UK celeb Ore Oduba's Porn Addiction struggle lasted decades

Former BBC host and Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba has gone public about his struggle with porn addiction. Oduba claims the addiction “destroyed his life from the inside out.” On a video call with The Times and in an emotional interview on the We Need to Talk podcast, Oduba detailed a nearly 30-year battle that began at age nine. He explained that the addiction was driven by trauma, and that speaking up now is his way of safeguarding his own children and countless others exposed to harmful content online.

Oduba shared that shame kept him silent for decades. In his words, he became a “Master Masker,” and only after seeking help and finding recovery did he decide others needed to hear his story. His hope is to break stigma, increase awareness and shift the conversation toward prevention and treatment.

To Oduba’s relief and surprise, the disclosure has been met with widespread public support in the UK.

Oduba’s exposure to porn at age 9

Oduba says he encountered pornography for the first time when a friend’s older brother showed him explicit content. That moment marked a turning point he couldn’t recognize at the time.

He described the instant curiosity and “dopamine hits” that followed. From that age onward, porn became embedded in his coping mechanisms. He quickly learned he had to hide his behavior, especially after strict warnings from his father about inappropriate behavior at home. 

Through the anxiety of meeting expectations during his upbringing, the trauma of his brother becoming violent after an episode and being removed from their home, the deaths of his father and sister, and his eventual divorce from his wife, porn was always how he had coped. 

Over time, early exposure shaped what Oduba called “the socio-sexual mapping of the brain,” altering what he understood about relationships, connection and intimacy. He emphasized that today’s youth face greater risks, with high-speed access to violent or extreme content available on every device.

The Independent reported that 60% of children encounter explicit content accidentally, underscoring the inability of typical sex-education timelines to keep pace with the reality of digital exposure.

How porn became an addiction for Ore Oduba

Oduba explained how his addiction caused him to live two separate lives – one to show up for, and one to live in isolation, to cope with the life he had to show up for. He also explained feelings of shame, struggles with relationships and self-esteem, and how it caused him to repress sadness. During the COVID lockdown period, when he couldn’t lean into his workaholic nature, the addiction intensified, as did anxiety and panic attacks. 

For Oduba, pornography had long been an outlet for pleasure without rejection. “It became the first relationship I ever had,” he shared, describing how the cycle of secrecy and relief reinforced itself.

Oduba says he finally reached a turning point about a year and a half ago, when personal loss and the breakdown of his marriage forced him to confront the truth he’d kept quiet since childhood. Since beginning therapy and opening up to loved ones, he has found a path forward centered on healing, honesty and recovery.

Efforts in the UK to crack down on pornography  

Oduba’s revelation comes alongside a major shift in UK policy aimed at reducing exposure to violent and harmful content.

The UK government recently announced new restrictions, including banning strangulation and suffocation in pornography. The consequences created are criminal prosecution for possession or publication of such content and expanded time limits for legal action on intimate-image crimes. 

The goal is to prevent normalization of abuse and ensure platforms take meaningful steps to remove violence-linked media.

Research shows 77% of Gen-Z individuals consume porn, 52% of young women believe porn reinforces sexual dominance by men, and 36% say it promotes aggression. The recent rise of “gooning,” a form of uninhibited prolonged masturbation, also reflects the evolving ways in which younger generations may engage with porn.

Easy access to graphic content can shape distorted expectations of consent and intimacy for adolescents. Oduba believes pornography exposure among youth to be a potential “public health crisis.”

Porn Addiction treatment in the U.S.

While Oduba’s struggle lasted nearly three decades, your story - or that of a partner - doesn’t need to go untreated in hopes of improving on its own. Suffering in silence is not the answer. Specialized care is often needed for recovery. 

Pornography use becomes an addiction when it interferes with relationships or personal goals, causes emotional distress, shame or secrecy becomes a default coping strategy for stress or loneliness.

In the United States, confidential help is increasingly accessible. Birches Health offers specialized, evidence-based virtual care for individuals struggling with porn addiction, while providing treatment from the comfort of home.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with compulsive pornography use, specialized support is available:

Book an appointment with Birches Health
Call 833-483-3838
Email help@bircheshealth.com