Ore Oduba reveals he contemplated suicide during the darkest days of his porn addiction and says ‘if it carried on, it was going to be lights out’

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Ore Oduba has revealed he contemplated suicide during the darkest days of his porn addiction. 

I was really shocked to hear that the former Strictly winner, who’s 40, shared on Paul Brunson’s podcast, ‘We Need To Talk,’ about his struggle with porn addiction. He described it as something that nearly ruined his life, and I admire his bravery in opening up about it.

Ore has revealed that a deeply rooted addiction, beginning when he was only nine after exposure to adult content, led him to contemplate suicide.

Oh my gosh, I was totally glued to the TV this week and he just… he opened up! He talked about the exact moment everything fell apart for him, like, the absolute lowest point of his life. It was so raw and real, I honestly couldn’t believe he was sharing something so personal. It just… wrecked me, in the best way, you know?

On Tuesday’s episode of the Hurt to Healing podcast, Ore explained that he was making a lot of self-destructive choices and knew they weren’t healthy. He realized he needed to change his lifestyle and the people he surrounded himself with, because if things continued as they were, he feared the consequences would be severe.

I realized I was at a point where I either had to prioritize my own well-being or keep going for the sake of others. It’s a difficult thing to talk about, but I was experiencing thoughts of suicide.

‘I was thinking I can’t carry on like this. So, I knew I had to save myself, I had to save my life. 

When someone’s life is at stake, there’s only one thing I can do: I have to put an end to this.

Ore and his wife, Portia, separated in September 2024 after being married for nine years. They share two children, seven-year-old Roman and four-year-old Genie, and are continuing to raise them together as co-parents.

Ore explains that acknowledging his addiction unfortunately highlighted a deeper issue: a lack of love and connection in other parts of his life.

He explained to Pandora Morris, the podcast host and mental health advocate, that he couldn’t find enough love and fulfillment in other parts of his life.

I needed to completely rethink my priorities – my friendships, how I related to my children and my mother, and what I did with my free time. I had to rediscover things that brought me joy and made me feel truly engaged with life, because addiction, in a way, provides a false sense of vitality.

He publicly revealed in November that he was struggling with a porn addiction, explaining he’d spent a significant amount of money – ‘thousands and thousands’ – on adult content. He said his addiction began when he was first exposed to adult images at the age of nine.

Ore told the We Need To Talk podcast that it was only 18 months ago that he ‘escaped my addiction’. 

For three decades, I was held back by shame. It wasn’t until after experiencing two deaths and a divorce that I finally felt able to speak up and share what was really going on, he explained.

As a concerned parent, I’m really glad this dad is speaking up. He has two kids, and he wants everyone to understand how easily children can come across inappropriate and sexual content on social media. It’s a huge issue, and he’s right to bring it to light.

With raw emotion, Ore explained he was risking everything to protect his own children and to warn others about the dangers facing young people today, where harmful content is easily accessible online.

He admitted to being mostly terrified, feeling that this moment marks a major turning point and the true start of the rest of his life.

Ore recalled first seeing adult content on a computer through a friend’s older brother. He described feeling immediately curious and like he’d been exposed to something new. While it didn’t lead to an instant addiction, he said his interest began right away.

It didn’t take long for me to become really curious, because at nine years old, you don’t fully understand things yet.

She was eager to understand that initial spark of interest, and to recapture or find similar experiences, whether through television or magazines.

The ex-CBeebies host became famous nationwide after winning the most-watched final of the show.

More than 13 million people watched him win the competition in 2016, captivated by his charisma and effortless dancing with partner Joanne Clifton.

He’s since found success in musical theatre, most notably playing Caractacus Potts on the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and has continued to perform in various shows recently.

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2026-02-05 17:52