Ore Oduba has admitted that he has lost thousands of pounds due to his 30-year porn addiction. The former Strictly Come Dancing winner, 40, first opened up about his 'life destroying' addiction late last year. He revealed that the addiction began when he was just nine years old after being shown adult images, and it left him on the brink of ending his own life. Now, he wants to highlight the issue of children seeing sexual imagery on social media.
In a recent interview about his financial successes and failures, Oduba confessed, 'I've spent thousands on pornography.' The father of two separated from his wife Portia in September 2024 after nine years of marriage. He has come to terms with having to sell the family home following the split.
Oduba became a household name after winning the Strictly Come Dancing glitterball trophy in 2016, in the show's most-watched final ever. Since then, he has pursued a successful musical theatre career, starring as Caractacus Potts in the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and other shows. However, his career choices, combined with his addiction, have led to periods of financial instability.
Around the time of his Strictly stint, Oduba switched from being employed by the BBC to self-employment. He told The Sunday Times, 'I've always wanted to live within my means but I do feel Strictly gave me a false sense of stability.'
Oduba and his ex-wife Portia sold their Kent family home, purchased in 2022, earlier this year. Portia, 36, shared on social media in March that their children Roman, seven, and Genie, four, were heartbroken by the decision. '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 said.
Now, Oduba admits he is unsure if he will ever buy another home. 'Having been a property owner, some of the information I'm reading is making me wonder if property ownership is as efficient an investment as I'd been led to believe,' he said. 'A lot of my life has followed the path of what was meant to happen, what I thought were acceptable and traditional means and methods. But essentially, just because I've sold a house doesn't necessarily mean I need to buy another one – I'm continuing to look for investment avenues that will work for me better. In terms of property, honestly, sometimes I'm all but ready to buy a motorhome and get a dog. Home for me is way beyond bricks and mortar.'
Meanwhile, former TV researcher Portia has started a new career as a qualified personal trainer.
