Emma Willis reveals secret Big Brother role as reality show makes its comeback after five years off air
EMMA Willis has revealed a secret role she had in Big Brother's reboot as it returns after five years.
The former presenter, 47, was the face of the reality show on Channel 5 from 2013 before it was axed in 2018.
As it prepares for its big reboot on ITV2, Emma has revealed she championed AJ Odudu for the role.
Earlier this year bosses finally confirmed AJ, 35, would host the reality show alongside her best pal Will Best, 38.
In an exclusive chat with The Sun's TV Mag, Willis admitted: "I am literally as happy as a pig in muck.
"She's a very dear friend of mine and I did champion her from the beginning because I love her and I think she's going to do a phenomenal job.
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"And I, for one, am really bloody looking forward to a new era with her - and Will Best, we cannot forget Will Best."
Emma was reduced to tears back in 2018 when she signed off on her final ever Big Brother live show.
Despite her emotional connection to the show, she has no regrets about not coming back as host.
She said: "I think with every new dawn there has to be someone new at the helm.
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"It's one of those things that, whenever I talk about it, or I stumbled upon a picture of the very final episode, from the last series, and it was like, Oh my God, being out there in that crowd with those fans that love it as much as I do and on that stage with the crew, who
we worked on it for so many years together, you kind of go,
'Oh god, that was amazing.'
"But that was then and this is now and you never know what now's going to be so I think it's always good to finish on a high and I think we did."
When Big Brother does launch in October this year, Emma will be tuning in just like every other fan.
She added: "I'm very much looking forward to watching one of
my very good friends do a very good job.
"If she can bring that infectious energy that she always brings to everything, then job's a good 'un."
However, one familiar face and voice will be back - the show's narrator Marcus Bentley, who has worked on BB since the very beginning 23 years ago.
The Sun's TV Mag is free inside Saturday's newspaper.
