Ore Oduba, who previously won Strictly Come Dancing, has revealed that he has separated from his wife, Portia Oduba.
In an Instagram update, the 38-year-old former Newsround presenter shared that the split occurred earlier this year.
He expressed gratitude for his fans’ support during this time, stating: “Portia and I are sad to announce that we separated earlier this year.
“We are so thankful for all the love you’ve shown us over the years, and we appreciate your respect for our privacy as we go through this challenging transition.”
“We will be making no further comment.”
In 2016, Oduba and his professional dance partner Joanne Clifton clinched victory in the 14th series of the BBC dancing show, beating Louise Redknapp and her brother Kevin Clifton, who finished in second and third place, respectively.
This isn’t the first instance of the so-called ‘Strictly curse’ making headlines.
First observed in 2004, it has been affecting relationships ever since.
Conversely, the show has also sparked some romances among celebrities, with varying degrees of success.
Here’s a rundown of the successful (and not so successful) Strictly relationships.
Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
Boxer Joe Calzaghe teamed up with Kristina Rihanoff in the 2009 series of Strictly and soon after the series concluded, they confirmed they were in a relationship.
Speculation about their romance had already begun when Calzaghe’s girlfriend of five years, Jo-Emma, announced their breakup during his first week on the show.
Calzaghe and Rihanoff eventually split in 2013, citing their hectic work schedules as the reason.
Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace
Flavia was paired with EastEnders actor Matt Di Angelo in the fifth series, and their chemistry was evident both on and off the dancefloor.
Shortly after Strictly concluded, Cacace revealed her separation from fellow dancer Vincent Simone and confirmed that she and Di Angelo were in a relationship.
They ended their romance after three years together.
Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice
Before making it to the Strictly final with her dance partner Pernice in 2015, Foote announced her breakup with fellow Corrie star Sean Ward. A few weeks later, she and Pernice confirmed they were in a relationship. However, the couple ended things in August 2016.
Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev
Sparks were evident between Tointon and her dance partner Chigvintsev during the 2010 series of the show.
Both were single and began dating after winning the Glitterball trophy. They were together for four years before parting ways in 2014.
Seann Walsh and Rebecca Humphries
One of the most notorious instances of the Strictly curse in recent years happened in 2018 when comedian Seann Walsh was caught kissing his professional partner Katya Jones.
At the time, Jones was married to fellow dancer Neil Jones, and Walsh was in a relationship with actor Rebecca Humphries.
After the photos surfaced, Katya tweeted: “I’m so sorry about any offence or hurt I may have caused with my actions. I wasn’t thinking and it was a one-off mistake after some drinks. I love my husband and we are very happy together; this is not a reflection on our relationship.”
In August 2019, she and Neil announced their separation after 11 years together, while Walsh and Humphries broke up shortly after the pictures—taken on Humphries’ birthday—became public.
Brendan Cole and Natasha Kaplinsky
Brendan Cole separated from Camilla Dallerup, who was also a Strictly professional at the time, during the first-ever series.
He later won the show with journalist Natasha Kaplinsky but has consistently denied that anything romantic developed between them.
“There were rumours of whether or not Natasha and I were seeing each other, and my relationship broke down in the middle of the series. It was pretty tumultuous and tricky to say the least,” he told Metro.co.uk.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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