The new series of Big Brother could be set for a chaotic opening, as both hosts have come down with ailments ahead of the launch show on Sunday night.
AJ Odudu and Will Best took over the reins of the hit reality show with its ITV2 revival last year, and are preparing to welcome a new crop of housemates for the third time.
However, appearing on Capital Breakfast on Thursday, Will, 39, revealed that both he and AJ, 36, are suffering with individual illnesses that could spell trouble for the live launch show.
He explained that he has been hit by a ‘stiff neck’ that means he is struggling to move his head and was forced to visit an emergency physiotherapist.
Speaking to presenters Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby, Will explained: ‘Yeah, I’ve got a stiff neck. It’s a bit better today, yesterday was bad, I’ve got an emergency physio in a couple of hours after this.’
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The new series of Big Brother could be set for a chaotic opening, as both hosts have come down with ailments ahead of the launch show on Sunday night
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AJ Odudu and Will Best took over the reins of the hit reality show with its ITV2 revival last year, and are preparing to welcome a new crop of housemates for the third time (pictured in March)
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However, appearing on Capital Breakfast on Thursday, Will, 39, revealed that both he and AJ, 36, are suffering with individual illnesses that could spell trouble for the live launch show
Poking fun at the inconvenient timing, he added: ‘It’s always good to just before the biggest show of the year, when you’re going to be live for six weeks, with all kinds of mad stuff, to not be able to move.
‘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 got you a spinny chair, so you can move your whole body,’ causing Will to quip 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’s lost her voice as well, yeah sorry, I saw her yesterday, we did a podcast record. That’s why she’s not doing radio today!’
He admitted that he was ‘nervous’ about the live launch, but insisted it was down to his love of the show and desire to make sure it all went smoothly.
He explained: ‘Yeah 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 will do.
‘But once we get to Sunday, just before we go live, the nerves sort of disappear. I can’t wait to meet these people.’
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He explained that he has been hit by a ‘stiff neck’ that means he is struggling to move his head and was forced to visit an emergency physiotherapist, as he poked fun at the terrible timing
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While Will added that he couldn’t even lean on his co-host for support as AJ has ‘lost her voice’ only days before the live launch (pictured together last month)
It comes after it was revealed this week that ITV have re-introduced the live element for the reality show, after it was missing in the first series of the reboot.
When the show crashed on to screens last year, many of the original fans were left disappointed that the series was not live.
Using clever editing to give the appearance of a live format, the show was prerecorded while also trying to emulate the perfect formula from the early 2000s, but ITV is not making 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 an array of big-budget tasks last year, fans can look forward to even more during the new series.
Fan-favourite 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 this year, I think maybe some learning maybe not learning because that made it sound like there were things that could have been better.
‘I mean, the tasks were phenomenal last series, but I’ve been speaking to the members of the team and I think they’ve kind of raised the bar even further. I think this series, I think it’s been taken up a notch.’
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It comes after it was revealed this week that ITV have re-introduced the live element for the reality show, after it was missing in the first series of the reboot
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View gallery
Meanwhile, AJ and Will teased that bosses have also ‘raised the bar’ with ‘phenomenal’ new tasks in the new series
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View gallery
Fan-favourite 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 fronting both a civilian and celebrity series with Will, they’re feeling ‘less nerves’ as they go into the 2024 run.
She added: ‘This series, I’m going to be less nerves, more excitement. What I’ve learned from the previous series, is that you just never know what’s gonna happen.
‘All of the people that you think are gonna win and just have an experience that would be like a walk in the park isn’t actually, and you just can’t call it. literally you can’t. So that’s what’s really exciting about the previous series and no doubt the next one coming up.’
Will added: ‘The first series you’re always going into it, there were so many nerves because we wanted to do justice to the format, we wanted to do justice to the show, that we ourselves love and would be avid fans of and watching, whether we were working on it or not.’
‘Now that we’ve seen how the audience kind of responded to the way it was all put together, to the tone that was struck, to the set, to the new house, to the feel that it had been an ITV show, now that we’ve seen that that kind of that worked and, the feedback’s been so lovely from people getting in touch and saying how much they loved it, how much it meant to them.
‘It’s almost like you know this time I almost want to focus on just like enjoying a bit more, if that makes sense. I mean, I did really enjoy the first one.
‘But you know, there was that kind of question, whereas now it feels like everyone’s amazing, everyone who’s making it is like the best at what they do. We know that it connects with the audience. So now let’s really, really have fun.’
Big Brother: Live Launch will unveil a new batch of housemates as they head into the nation’s most iconic house, which has been given a fresh lick of paint ahead of the new series.
Housemates will juggle elaborate tasks, live evictions, gripping nominations and the usual dose of drama.
Once again, the pubic will decide the fate of contestants as they vote throughout the series, with only one left standing to win the cash prize.
Meanwhile its eagerly-awaited 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 will also remain the only place to watch evictees 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 the house.
