Former Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba has disclosed a 30-year struggle with porn addiction, which he says began when he was just nine years old. The 39-year-old television presenter broke his silence on the issue, stating his primary motivation is to protect and guide his own children, as well as others facing similar challenges.
Speaking on the We Need To Talk podcast with Paul C Brunson, Oduba said: 'A year and a half ago I was able to escape an addiction that had dogged me for nearly 30 years.' He pinpointed the start of his addiction to childhood: 'Nine, that is when my addiction started, when I was introduced to pornography.' He described it as a destructive force, adding, 'I know it had been dogging me, it had been destroying my life from the inside out.'
Oduba recounted the initial exposure, shown to him by a friend's older brother, as 'innocuous.' He recalled, 'I remember being very intrigued and a feeling of eyes being opened.' While acknowledging addiction wasn't immediate, he noted 'the intrigue set in immediately and it didn't take long for that intrigue to start running my mind over.'
The presenter, known for his time on CBBC's Newsround and winning Strictly in 2016, spoke of the intense pressure to conceal his growing addiction from his family. He referenced a past incident where a sibling was disciplined for smoking, leading to a stern warning from their father about being sent to Nigeria for education. This created a profound fear for Oduba, who believed it would be 'life over as you know it' if his secret was discovered, leading him to become 'a master masker.'
Oduba, who has two children, Roman and Genie, expressed deep concern for the younger generation, fearing 'an epidemic of problems for our young people.' He likened his experience to other addictions, explaining: 'Like any addiction, you have to live two lives.' He added, 'It was very isolating. It was something that I just knew to be me.'
His decision to speak out stems from a desire to guide his children. 'I never imagined I would ever share this with anyone... The reason that I felt like I needed to speak about this is because I wanted to be able to guide my own children,' he stated. He views it as a significant societal challenge: 'This is, I believe, one of the biggest problems we have societally.'
