Ore Oduba Nearly Scammed by AI Impersonator Pretending to Be Life Coach Mel Robbins
BBC presenter Ore Oduba has opened up about a deeply emotional and personal experience, revealing how he was nearly scammed by someone posing as American life coach and podcaster Mel Robbins in a sophisticated AI-driven email con.
In a candid Instagram video posted on Sunday night (July 20), the former Strictly Come Dancing winner said he felt “embarrassed and ashamed”, but wanted to warn others that “it really can happen to anyone.”
“They knew who I was!”
Ore, 39, explained that he received what he believed was an email from the Mel Robbins podcast team, inviting him to appear on her show, which has more than 20 million subscribers. Robbins’ 2024 release The Let Them Theory had previously had a major personal impact on him, which he publicly credited on ITV’s Loose Women.
“I could have cried – they knew who I was!” he said.
“I told Mel everything. I said at the end of the email: ‘Even for you to know who I am is everything.’”
He described being in tears on an Avanti West Coast train between Birmingham and London, believing his “life was about to change.”
“I used to host a show about scammers”
Despite once hosting the BBC series Claimed and Shamed, which exposes fraud, Ore admitted he let his guard down emotionally.
“I’ve watched enough Watchdog to last a lifetime – but I never thought I’d be the person that would be scammed.”
Suspicious signs and swift action
Ore eventually noticed a misspelling of Mel Robbins’ name in the Gmail account and contacted her official PR team, who confirmed the outreach was a scam.
“It was SO convincing, it’s scary,” Ore said.
“With the help and manipulation of AI… I nearly got myself into a whole heap of trouble.”
Public Response and Final Warning
In the caption of his Instagram post, Ore wrote:
“I’m ashamed, I’m embarrassed and I’m human… Listen to your gut. Being scammed is no fun. But I’m still inspired and I still love Mel Robbins.”
He praised Robbins’ team for their swift response, acknowledging how easily this could have ended far worse.
When did Ore win Strictly?
Ore Oduba won the 14th season of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 with professional partner Joanne Clifton. The final attracted more than 13 million viewers, becoming the most-watched Strictly final at the time.
