she hopes viewers are “fluent in northern” so they can laugh with Vernon and herself.

She said: “I already knew Vernon and I had a great rapport after we worked together on The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon, so I was looking forward to having a laugh with him again.

“He’s such a generous host and really fun to be around. I just really hope that the viewers are fluent in northern, so they can laugh along with us.”

AJ said she “loved fashion” and was excited to be working with M&S again, after being employed at a branch in Blackburn when she was younger.

She said: “I love fashion and I just know how difficult it is to get into the industry that I am in, and I know that fashion is no different, so I was really drawn to the prize.

“It is a life-changing prize and it is amazing! I was also really excited to work with Vernon and love that it is sponsored by M&S.

“I literally used to work in M&S on the high street of Blackburn town centre, so I am having a real full circle moment with all of those things combined.”

AJ used to work at Marks and Spencer in Blackburn (Image: NQ)

Reflecting on her own fashion sense, AJ said one of her favourite wardrobe items is a catsuit.

She said: [I like] trainers for when I’m running around town, working out and in my comfies. Heels for when I want to feel glamorous, and especially when I want to match the inches on my hair.

“Then of course a catsuit. What’s not to love about a one-piece that can be sexy, tailored, or if anything like mine, latex.”

While AJ often dresses to impress she has also highlighted some fashion fails.

She said: “When I went to my first premiere, I was wearing this polyester neon yellow backless t-shirt with no jewellery, no makeup, just hair scraped back. Tight black skinny jeans with trainers that have a concealed heel, why was I wearing them with skinny jeans? I even went on a date in that outfit!

“I also went to another premiere and I got this two piece which was yellow and chequered. It was giving Clueless meets Bananaman. What was I thinking?”

AJ said most of her clothes were hand-me-downs growing up, as she was one child out of eight.

She said: “My big brothers and sisters would always take photos of me because I was such a little show-off. Everything was a hand-me-down, as I am the sixth child out of eight so everything I ever wore was always someone else’s.

“I had this oversized tracksuit on with my Dad’s flat cap on and my big sister’s sunglasses. Everything was massive and I just loved the outfit. I’d also get a new dress at Christmas and there was one Christmas that my Mum brought me this dress and it felt like velvet and it was silver and I wore that dress until my Mum had to tell me, ‘Come on, it’s too small now!’"

Some contestants on the show have already been revealed, ahead of the series premiere on September 17.

The former St Bede’s High School pupil, said: “Each of the contestants has an amazing story. The fashion industry is so hard to break into so it’s really great to meet people like Katie who has no formal fashion training and learned how to sew via YouTube, and now she’s on this show having worked in retail for years.

“The same with David who has been hustling on the side with his own fashion label, not really quite cracking it but he wants to have the opportunity to work for a huge British heritage high street brand.

“They all have really inspiring and amazing stories. Even Ryan, he doesn’t look like every able-bodied person that you see, but that hasn’t held him back. He designs and he sews, and he is in the competition excelling. They all have amazing resilience.”

Throughout six episodes, 10 candidates will compete to secure a highly coveted in-house design role working alongside some of the best designers in the industry at M&S’ colleague support centre in London.

Over the course of the recruitment process, the 10 candidates will be set a series of briefs that will assess their design, problem-solving, commercialism, and collaboration skills. 

Each brief will be reflective of M&S’ design and product development process – from gathering insights to identifying key product trends to designing and developing original products.

Candidates will work out of a purpose-built design studio for the duration of the competition and work individually and in groups to design and create garments that will resonate with the M&S customers who are seeking style, versatility, value, and quality in their clothing choices. 

Each week a judging panel, made up of senior leaders at M&S alongside a rotation of celebrity guests and designers, will select which budding designers move forward to the next round and one step closer to being crowned the winner. 

M&S : Dress The Nation starts on ITV1 and ITVX on Tuesday 17th September at 8pm.