Ore Oduba, the star of Strictly Come Dancing, spoke on a podcast about his medical condition before revealing the death of his late sister earlier this year.
Ore Oduba, a former Strictly Come Dancing champion, has been diagnosed with ADHD. The star, 39, has an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that causes restlessness, hyperactivity, inattention, and other symptoms.
Ore, who appeared on the Beyond The Label this week, said he was relieved to finally understand some of his unique characteristics, which had plagued him most of his life. He said, “I’ve always known there are behaviors I’ve gone about; I love things that are normal to me, and I’ve known they’re completely abnormal to other people; in fact, I think it might be annoying other people.”
“But I’ve always managed things the way I do, and that’s been fine. It’s just been a case of not necessarily displaying it outward, and I’m guessing there are still examples, just doing it, “Oh my God, that’s ADHD in full flow,” even in the last few weeks.
He continued, “I have discovered a kind of language for myself that I have never understood but have always known my entire life,” even in the past two weeks.
Ore claimed that his work as an actor and presenter had been helped by his ADHD. He continued, “Some of the symptoms correspond to what success is in the performing arts and being onstage.
Because we have three weeks to put this thing together and we completely obsess over that one thing, there isn’t time to get it right in typical settings, it works wonderfully for learning choreography, script, scene work, or both.
He discussed his late sister Lola’s struggle with the condition before their death earlier this year, at the age of 37, in an interview on the same podcast.
Ore compared his late sister to being a “convenient,” too much, too loud, and difficult to grow up. At eight or nine years old, he said, “You’re going to start believing that when you’re told that or fed that back as a child that you’re a problem.”
“It’s so sad back in those days, we didn’t have the diagnoses that we have [now]. It’s not just the diagnoses. As you guys do, this is your practice, it’s not just the label. It’s how we manage that, it’s how we help kids understand who they are so that they can go out into the world with all the tools and best prepared as they possibly can, but my sister never had that.”
They simply believed they were a problem for their entire lives, he continued. They perceived them as a problem and as struggling to fit in. They did, in fact, struggle to fit in despite looking for community everywhere.
As his sister left one of her two poems about their mental health struggles, Ore held back tears as he read it. They wrote in the poem, “A deep hum of a refrigerator, constant, unceasing, driven by a motor, running electric.” Additionally, they added, “I’m tired.”
*If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.
*If you are struggling with mental health, you can speak to a trained advisor from Mind mental health charity on 0300 123 3393 or email info@mind.org.uk
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