The dissolution of the marriage between Strictly Come Dancing champion Ore Oduba and his former wife, Portia Jett, has transcended mere legal paperwork, leaving profound emotional ripples that are now being felt by their young children. Recently, the public was met with the heartbreaking news that the couple’s eight-year-old son, Roman, has been forced to leave his private prep school mid-term—a significant upheaval in the wake of his parents’ marital collapse.

A Mother’s Heartbreak and the Burden of Resilience

Following nine years of marriage, Ore (40) and Portia (36) finalized their separation in 2024. Amidst the complexity of navigating a new life, Portia has shouldered the heavy responsibility of serving as the children’s primary emotional anchor. On Monday, she offered an intimate glimpse into their new reality, sharing a poignant photograph on social media as she walked Roman to his new school.

The image of a mother embracing her young son—clad in a uniform that signifies a new beginning—resonated deeply with her followers. Portia opened up about the profound helplessness one feels as a parent when forced to facilitate such involuntary transitions: “I haven’t got this, but you have,” she wrote, while expressing immense pride in her son’s fortitude: “First day at a new school and I couldn’t be prouder of how he’s handled all the changes. Let’s do this.”

The weight of the situation did not lift once she stepped away from the school gates. In an update to her Instagram Stories, Portia did not mask the raw struggle of maintaining a composed front: “Just dropped him off. He got really upset.” She confessed the internal battle of masking her own grief: “God as a parent nothing prepares you for holding it together, smiling, being strong, supportive and saying all the right things whilst all you want to do is cry too.”

However, there was a glimmer of relief by the day’s end as she recounted her son’s ability to adapt: “I’d been feeling anxious all day but he had a good first day… his teacher said he was a little shy but made friends and did really well. So I’m happy… tomorrow we go again.”

The Collapse of a Home and the Shadows of the Past

The transfer of schools is merely one facet of a broader fracturing, which included the sale of the family’s Kent home—a residence they had acquired in 2022. Portia admitted that explaining the sale to their children was an agonizing task: “I told the children that we are selling the house. It’s hard, especially for Roman, to have these conversations. He’s really upset. I wanted to let the kids know, I tried to explain why. It’s gutting, and I’ve known for a while.”

Simultaneously, public attention has been cast upon Ore Oduba as the darker chapters of his personal life have surfaced. The performer has spoken candidly about a thirty-year battle with a “life-destroying” porn addiction that began when he was only nine years old. He revealed the staggering financial toll of this habit, admitting to having spent thousands of pounds on adult content.

These personal struggles, compounded by the professional instability that followed his 2016 triumph on Strictly Come Dancing, have defined a turbulent period for the actor. Ore noted that the fame garnered from the show provided a “false sense of stability.” Now, as he navigates life as a single man, he has begun to question the traditional metrics of success, including homeownership: “Having been a property owner, some of the information I’m reading is making me wonder if property ownership is as efficient an investment as I’d been led to believe.”

While Ore continues to reevaluate his financial and lifestyle choices, Portia appears to be carving out a fresh path. Now a qualified personal trainer, she is steadily rebuilding her life and sharing her journey with her followers, striving to move forward from the turbulence of the past.