Ore Oduba has revealed he feels he can ‘fully accept’ himself after overcoming the shame of his 30-year porn addiction.
As 2025 draws to a close, the TV presenter, 40, reflected on his turbulent year following the breakdown of his marriage and the tragic suicide of his sister Lola.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Ore spoke of the life-changing conversation he had with Celebs Go Dating life coach Paul C Brunson, where he revealed his pornography addiction, on his We Need To Talk podcast.
The Strictly champ revealed he has felt an ‘abundance of love’ after going public with his battles as he gave an empowering message to his followers.
Ore wrote: ‘I truly believe this conversation with changed the course of my life.. for the better.
‘For so long before our interview aired I’d feared the worst, that sharing so much of myself, my struggles would be the beginning of the end of so much I had created in my life.. my work, my relationships… but without a doubt, the day I talked about my addiction it strengthened everything I hold dear.
Ore Oduba has revealed he feels he can ‘fully accept’ himself after overcoming the shame of his 30 year porn addiction
In an Instagram post on Monday, Ore spoke of the life-changing conversation he had with Celebs Go Dating life coach Paul C Brunson on his We Need To Talk podcast
‘It allowed others to come forward, to be vulnerable… it shone a light on shame, forged solidarity and community in a shared fight for our young people’s future and pushed me into a position I could have never imagined… that my voice mattered.
‘I was really scared to speak out. But I’m so glad I did. For myself and for others. No more hiding… fully accepting of me, checkered past and all. And as a result, in the wake of devastating loss this year, I have discovered an abundance of love in my life like nothing I felt before.
‘I wish it for everyone… I had been talking about how my relationship with my wonderful mum has changed unrecognisably for the better but I think the words speak to so much more… that only in fully accepting who we are can we allow those we love to accept who we truly are.
‘I hope these words speak to you..
‘So, may 2026 be the year of acceptance, of no shame and no fear… of compassion that the people in our lives might be struggling in ways we’ll never understand. But can we hold space for them without wanting to fix the “broken bits” that make us who we are.
‘Thank you Paul and team for holding space for me. And thank YOU guys for your love and support this year. Can’t wait to turn the page on 2026 with everything I’ve learnt and the people I get to share my life with, many of whom I haven’t yet met. Hope you’ll keep hanging on for the ride…. Things just got interesting ;)’.
Ore’s words were accompanied by a clip from the podcast, where the presenter talked about his relationship with his mother.
He said: ‘We will never understand each other’s lives. And you know what she does, Paul?
The Strictly champ revealed he has felt an ‘abundance of love’ after going public with his addiction in an empowering message to his followers
It has been a turbulent time for Ore as he dealt with the loss of his sister Lola in April
Ore split from his wife Portia in October last year, ending their nine year marriage (pictured together in 2019)
‘She doesn’t understand everything that I’m saying, but she listens. She hears me. She accepts me for who I am and all my broken bits. That’s the biggest blessing.
‘And so I cherish every moment I have. I don’t know how long I’ve got. We don’t how long we’ve got with these people.
‘But we have to show up as ourselves and only when we accept ourselves can we allow other people to accept who we are. And that’s when you start living the best life.’
It has been a difficult year for Ore as he dealt with the loss of Lola in April.
Lola, a former Guardian journalist and trained chef who once appeared on an episode of Come Dine with Me, had also been battling personal demons when tragedy struck.
Oduba told how Lola – who was also a talented performer as a stand up comic and singer – had revealed in a heartbreaking farewell letter that they had begun to ‘identify as non-binary’ following a period of troubles.
Ore and Portia’s marriage broke down last October.
The former couple, who share two young children Roman, seven, and Genie, four, wed in 2015 – five years after they met at Loughborough university in 2010.
Announcing the split, Ore wrote: ‘Hi guys. Portia and I are sad to announce that we separated earlier this year. We’re so grateful for all the love you’ve shared with us both over the years.
‘And we want to thank you in advance for respecting our privacy as we navigated this difficult transition. We will be making no further comment. Be kind, always.’
In recent times he has spoken of his secret turmoil and how his life began spiralling out of control, his battles with addiction and how he had plunged into despair after he ‘lost his faith’.
Ore was just nine years old when he first saw pornography.
Unbeknown to the young Oduba, his exposure to these images would trigger a full-blown addiction to explicit adult content – one that would go on to dominate his life even as he found huge TV success.
‘Shame kept me silent for 30 years. It took me 30 years, two deaths, and a divorce to finally go: here’s what’s happening,’ he revealed on the podcast.
The father of two said he wanted to speak out now to highlight the issue of children seeing sexual imagery on social media.
An emotional Ore said: ‘This is me putting my life as it is on the line, to save my children and to guide anybody else’s children going into a world where at their fingertips, they can fall into something they never asked to.’
He added: ‘Part of me is terrified, the vast majority is terrified because I feel like, personally, for me, the rest of my life begins the day after this, as it’s a kind of a seminal draw-the-line moment.’
If you’re struggling with similar issues support can be found at The Naked Truth Project.
