Blackburn television presenter, AJ Odudu,has opened up about embracing her Lancashire accent while breaking into the world of show business.

Appearing on ITV show Lorraine, the former St Bede’s High School Student, said her mum, Florence Odudu, encouraged her never to change her accent in order to land a presenting role.

On the episode, which aired on Wednesday (April 18), host Lorraine Kelly said: “I am so glad you didn’t change because a lot of people advised you [to].

“They said ‘you will have to get rid of your accent change how you speak and not be you’.

“You said no and I think that’s great.”

AJ said: “It’s so interesting how people can judge you by how you speak, how you sound and what you look like.

“Thank goodness I still have my mum who still has the most glorious Nigerian accent.

“She said: ‘No, you’re from where you are from and that is part of who you are so keep the accent’.”

AJ is the host of Channel 4 interior design show ‘The Big Interiors Battle’, which airs this Friday (April 20).

The show will see eight talented interior designers receive the keys to an apartment where they are challenged to transform a different room each week.

At a time when home ownership has never felt more out of reach the winner of the competition will then become the owner of their very own two-bedroom apartment in South Yorkshire.

Speaking about the show to Lorraine, AJ said: “Each contestant has a story of their own and they’re all from a different walk of life.

“The one commonality that they all have is that they have never been able to afford a property of their own, so they all really want it.”

AJ, who is tipped to host a number of upcoming shows including Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, said she has spent many years “grafting” to get to where she is today.

The 35-year-old said: “I have been [grafting away for a very long time]. I have been in London now for 15 years. Even before I moved to London I had aspirations of working in television

“It’s so amazing to [work on] shows like the Big Interiors Battle and others.

“To have my name tipped for anything is incredible – I love it!”

Lorraine airs week days at 9pm on ITV. Big Interior Battles starts Friday, on Channel 4, at 9pm.