Quotes from A. J. Odudu

2020 is not the year for my love life, sadly.

Masterclass.com is my favourite place to learn new skills.

For my skin, I take the same clean approach to my skin that I do for my diet.

I looked different, I had different skin, my hair was different, so I would get called names in school. It would always be reflective of what my hair and skin looked like.

If yoga was the only thing I'd ever done, maybe I'd think exercise is boring, but there's more to exercise than downward dogs, or running, or squats.

I was doing lots of work experience opportunities for free, which were amazing but also hard when you don't have family in London as you are paying for hotels and travel.

A good night's sleep makes a massive difference to my day.

The biggest obstacle when I was younger was geographical. I was living in Blackburn and the ITV and BBC studios were in London, and I thought: 'How do I get there? I need to be there.'

My mum used to take me and my younger sister to work with her. She said: 'You don't want to be a cleaner like me.' We worked as cleaners before we went to uni to save up money so we always had a strong work ethic.

As well as running I enjoy skipping - it's fun but at the same time really works your body. Moreover, it's great for your co-ordination and anyone can do it! I tend to skip for around 10 minutes at a time and would do one minute on and then 15 seconds off.

I tried to fit in by ironing my hair and gelling down the front bits.

My trips to Blackpool have created a lifelong love of the seaside.

If you're lucky enough to have a Black friend who has tolerated your racist parents while you turned a blind eye to the mistreatment they've suffered, maybe start by saying sorry, and then actually change the record. It is that change that could literally save lives, or at the very least, save friendships.

Being born and raised in Blackburn, it was difficult for me to even visualise how I get to London to embark on a career in broadcasting and TV.

I like to have the first hour of my day without looking at my phone, the news, the TV or anything. I put on some music, have a shower, have a coffee with oat milk, set my intentions for the day before I do all of that.

When I was a little girl and said I wanted to be inside the TV, my mum really did believe that I could.

I just think we need to keep having open, honest, and encouraging conversations to ensure people are represented across all industries including our TV screens when it comes to diversity.

There are so many highs and lows working in TV. I learnt that the hard way when my contract for 'Big Brother's Bit On The Side' wasn't renewed. Nobody gave me a reason, so I felt rotten.

I'm thrilled to be part of Channel 4's Black to Front - which quite rightly gives a platform to deserving Black British TV talent across our industry, both on and off-screen.

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.

Post-workout smoothies are good for my body, an espresso martini is good for my soul.

Being by the sea is a balm for the soul.

Remember that, ultimately, it is your differences that make you who you are and distinguish you from the bland and humdrum, and without your differences you can never hope to truly be special.

I like to remember happy memories from my childhood growing up as a girl in Blackburn and while this mostly speaks true, there were also deeply dark and painful days when I experienced shocking racial and cultural bullying.