Ore Oduba adds rainbow emoji to his Instagram bio as tribute to late non-binary sister
Ore Oduba has shared why he put a rainbow emoji in his Instagram bio, revealing it is a tribute to his late non-binary sister.
Ore Oduba has added a rainbow emoji in his Instagram bio as a tribute to his late sister.
The 39-year-old TV presenter said the symbol of the LGBTQ+ community has brought him "closer" to his sibling Lola - who identified as non-binary, using they/them pronouns, in the "latter years" of their life, which sadly ended in April.
As Lola spent "much of their life in shame and humiliation of who they were", it gave Ore the "wake up call" to live his life "fully and express myself wholeheartedly".
And that is what he intends to do by 'coming out' in expressing his true, authentic self, which Ore wants to mirror for his and his ex-wife Portia Oduba's children, son Roman, seven, and daughter Genie, four.
The Strictly Come Dancing 2016 winner will also keep flying Lola's rainbow flag in his heart.
Captioning an Instagram photo of Ore posing in white swim briefs that have "PRIDE" printed in rainbow colours on the back beside a swimming pool, he wrote on Friday (01.08.25): "Lots of people have been asking about the rainbow in my bio.. 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.
"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.
"Despite doing a whole lot of living in their latter years, my sister spent much 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.
"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. (sic)"
