Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba's candid admission of a decades-long struggle with pornography addiction has reportedly left a lasting and profound impact on his former spouse, Portia Jett. The 40-year-old television presenter and dancer first opened up about what he described as a 'life destroying' addiction during an appearance on Paul Brunson's podcast We Need To Talk towards the end of last year.
The Aftermath of a Marriage Breakdown
Following the collapse of their nine-year marriage in 2024, Portia Jett has revealed she will never consider walking down the aisle again, stating that the very concept of marriage has been 'ruined' for her. The former TV researcher, who shares two young children with Oduba, expressed a radically changed perspective on matrimony.
'I have a completely different view of marriage now and the advice I would give my children would reflect that,' Portia explained. She added, 'The divorce process itself stands as one of the hardest and most stressful experiences I have ever endured. I would never willingly put myself through that kind of ordeal again.'
Moving Forward with a New Partner
Portia is currently in a relationship with Joshua Saxon Birch, a 37-year-old British-German businessman who works in the field of data management. Despite this new partnership, she is reportedly seeking a long-term commitment symbolized by a 'promise ring' rather than pursuing another traditional marriage.
The former couple continue to co-parent their two children, seven-year-old Roman and four-year-old Genie, maintaining a focus on their family responsibilities amidst the personal revelations.
Ore Oduba's Harrowing Struggle
In a separate and deeply emotional disclosure, Ore Oduba has revealed that his addiction led him to contemplate suicide during its darkest phases. The addiction, which he says began when he was just nine years old after being exposed to adult imagery, brought him to the brink of ending his own life.
Speaking on the Hurt to Healing podcast this week, Oduba described reaching a critical breaking point. 'I was pushing a lot of red buttons in my life that I knew were not working,' he confessed. 'I had to fundamentally change my lifestyle and the people around me, because continuing down that path meant it was going to be lights out for me.'
A Matter of Life and Death
The television personality addressed the severity of his situation with raw honesty. 'I knew the person I was becoming presented a stark choice: save myself or continue for the sake of others. This touches on a very sensitive topic, but I'm referring to suicidal ideation. I reached a point where I thought, I cannot carry on like this. I had to save myself; I had to save my life.'
He emphasized the gravity of his decision, stating, 'When it becomes a matter of life and death, there is only one way out. I had to stop this cycle.'
The Long Road to Disclosure
Oduba initially bravely discussed his addiction in November, revealing he had spent 'thousands and thousands' on adult content after becoming hooked as a child. He told listeners it was only eighteen months ago that he managed to 'escape my addiction'.
'Shame kept me silent for thirty years,' Oduba revealed. 'It took me three decades, two deaths in my life, and a divorce to finally say: here is what has been happening.'
A Motivational Mission
The father of two explained his primary motivation for speaking out is to highlight the dangers of children encountering sexual imagery on social media platforms. In an emotional statement, he said, 'This is me putting my life as it stands on the line, to save my own children and to guide anybody else's children entering a world where, at their fingertips, they can fall into something they never asked for.'
He admitted to feeling terrified about the disclosure but framed it as a necessary step. 'Part of me is terrified, the vast majority is terrified, because I feel that, personally for me, the rest of my life begins the day after this. It represents a seminal, draw-the-line moment in my journey.'
The revelations from both Ore Oduba and Portia Jett paint a poignant picture of the profound personal and relational consequences of addiction, the painful process of divorce, and the challenging path toward healing and new beginnings.
