TV presenter posts Pride speedo pics & rainbow flag despite not being gay in “traditional” sense
British TV presenter Ode Oduba dons Pride Speedos and addresses his sexuality following questions from fans.
Mark
British TV presenter Ode Oduba has addressed questions about his sexuality after posting a rainbow flag emoji to his Instagram bio a few days ago.
Oduba, 39, who is of Nigerian descent, is a common face on British TV screens. He’s probably best known for winning the 2016 season of Strictly Come Dancing (the UK precursor of Dancing With The Stars). Besides his TV work, he’s also acted in several touring theater productions, such as Grease.
He met his wife, Portia, in 2010, and they married in 2015. The couple has two young children. However, they announced last year that they were divorcing.
Oduba recently posted a new photo of himself, wearing white Speedos with the word “Pride” written in rainbow colors across the seat. In an accompanying caption, he talked about the reason he recently added a rainbow emoji to his Instagram bio. It was a “coming out” of sorts, but it was more prompted by the recent death of a sibling.
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Oduba said the sibling in question, Lola, was non-binary. They took their own life in April.
“Icon”
“Lots of people have been asking about the rainbow in my bio,” Oduba began. “Some will say I don’t need to explain myself (and they’d be right) however in this case I’m happy to share my why. It’s maybe not why you think.”
“I’ve mentioned before about the longer you can withstanding a storm the closer you are to your rainbow. I’m so glad to have grown monumentally through a truly difficult, stormy period in my life.. the colours of my rainbow look very bright today.”
He continued, “But in losing my sister in April the symbol of a rainbow has brought me closer to them in the times I’ve needed it desperately. My sister was very proudly black and very proudly queer. Definitely an ICON to me and so many of their friends and family. In the last year of their life they identified as non-binary. My pride for them knows no bounds.”
“So am I gay?”
Oduba went on to say that his sister had spent a large period of their life “in shame and humiliation of who they were.”
“In so many ways, my sister’s death gave ME a gift of life. Having realised I’d lived the majority of my life for the attention of others, often suppressing my authentic self, my sister gave me the wake up call to live my life fully and express myself wholeheartedly. And that is what I plan to do. It’s certainly the version of me I want to mirror for my children.
“So am I gay, as someone keenly asked me on insta yesterday? No, not in the traditional or sexual sense,” Oduba said.
“But if ‘coming out’ is about shedding a former self to put forward the new, truest version of me, without the shame, the hiding, without the second-guessing whether any decision will make me happy rather than how others perceive me, how I cheerlead others with kindness and compassion, with occasionally quiet, or loud, flamboyance, depending on the mood, and a big dollop of camp then HALLELUJAH count me in!”
“My sister taught me so much about the queer community. About how feeling like the outsider, of difference of feeling othered and misunderstood, it was the one place they truly felt belonging. I understand that now. I miss you so much Lola but how lucky I am to feel you with me, guiding me every day. I will always keep your rainbow flag flying in my heart. I love you 
”
Followers respond with love
Many other well-known faces on British TV responded to the post, including out-gay health expert, Dr Ranj Singh. He simply said, “THIS! 
”
Singer Beverley Knight posted a row of rainbow and heart emojis.
Another follower posted, “I read this earlier this morning, anyhow its now 11pm and im still thinking about it, just such a beautiful honest post 
not often you get celebs doing this, showing a vulnerable side, (not sure this is the right word to use but its late and i cant think of the word i mean), Are, I hope this wave of support helps in some small way, personally I hadn’t seen 1 negative comment my faith in human beings has been restored (for now)
”
Oduba himself appeared blown away by the response. In a further comment, he said, “Crikey. Once again I’m blown away, thank you everyone. Ps my daughter is also obsessed with unicorns and rainbows. I have tattoos of both, she is my self expression inspiration lol! 
”
Addictions
The post follows one Oduba made a month ago in which he marked one year of sobriety.
“Until recently, I had spent most of my life as an addict. Shame was into woven into my addictive behaviours, they went hand-in-hand,” he revealed.
“Through therapy and finally admitting to myself that I’d had suffered from addiction pretty much my entire life I’m so happy to share I’ve been ‘sober’ for over a year. If that is indeed how to describe my case. Despite living with it silently, secretly for decades.. undiagnosed and untreated it might well in the end have ruined my life.”
He acknowledged the great progress he’d made in 12 months, and said, “I don’t even recognise that version of me anymore.”
It sounds like Oduba is on a journey of self-discovery and tackling the things that have held him back. We wish him all the best as he continues that journey.
Related
TV personality & actor Dr Ranj Singh hard launches new boyfriend via Instagram
What a cute couple.
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