Ore Oduba Reveals Shame After Falling for Elaborate Hoax

A Former Dancing Star's Lesson in Online Scams

Ore Oduba, a former winner of Strictly Come Dancing, has shared his experience of falling victim to an online scam, expressing deep shame and embarrassment. The 39-year-old former Newsround presenter, who once hosted a program focused on avoiding fraud, admitted he was tricked into believing that personal growth expert Mel Robbins had invited him onto her popular podcast.

In a six-minute Instagram video posted on Sunday (20 July), Oduba said, “I’m ashamed, I’m embarrassed and I’m human.” He added, “Did not think I would be the kind of person who could be scammed, but this proves it really can happen to anyone.”

The scam unfolded after Oduba promoted Mel Robbins’s recent work, “The Let Them Theory,” on Loose Women, stating it had “changed my life.” The theory, which suggests focusing only on what is within one's control, gained popularity online and was featured in Robbins’s bestselling book released earlier this year.

Oduba recounted how he reposted the interview, tagged the Mel Robbins podcast, and reached out to the team. He received an email from his agent, which he believed was from the podcast team. “I could have cried,” he said. “I wrote back and I said, ‘Mel, I'm holding back tears. Is this for real? You must have AI helping you correspond with all of these fans.’ Mel wrote back, ‘of course it's me – it's Mel Robbins.’”

While traveling on a train from Birmingham to London, Oduba thought his “whole life was going to change.” However, he later noticed that the email address had a typo in Robbins’s name and was sent from a Gmail account. His PR team confirmed that the invitation did not come from them, revealing it was a hoax.

Oduba, who previously presented Claimed and Shamed, a documentary series about fraudsters, admitted he never thought he would be scammed. “I used to host a show about scammers,” he said. “I have watched enough Watchdog to last a lifetime - that doesn't stop me being in the middle of it. I never thought I'd be the person that would be scammed.”

He expressed concern about the role of AI in such scams, saying, “Especially with the help and manipulation of AI. I’m terrified how easily I was ‘hooked’. It was SO convincing, it’s scary.”

Reflecting on his feelings towards Mel Robbins, Oduba said, “I’ve made no secret of how much Mel Robbins, her book and podcast have helped me through a really difficult period. Truth is I turned an emotional blind eye to something I so deeply wanted to believe was for me and nearly got myself into a whole heap of trouble.”

He urged others to trust their instincts, saying, “Listen to your gut, it’s most likely telling you the truth. And don’t get scammed, it’s no fun. Still inspired by and love @melrobbins and @letthemtheory and so grateful to them for their swift response. I got lucky – it could so easily have been too late.”

Oduba, now a father of two, has had a diverse career. He presented Newsround from 2008 until 2013 and has hosted sports coverage for BBC Breakfast, Match of the Day Kickabout, and the National Lottery Awards. He won the BBC competition Strictly Come Dancing alongside his partner Joanne Clifton in 2016.

In addition to his television work, Oduba has dabbled in acting. He made his West End debut in Curtains the Musical in 2020 and toured the UK and Ireland for Pretty Woman: The Musical last year. His journey highlights the importance of vigilance, even for those who are well-informed about fraud.