Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba has issued a stark warning, declaring that the easy availability of extreme online pornography has escalated into a severe public health crisis for the UK.
A Lifelong Battle with Addiction
The 39-year-old television presenter spoke candidly on the Daily Mail's Life of Bryony podcast, revealing his own 30-year struggle with pornography addiction that began when he was first exposed to explicit material at just nine years old. Oduba described how this compulsion dominated his life, leading to panic attacks, damaged relationships, and financial losses totalling thousands of pounds on subscription sites.
He explained that the addiction became so overwhelming it brought him to a point of suicidal ideation. Oduba felt hopeless and became a 'master at masking' his double life from friends and family, all while being 'destroyed from the inside out' by the constant compulsion.
The Dangers for Children Online
Oduba expressed particular concern for children growing up with smartphones, stating that young people are just three to six clicks away from accessing adult content at any moment. He cited a recent report from the Children's Commissioner which found that children as young as six are viewing harmful material, with the average age of first exposure being between 11 and 13.
'The level of extremity. The level of violence… there has been a real normalisation about how accessible this stuff is,' Oduba told columnist Bryony Gordon. He emphasised that 60% of children encounter this content by accident during their normal online activities, with 80% of it appearing on social media platforms.
Finding a Path to Recovery
The presenter's journey towards recovery was profoundly influenced by the tragic death of his non-binary sibling, Lola, who died by suicide in April 2025. After achieving 18 months of sobriety, Oduba now offers advice to others facing similar struggles.
He compares pornography addiction to drug or alcohol dependency, stressing that the first step is admitting you have a problem. 'The moment we understand we're going through something, or struggling with something, is the point at which we can start to change,' he said.
Oduba encourages sufferers to reach out for support, noting that it's a daily battle requiring small steps. His own recovery involved years of therapy and significant life changes before he could finally say, 'I see what's happening and I want to change it.'
He is now determined to end the shame surrounding pornography addiction and has called on technology companies to take greater responsibility for protecting children from accessing extreme content online.
