Michael McIntyre's Big Show guest AJ Odudu sparks rule break row ...

Michael McIntyre's Big Show guest AJ Odudu sparked a row after she was accused by viewers of breaching the BBC's advertising guidelines. AJ, 35, is best known for co-hosting the ITV2 revival of Big Brother alongside Will Best.

But she appeared on the BBC show on Saturday night (February 10) to play Send To All, where host and comedian Michael McIntyre steals a celebrity's phone and sends an embarrassing message to everyone in their contact list. Viewers asked if rules were being broken as she had a chat with Michael about the make of her phone - a Google Pixel - after she had starred in an advert for the phones.

She was asked: "It's not an iPhone, how come you've got that one?". AJ replied: "It's a Google Pixel. Actually a few years ago I thought, iPhones everytime I dropped one the screen would smash.

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"And then five times in one week I'd dropped my phone and smashed it literally five consecutive days in a row. I thought I can't have this, I need a more sturdy screen."

Starting in October 2022, Google Pixel announced its partnership with the former Strictly Come Dancing star. AJ has been promoting #TeamPixel since then, including content across YouTube, Instagram and on a television advert as the brand's new face of its Pixel 7 phone with Real Tone camera function.

Surreptitious or subliminal advertising is prohibited on the BBC. Rules say all advertising must be clearly presented as commercial content, distinct from editorial content.

Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter to comment. One wrote: "BBC needs to investigate the commercial conflict of interest when Google Pixel advertiser Odudu appears in a mobile phone feature on #michaelmcintyresbigshow."

"Slight advertising there for the google pixel," another viewer said. A third commented: "So she dropped the iPhone 5 days in a row really? don’t insult my intelligence as she is contracted to Google phones unbelievable thinking the GP won’t realise that."

A fourth echoed: "AJ fulfilling her Google pixel contract." And a fifth added: "She's got a Google Pixel because she did the adverts and they gave it to her for nothing."