Ore Oduba

Ore Oduba (born 17 November 1985)[1][2][3] is a British television and radio presenter and musical theatre actor, best known for winning the fourteenth series of BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing in 2016.

Ore Oduba
Born (1985-11-17) 17 November 1985
London, England, United Kingdom
OccupationTelevision Presenter and Actor
Notable credit(s)
Newsround
BBC Sport
Claimed and Shamed
Match of the Day Kickabout
The One Show
The National Lottery Draws
Strictly Come Dancing
And They're Off!
Hardball
Noughts + Crosses
Spouse(s)
Portia Oduba
​
(m. 2015)​
Children1
Websitehttp://oreodubaofficial.com

He presented the BBC children's news programme Newsround from 2008 until 2013. In 2018 he hosted the game show And They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief. Oduba also presents the BBC One game show Hardball.

In 2019 he began his musical theatre career, starring in the UK Tour of Grease. He also starred alongside Jason Manford in Curtains the Musical. He made his West End debut in January 2020.

Early life and education

Oduba was born in London to Nigerian parents. He was educated at Dumpton School, then Canford School, a co-educational independent school for both boarding and day pupils in the village of Canford Magna, near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, in southwest England.[4] He studied Sports Science and Social Science at Loughborough University and graduated in 2008.[5]

Career

Oduba had always aimed for a career in sports broadcasting,[6] and initially joined The Network, an Edinburgh television festival scheme.

Oduba joined Newsround in August 2008, following the departure of Lizo Mzimba and Laura Jones. His first role on the programme was as a reporter and breakfast bulletin presenter. He was quickly promoted to deputy presenter in 2009, filling in for main presenter Sonali Shah in her absence. In 2010, he joined Shah to begin presenting the main Newsround bulletin double-headed. This continued until Shah's departure in November 2011. He was later joined by reporters Leah Gooding and Hayley Cutts. As part of his role he also presented spin-off show Sportsround. He became the main presenter in October 2008 when the show relaunched. He presented until its cancellation in 2010. The show was replaced by Match of the Day Kickabout which Oduba also presents. Oduba left Newsround in 2013.

Oduba formerly presented the sport for BBC Breakfast and BBC Radio 5 Live. He has also presented and reported on British Olympic Dreams along with former Newsround co-presenter Sonali Shah. Oduba began a debut presenting solo on the morning slot for the 2014 Commonwealth Games on BBC One and BBC Sport.

Oduba regularly appeared on CBBC studio presentation following his Newsround shift. He was also a guest on CBBC shows including Sam & Mark's TMi Friday, Hacker Time and All Over the Place.

In the lead up to the 2012 Summer Olympics Oduba presented a programme called Ultimate Sports Day for CBBC. He also co-presents live cinema relays from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with former ballerina Darcey Bussell.

On 2 March 2013, Oduba and Sonali Shah appeared on the BBC's Let's Dance for Comic Relief, dancing to Hey Ya! by Outkast. They were eliminated and did not get through to the final.[7]

He played the role of Nathan in Hacker Time on CBBC. Since 2015, he has guest presented numerous episodes of The One Show.

From 2015–16, he was a presenter on The National Lottery Draws on Saturday evenings and he presented the 2015 New Year Live programme on BBC One.

From 7 March 2016, Oduba took part in a challenge for Sport Relief, called "Hell on High Seas", in which he sailed 1,000 miles from Belfast to London with five other celebrities including Alex Jones and Suzi Perry.[8][9] In 2016, he also presented Sport Relief: Clash of the Titans with Dan Walker. He presented coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics on BBC Four throughout August 2016.

Between October 2012 and May 2017 he presented the daytime BBC One insurance fraud documentary programme Claimed and Shamed.[10] In November 2016, Oduba guest presented an episode of This Morning with Holly Willoughby on ITV. He returned to present a second episode with Willoughby in March 2017 and a third with Davina McCall in February 2018.

In 2016 Oduba participated in the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing,[11] where he was partnered with Joanne Clifton. The couple's American Smooth to "Singin' in the Rain" won praise from Patricia Ward, widow of Gene Kelly.[12] In the fourth week the couple were awarded a score of 39 points out of 40 for their jive to "Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars.[13][14] In the final, on 17 December, after the couple scored the maximum 40 points for both their showdance and their jive, they were announced as the winners.[15]

In 2017 Oduba sat in for Claudia Winkleman and Steve Wright, on their respective BBC Radio 2 shows, on a number of occasions.

In 2018, Oduba presented Saturday night game show And They're Off! For Sport Relief on BBC One. Subsequently, he co-hosted the main coverage of Sport Relief 2018 live on BBC One. Also that year he presented Britain's Favourite Walks: Top 100 alongside Julia Bradbury for ITV. Oduba hosts the BBC One game show Hardball.[16]

Oduba made his musical theatre debut in 2019, playing the role of Teen Angel in the UK tour of Grease. He shared the role with singer Peter Andre. Following that he starred as Aaron Fox in Kander and Ebb's Curtains alongside Jason Manford and Carley Stenson. The production later transferred to London's Wyndham's Theatre where Oduba made his West End debut.

