Former Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba was diminished to tears as he described the way in which he was duped by an internet hoax. The emotional TV star addressed his Instagram followers in a six-minute video and revealed how scammers took benefit of his ardour for US podcaster Mel Robbins and her sequence of self-help books.
The presenter, who danced his method to a Glitterball trophy in 2016, even publicly advocated for the American creator throughout a earlier look on the ITV present Free Girls. Ore claimed the philosophy she promotes in bestselling 2024 launch The Let Them Concept had “modified his life.” The 39-year-old who as soon as helped others keep away from scammers on the BBC documentary, Claimed and Shamed, revealed that he was contacted by somebody who claimed to be Mel after his look on the daytime discuss present.
Ore recalled: “I reposted that interview, I tagged the Mel Robbins podcast, tagged the Let Me principle, tagged Mel, tagged everyone who cared, after which I obtained an e mail from my agent who forwarded on an e mail from the group on the Mel Robbins podcast.
“I may have cried, they knew who I used to be! I obtained an e mail from the Mel Robbins podcast group.”
He added: “I advised Mel every thing. How she had modified my life. And I actually stated on the finish of the e-mail, even so that you can know who I’m, is every thing. Thanks a lot for getting in contact.”
Ore admitted he was “ashamed and embarrassed” by the rip-off, because the tearful star mirrored on how the pretend sender invited him onto the Robbins’ podcast, which is at present among the many prime 15 podcasts in the US with greater than 20 million subscribers.
“I am studying this again and I do know precisely the way it made me really feel on the time,” he stated. “I wrote again and I stated,’ Mel, I am holding again tears. Is that this for actual? You have to have AI serving to you correspond with all of those followers.’
“Mel wrote again, ‘in fact it is me – it is Mel Robbins!’ So then I misplaced my s***, I completely misplaced my s***, in tears on an Avanti West Coast prepare from Birmingham to London, pondering that my complete life was about to vary.’”
The previous Newsround host added: “By the way in which, I used to host a present about scammers. I’ve watched sufficient Watchdog to final a lifetime – that does not cease me being in the midst of it. I by no means thought I might be the individual that can be scammed.”
Ore finally realised the e-mail had been despatched from a Gmail account, which was a direct purple flag and that Mel’s title had been incorrectly spelt with an inaccurate double L.
His worst fears had been confirmed when he contacted Mel’s PR group from her official web site and so they responded that any correspondence by way of a Gmail account wasn’t from the creator.
In his prolonged caption, Ore added: “Hearken to your intestine, it’s most probably telling you the reality. And don’t get scammed, it’s no enjoyable.
“Nonetheless impressed by and love Mel Robbins and so grateful to them for his or her swift response. I obtained fortunate – it may so simply have been too late.”
