Big Brother hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best hit back at fears the show is morphing into Love Island after the famous house was swept up in a string of unlikely romances

The Big Brother house has long been a place where unlikely bonds are formed, and for some, without the temptations of the outside world, close friendships can quickly turn passionate.

This has never been more apparant than in recent years, with ITV‘s reboot of the reality favourite dominated by unlikely romances, leading to complaints from some fans that it was turning another ITV stalwart – Love Island.

Ahead of the new series, hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best have hit back at these concerns, telling Daily Mail that the house is built for its inhabitants to find common ground, and in some cases, this can naturally lead to a closer connection than they expected.

The new series of Big Brother will kick off on Sunday, September 28, with this run extended to seven weeks of tasks, twists and drama.

ITV’s first series of Big Brother in 2023 saw winner Jordan Sangha go onto date housemate Henry Southan, while last year Nathan King and Rosie Williams enjoyed a whirlwind romance.

And earlier this year, in a twist no fan could have predicted, Love Island star Chris Hughes and Dance Moms’ JoJo Siwa fell in love on the celebrity version, and they’ve been documenting their relationship on social media ever since.

As Big Brother fans prepare for its return, hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best have addressed comparisons to ITV rival Love Island, after the house sparked a string of unlikely romances

Earlier this year, in a twist no fan could have predicted, Love Island star Chris Hughes and Dance Moms’ JoJo Siwa fell in love on the celebrity version

Asked why the BB house has become such an unlikely place to find love, Will insisted all of the relationships have been ‘unplanned,’ before he and AJ joked it’s the ‘trauma-bonding’ that brings housemates closer together.

Referencing Chris and JoJo’s romance, he said: ‘That is so unplanned, and because ITV have a very successful, very well-known show playing, around people in a house dating, and I don’t think they are in any, they’re not desperate to have a love story.

‘That’s not really it. Honestly, they’ve come out nowhere. Some of them have really come of nowhere, and I was even thought that they were gonna go nowhere. And it turns out they have gone somewhere.’

Noting how Chris and JoJo recently attended a pal’s wedding together, he added: ‘They’ll be going to their own flipping wedding in a minute, I wouldn’t be surprised.’

AJ added: ‘I don’t know what it is so far, I just think, I guess the world is in a place where a lot of people are focusing on everyone’s differences, and I think the Big Brother house is also a space for people to focus on their similarities and through seeing each other’s similarities, and what they’ve got in common, they’ve just gone ”do you know what? I actually love you!”

‘I think it’s always incredibly well cast, right? People are put together because they know that that combination of people is going to create something,’ Will said.

‘You don’t know what it is, but when you put people that have been carefully chosen into such an extreme environment, there’s going to be extreme reactions. And I guess it makes sense that every now and again, that reaction is romantic.’

Sadly not all Big Brother romances have lasted, with Jordan and Henry splitting in April after 16 months together, while in February, Nathan and Rosie parted ways after just three months of dating.

ITV’s first series of Big Brother in 2023 saw winner Jordan Sangha go on to date housemate Henry Southan for 16 months

Last year, Nathan King and Rosie Williams enjoyed a whirlwind romance after meeting in the BB house, but they split in February after three months together

The new series of Big Brother also comes in the year it marks its 25th Anniversary, and after the house was rocked by a string of twists last year, AJ and Will hinted the ever-present oracle will be more ‘mischevious’ than ever.

This year’s celebrity version also featured even more tensions between housemates, with big-money signing Mickey Rourke axed from the show after facing backlash for homophobic comments to JoJo, and a tense clash with Chris.

The Big Brother house is no stranger to fiery rows and debate, and ahead of this extended seven-week run, AJ and Will said they can find moments of conflict in the house ‘anxiety-inducing.’

Last year was no different, with winner Ali Bromley embraced by viewers for openly expressing views, even if it ruffled feathers among her housemates. 

AJ said: ‘I’m always interested in dynamic conversations, dynamic conversations are interesting because at the end of arguments, at the end of any discussion, there’s a resolution, hopefully. 

‘And so it doesn’t matter what it takes to get to that resolution, there’s always tse friction before you come together, in a positive way. And I think that is what makes life in general, beautiful.’

Will added: ‘I like the fact that you get something, you get light and shade, you get funny bits, you get dramatic bits. That is what makes Big Brother so special. I do find conflict anxiety inducing and I tend to watch that from behind my hands.’

‘The rough bits make you appreciate everything that’s smoother,’ AJ added.

Big Brother fans are no stranger to making their feelings known which it comes to their favourite – and least favourite – housemates, and given they’re typically plucked from obscurity, AJ and Will admitted they do approach the civilian run differently.

AJ said: ‘I think we’re just a bit more mindful that these people have never been in the public eye before. 

The Big Brother house is no stranger to fiery rows and debate, and ahead of this extended seven-week run, AJ and Will said they can find conflict in the house ‘anxiety-inducing’

Last year’s Big Brother saw forensic psychologist Ali Bromley crowned series champion. The new series is set to kick off on September 28

‘I think that’s the only thing, it’s kind of like they’ve never actually stepped foot on camera. 

‘We’re learning about them for the first time, there’s literally no preconception on these people, whatsoever. And so that is considered maybe? But I think, for me, I’m just like… let the fun begin!’

Will added: ‘I mean you’re right, it’s that thing of no preconceived ideas. We’re getting to know these people completely from scratch. 

‘But then the thing is, once the series starts, whether it’s celebs or civilians, once the format begins to take over and Big Brother starts doing his thing, the fireworks are gonna be there regardless of who is in the house!’

Big Brother returns on Sunday 28th September at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.