In 2020, Oduba played the role of news anchor Akintola in the BBC One drama Noughts + Crosses, a television adaptation of the novels by author Malorie Blackman.

Personal life and credits

Oduba married TV researcher Portia in November 2015 and in January 2018, Portia gave birth to a baby boy named Roman Oduba.[17]

In July 2017 he received an honorary doctorate from Loughborough University.[18] In November 2017 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.[19]

He is an avid supporter of Manchester United.[20]

Oduba was the first winner of the 'Inspirational Public Figure' Award at the inaugural Ethnicity Awards held in 2018. Other nominations include Meghan Markle, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Alesha Dixon.[21]

TV

Year Title Role Channel
2008–2013 Newsround Presenter CBBC
2008–2010 Sportsround
2011–2013 Match of the Day Kickabout
2012 Ultimate Sports Day
2013 Let's Dance for Comic Relief Contestant BBC One
2011–2016 BBC Breakfast Sport presenter
2014 All Over the Place Australia Co-presenter CBBC
2015— The One Show Guest presenter BBC One
2015 EastEnders: Backstage Live Co-presenter
2015–2016 The National Lottery Draws Main presenter
2015–2016 Victoria Derbyshire Sport presenter BBC Two
2015 New Year Live Presenter BBC One
2016 Sport Relief: Clash of the Titans Co-presenter
Hell on High Seas Participant
Olympics 2016 Presenter BBC
Strictly Come Dancing Participant BBC One
2016–2017 Claimed and Shamed Presenter
London Marathon Highlights BBC Two
2016–2018 This Morning Guest presenter ITV
2017 BBC Young Dancer[22] Co-presenter BBC Two
One Love Manchester BBC One
World Athletics Championships 2017 BBC One/BBC Two
The National Lottery Awards Presenter BBC One
2018 And They're Off!
Britain's Favourite Walks: Top 100 Co-presenter ITV
Hardball[23] Presenter BBC One
The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Television guest appearances

Radio
Year Title Role Station
2017— Claudia on Sunday Stand-in presenter BBC Radio 2
Steve Wright in the Afternoon
2018- Drive-time

Stage

Strictly come dancing the live Tour 2017: contestant

Strictly come dancing the live Tour 2018: host

Strictly come dancing the live Tour 2019: host

The Strictly Tour includes participants from the previous year's television series.

Teen Angel in 2019 UK Tour of Grease.

Aaron Fox in 2019/20 UK Tour and West End productions of Curtains the Musical

References
  1. "Strictly Come Dancing - Ore Oduba - BBC One". BBC News. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  2. "All about Ore". BBC News. 12 August 2008.
  3. "Who is Ore Oduba? Strictly Come Dancing 2016 contestant guide". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  4. Barber, Marilyn (13 December 2016). "Strictly finalist Ore Oduba is a former pupil of Dumpton and Canford schools in Wimborne". Blackmore Vale. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  5. "2016 - Alumnus Ore Oduba takes to the Strictly stage - Loughborough Alumni". Loughborough University. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  6. "Ore Oduba, TV presenter". IdeasTap. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  7. "Ore & Sonali". Let's Dance for Comic Relief. BBC One. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  8. "Hell on High Seas". Sport Relief. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  9. "Celebrity crew set sail around the UK for the BT Sport Relief Challenge: Hell on High Seas". BT. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  10. "Curve Media TV Production". Curve Media. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  11. "Presenting our fourth Strictly celebrity… Ore Oduba". BBC. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  12. "Widow's praise for Strictly's Ore Oduba like 'blessing from Gene Kelly himself'". North West Evening Mail. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  13. "Ore Oduba receives first 10s of this year's Strictly Come Dancing for 'jaw-dropping' jive". London Evening Standard. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  14. "'Strictly' Judges Give Their First 10s This Series... But Not To Danny Mac!". Huffington Post. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  15. "Ore Oduba crowned winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2016". The Independent. 17 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  16. "BBC - Dan McGolpin announces exciting new factual and entertainment commissions for BBC One Daytime - Media Centre". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  17. "Ore Oduba celebrates first wedding anniversary with wife Portia". Hello!. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  18. "Strictly Come Dancing star receives Honorary Doctorate from Loughborough University". Loughborough University. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  19. "Honorary Doctorate Ore Oduba". Bournemouth University. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  20. "SOCCER AID STARS EXCITED TO PLAY AT OLD TRAFFORD". Manchester United F.C. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  21. Newman, Vicki (2 October 2018). "Simon Webbe and Ranvir Singh to host first ever Ethnicity Awards". The Mirror. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  22. "BBC - BBC Young Dancer 2017 line-up revealed ahead of BBC Two Grand Final". BBC. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  23. "BBC - Dan McGolpin announces exciting new factual and entertainment commissions for BBC One Daytime - Media Centre". BBC. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
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