The talented pair will also team up to announce this year’s nominations on 3 February 2022
BAFTA today announced AJ Odudu and Tom Allen have joined this year’s EE British Academy Film Awards presenting team as the co-hosts of BAFTA’s red carpet show on Sunday 13 March 2022 at London's Royal Albert Hall. AJ and Tom’s interviews with nominees and other special guests will be streamed live across BAFTA’s Social Channels @BAFTA, giving audiences an exclusive front row seat to the red carpet arrivals.
AJ and Tom will also be on hand to announce this year’s Nominations on Thursday 3 February 2022 live from BAFTA195 Piccadilly.
As previously announced, Rebel Wilson will host this year’s Film Awards ceremony, celebrating the very best of British and international film talent, which will be returning to London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall, and broadcast on BBC One, BBC One HD and BBC iPlayer.
AJ Odudu said: “I am honoured to be hosting this year’s EE BAFTA Film Awards red carpet show alongside my friend Tom Allen. I’m so excited to be interviewing the brilliant nominees whilst celebrating the best of film. I can't wait to put on a posh frock and get chatting!”
Tom Allen said: “I am so excited to be on the red carpet - in fact I’m excited to be on any carpet as we have laminate flooring in our house - and I am over the moon to be working with the brilliant AJ Odudu at this year’s EE BAFTA Film Awards. I know we’re going to have so much fun bringing the glamour and excitement of the arriving nominees to everyone watching around the world at home. Open some crisps, settle on the sofa and enjoy it all!”
Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA said: “Stepping on to the EE BAFTA Film red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall is a unique experience and we’re thrilled to be back with an in-person event this year. AJ and Tom are going to do a wonderful job of welcoming our guests to the UK’s biggest celebration of film.”
Nominations for the EE British Academy Film Awards will be revealed on Thursday 3 February 2022, following the EE Rising Star nominations on Tuesday 1 February 2022.
Images available here
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further information, please contact:
About AJ Odudu
AJ Odudu is one of the UK’s most exciting TV presenters, with bags of energy and her Lancashire charm. She was delighted to have taken part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 on BBC, thrilling audiences each week with her jaw-dropping moves and infectious personality.
She hosted the successful new companion show for the UK's Married at First Sight spin off show on E4, Married at First Sight: Afters – a weekly instalment of behind-the-scenes gossip, cast interviews and celebrity guests – and co-hosted C4's The Big Breakfast with Mo Gilligan, returning for a one-off as part of C4's Black to Front takeover. AJ was ITV’s backstage host for The Voice & The Voice Kids; 2021 also saw her showing off her culinary skills on ITV’s Cooking with the Stars and hosting ITV2's Apocalypse Wow. Later in the year, she began her mission to help families get their businesses back on track after the pandemic alongside Emma Willis in a brand new UKTV Original series for W called Emma and AJ Get to Work.
AJ has previously fronted ITV's Don’t Rock the Boat alongside Freddie Flintoff, which saw celebrities battle it out to row across Britain and, not one to shirk from a challenge herself, reached the final of the notoriously tough Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins on Channel 4 for Stand Up To Cancer.
AJ's first major documentary, Manhunting With My Mum, saw her and her mum travel around Nigeria in search of a husband! The documentary aired in 2018 on Channel 4 to critical acclaim and the show’s success led to rave reviews.
AJ has ample live experience; she learnt her craft on BBC’s 5:19, going on to co-host Channel 5’s Big Brother’s Bit on the Side and Trending Live on 4Music. She’s presented on ITV's Lorraine, This Morning and BBC's The One Show, and on the red carpet for the BRITS 2021. Born to Nigerian parents, AJ grew up with her seven siblings in Blackburn, and has a degree in English & Politics. Her love of writing has seen her write emotive articles on issues of relevance including Black Lives Matter for publications such as Vogue and Grazia. She is a current Contributing Editor for Grazia UK.
After buying her first property in 2019, AJ decided to document her DIY renovations on her home-specific Instagram channel @homewithaj. This has led to an army of fans in the lifestyle and interior design space, with the likes of Harper’s Bazaar UK championing her eye for detail in the home. A qualified personal trainer and sports nutritionist, AJ has a huge passion for health and fitness, proven by her high-standing in Women’s Health Magazine, and as Fitness Insider for the Evening Standard. With her down to earth nature and loyal fan base, she has had a variety of successful brand campaigns including Adidas, Visit England, John Lewis, Bumble and L’Oreal
About Tom Allen
A household name with his signature acerbic wit and riotous storytelling, Tom Allen is a star on both stage and screen. Tom is the hilarious host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired and co-hosts Cooking With The Stars, Bake Off: The Professionals and he is also a regular on Bake Off: An Extra Slice and Alan Carr’s There’s Something About Movies.
Other television appearances for Tom include Live At The Apollo, A League Of Their Own, Hypothetical, 8 Out Of 10 Cats, Cats Does Countdown, Would I Lie to You, The Last Leg, QI, The Jonathan Ross Show, The Royal Variety Performance and much more.
As heard on BBC Radio 4 in his own series Tom Allen Is Not Very Nice, as well as shows Just a Minute and The News Quiz and Loose Ends.
Tom Allen’s sold out Absolutely tour of 2018 and 2019 was extended multiple times, selling over fifty-thousand tickets, including an unforgettable sold-out show at The London Palladium which was filmed and broadcast on Channel 4 in 2019.
Tom teamed up with Jessica Knappett and Munya Chawawa in Autumn 2021 for a brand-new Channel 4 series Complaints Welcome, as well as hosting a brand-new show on Dave, The Island, which is due to air in 2022.
If he wasn’t busy enough Tom has also written his critically acclaimed Sunday Times bestseller memoir, No Shame which is now available in paperback and audiobook.
About BAFTA
BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television Arts - is a world-leading independent arts charity that brings the very best work in film, games and television to public attention and supports the growth of creative talent in the UK and internationally. Through its Awards ceremonies and year-round programme of learning events and initiatives – which includes workshops, masterclasses, scholarships, lectures and mentoring schemes in the UK, USA and Asia – BAFTA identifies and celebrates excellence, discovers, inspires and nurtures new talent, and enables learning and creative collaboration. For advice and inspiration from the best creative minds in working in film, games and television visit www.bafta.org. BAFTA is a registered charity (no. 216726).
About the Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is the world’s most famous stage. Throughout its 150-year history, it has welcomed a who’s who of world-renowned figures: artists, athletes and activists. No other place on earth has played host to Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and Muhammad Ali; Ella Fitzgerald, The Beatles and Adele. This was the Suffragettes’ “temple of liberty” – the site of Votes for Women rallies that helped change the course of British history – the home of the Stonewall concerts, and a place of celebration during Nelson Mandela’s state visit. But its eccentric history has also seen it used for a séance, an indoor marathon and the world’s first bodybuilding contest (judged by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).
From 2021 to 2023, the Hall celebrates its 150th birthday, with a special programme of events including major commissions from British artists, headline performances from musical legends, and a series of showcases promoting the next generation of talent. The season is designed to reflect Prince Albert’s founding vision of the venue: to promote the arts and sciences, and to offer a place of celebration, inspiration and commemoration for the country as a whole.
In an ordinary year, the Hall’s extraordinary auditorium presents around 400 world-class events: encompassing rock, pop and classical music, theatre, dance, films, Cirque du Soleil and sport. It typically welcomes 1.8 million visitors a year, while its 1,000 events in secondary spaces help to attract a young, diverse audience. Its Education & Outreach programme includes music therapy, concerts in the community, and workshops with A-list artists, often in collaboration with other charities, such as Nordoff Robbins and Music for Youth.
