Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba announces shock split from wife after nine years of marriage

Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba took to social media to confirm he and his wife Portia had parted ways

Strictly Come Dancing star Ore Oduba and his wife Portia Oduba have split after nine years.

The former star of the hit BBC ballroom show, 38, confirmed this week that their relationship had come to an end.

Addressing fans on social media, Ore said: “Hi guys. Portia and I are said to announce that we separated earlier this year.”

Ore, who won Strictly back in 2016 with his pro partner Joanne Clifton went on: “We’re so grateful for all the love you’ve shared with us both over the years.

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“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.”

CBBC star Ore met Portia in 2010 at Loughborough University and they both quickly fell in love. Four years later, Ore popped the question and they tied the knot the very next year in a stunning 2015 ceremony at Penshurst Place in Kent.

Gushing about his and Portia’s big day, Ore previously said to The Mirror : “On my wedding day I cried from 11 in the morning until 2am that night. There's a picture of me wailing, my best men there laughing and Portia absolutely cracking up next to me – I am the only one crying.”

Portia and Ore welcomed a son named Roman in 2018 and in 2021 their second child, a little girl named Genie, was born.

Ore’s shock announcement comes just over a year since he and his family found themselves stranded in Greece amid summer 2023’s air traffic control chaos.

The family was one of thousands affected by the network-wide outage on bank holiday Monday, which caused more than 1,200 flights to be cancelled following a technical fault with the UK’s air traffic control system.

Taking to Instagram at the time, mum-of-two Portia, explained her family was due to travel back to London, Gatwick yesterday, however sharing a picture of her son and daughter, Roman and Genie, looking out at the grounded easyJet planes from the airport, she revealed they were stuck in Greece with no nappies for the couple's young children.

She shared: "So currently ‘stranded’ in Greece with no flight home. No nappies and no clean knickers. @easyjet have cancelled all flights leaving till Sunday. But it’s ok. They’ve offered us a voucher for the next time we fly. Maybe we can fly home on that, magic carpet style.” She then added: “I better sharpen up on my Greek as at this rate we are going to become citizens.”

A day earlier, Portia told fans the family were down to their “last three nappies” as they attempted to find a different flight home. “The next available flight from where we’re staying back to London Gatwick isn’t until Sunday I believe so we’re trying to find an alternative flight, potentially trying to get to another island and fly with a different airline who’s flights are all still leaving."

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