Portia, the estranged wife of Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba, has openly shared her ongoing distress regarding the profound changes brought about by their separation. In a recent development, her anguish has deepened as the family home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, is now being listed for sale, a move that has left their two young children, Roman, eight, and Genie, four, utterly heartbroken.
Family Home Sale Sparks Emotional Turmoil
Portia, 36, a former television researcher, revealed online that she informed the children about the impending sale. She admitted, 'I told the children that we are selling the house. It's hard, especially for Roman, to have these conversations. He's really upset.' She added, 'I wanted to let the kids know, I tried to explain why. It's gutting, and I've known for a while.' The couple, who met as students at Loughborough University and married in 2015, moved into the new-build property in 2022 with their family.
Portia's Personal Struggles and Career Crossroads
Amidst the upheaval, Portia is actively seeking employment, describing a jarring transition from domestic tasks to job interviews. She expressed, 'One minute, I was scrubbing a toilet [at home], the next I was in a top and jeans, doing a job interview.' Reflecting on her current state, she noted, 'Change unsettles me. Not knowing what's next is quite a lot, whether that be the house, the job . . . I'm just at a bit of a crossroads with life.' Last year, she confessed to using alcohol as a coping mechanism during difficult times and even declared, 'Sometimes, I feel like I can't do this any more – I am done.'
Ore Oduba's Personal Reinvention
Meanwhile, Ore Oduba, 40, a BBC children's presenter, has been focusing on personal reinvention. In the past year, he posted a photo showcasing swimming trunks with LGBTQ symbols and the word 'Pride' in rainbow letters. He has also publicly addressed his struggles with pornography addiction, marking a period of significant personal change.
Other Celebrity Updates
In other news, billionaire John Caudwell, 73, founder of Phones4U, has found renewed vitality with his girlfriend, Lithuanian cyclist Modesta Vzesniauskaite, who is decades younger. At his £12 million Jacobean mansion, Broughton Hall in Staffordshire, there are whispers of ghostly activities, with Caudwell mentioning, 'I haven't had any apparitions, but others claim to have felt strange things: a bed vibrating or a slight caress when going up the stairs.'
Dame Joan Collins, 92, has shown support for her goddaughter, model Cara Delevingne, 33, by dining with her and singer-songwriter Minke (Leah Mason, 34) at Nobu Malibu in California. Collins is one of Cara's 16 godparents, a choice her parents humorously explained by saying, 'Well, in case any of them die!'
Actress Ruth Jones has clarified that she declined an offer to appear on the second series of The Celebrity Traitors, despite being a fan of the show. She stated, 'I was asked about doing it. I do love the show and did think: 'Wouldn't it be great?'' But then I thought: 'Oh, gosh, I'd have to swim in a lake, put on a wetsuit.' So I'd rather watch it. I'm not doing it.'
Daniel Radcliffe, 36, shared that his young son, not yet three, already feels at home on stage during visits to the Hudson Theatre for his Broadway play Every Brilliant Thing. Radcliffe remarked, 'As soon as he got on stage, he started shouting: 'Dancers, to your places.'' The child's name with long-term girlfriend Erin Darke, 41, remains private.
Sir Richard Branson has criticized former US President Donald Trump for his comments comparing Keir Starmer to Winston Churchill, arguing that Trump lacks Churchill's leadership. Branson said, 'If the world is asked to go through hell and high water for another US war, there should be a justifiable cause. When Winston Churchill prepared Britain for blood, toil, tears and sweat, he knew he had to do this to defend its sovereignty. Sadly, Trump is no Churchill.'
Lastly, Zak Starkey, son of Sir Ringo Starr and former drummer for The Who, is auctioning a 1967 floor tom drum at Sotheby's, once used by Keith Moon. Valued at £230,000, the drum features nude photos and the slogan 'Keith Moon Patent British Exploding Drummer', referencing Moon's habit of setting alight drum shells packed with gunpowder during performances.
