Vernon Kay and Celebrity Big Brother host AJ Odudu bag presenting roles on brand new show for ITV to find next top designer for Marks & Spencer

Vernon Kay is teaming up with Celebrity Big Brother presenter AJ Odudu to host a new ITV show under the working title M&S: Dress The Nation.

In the series, Vernon, 49, and AJ, 36, will host a show in which 10 candidates will compete to secure a highly sought-after position working alongside some of the industry’s top designers.

Throughout the hiring process, the 10 candidates will be presented with a series of briefs that will assess their design, problem-solving, commerciality and collaboration skills.

Each week, a panel of judges, made up of senior M&S leaders and a rotation of guest celebrities and designers, will select which candidates progress to the next round and get one step closer to being crowned winners.

The winner of the series will be offered an in-house junior designer role at M&S ​​which will be developed based on their skills and experience.

AJ previously worked alongside Vernon to host the Great Comic Relief Prizeathon in March 2022.

Having also presented the UK jury points for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022, AJ recently enjoyed great success as co-host of the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother, which she presented alongside Will Best.

Speaking about presenting the new design show alongside Vernon, AJ said: “I’m so excited to be presenting M&S: Dress The Nation on ITV alongside my friend Vernon.

“Hosting a primetime show that celebrates all things fashion is incredible and I can’t wait to help ITV and M&S discover brilliant new design talent.

“Accessibility to the creative industries for people across the UK is really important to me and programs like this provide an opportunity that could really change someone’s life forever.”

Vernon added: “I’m a big believer in giving talent the opportunity to be seen and have the opportunity to succeed.”

“This is a great way for budding designers, especially those who don’t necessarily have any formal training or experience, to land a life-changing job at one of Britain’s best-loved retailers.

‘This is going to be huge for everyone involved. And I’m looking forward to working alongside AJ again,” he continued.

The show will air on ITV1 and ITVX in late 2024, early autumn.