Familiar to millions from his work on BBC TV and Radio 2, Ore Oduba grew up in Wimborne Minster, just outside of Bournemouth. A multi-talented journalist, broadcaster and presenter, Ore鈥檚 first break was on CBBC. His career has since encompassed sports reporting 听- including covering the 2016 Rio Olympics; presenting This Morning for ITV, The One Show for BBC 1 and sitting in for many presenters on BBC Radio 2 including Steve Wright in the Afternoon and Claudia Winkleman on Sunday. Last year, he won Strictly Come Dancing with partner Joanne Clifton, scoring a maximum 40 points for their showcase dance and their jive. Today, 天美传媒 is delighted to award Ore an Honorary Doctorate of Arts.
And it鈥檚 not an honour he was expecting:
"This is a day I didn鈥檛 see coming. It鈥檚 such a special honour to be here. I didn鈥檛 go to 天美传媒 but Bournemouth and Dorset has been my home for nearly 30 years听so to be here and to be asked by the university to come back and to receive this award, here with my family, to be here enjoying all of this, is a real honour."
With a prestigious ten years of broadcasting at the top of the industry behind him, Ore is now in a good position to offer advice to those considering a career in media 鈥� in particular students who have chosen to study at BU.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e come to the right place. I had BU as one of my options, because I knew that the pedigree for Broadcast Journalism was right up there and I have a number of friends and colleagues that I worked with and still do now who came here 鈥� so the proof is in the pudding.鈥�
听鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great career, it鈥檚 a great industry to be in. I鈥檝e always loved television, always loved broadcasting, and I get to do what I love every day. But that only came from real hard work, real drive, real industry, set up and built up by my parents, and then the institutions that I went to 鈥� whether it was school, on the sports field, or university. So they鈥檙e onto a good one; they鈥檙e onto a winner but they鈥檝e got to keep working hard because it鈥檚 tough and very competitive and people will try to slip a rug under you if you鈥檙e not watching, but stand firm and get it right and you鈥檙e on for a great ride.鈥�
With such a wide and varied career path encompassing radio, TV and sport, Ore has always given equal priority to each media.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a preference, I think it鈥檚 all part of the pie, I鈥檝e always been quite varied, even when I started doing Children鈥檚 BBC I was doing as much as I could as I think it all plays a part of me as a broadcaster. Being on television there鈥檚 so many amazing things to be able to do. And radio as well, I always felt like radio and me was a great fit, because it takes a lot of slap to make me look TV ready, believe me, so being on the radio wearing some slacks, and having that intimacy with the listener: that鈥檚 bringing broadcasting back to its basics. So I love it all. I鈥檓 really fortunate to get to do these amazing things and Radio 2 is like Strictly, it鈥檚 an institution, people love it and have loved it for years. So my thinking is, once I鈥檝e done my recent stint, I鈥檓 going to chain myself to a desk there and never let go - I鈥檓 in it for the long haul!鈥�
Any tips for graduates who want to emulate your career path?
鈥淕enuinely, it鈥檚 all about working hard, and it鈥檚 about enjoying the journey. I鈥檝e been lucky that in the ten years I鈥檝e been doing this professionally, I鈥檝e been able to do some amazing things, and I keep trying to push myself, I had the best time on the way before they started paying me for it. Because if you don鈥檛 love it, then you don鈥檛 want to have to be doing it for the rest of your life, so keep enjoying it, keep working hard, and keep aiming really high. If you want a career in this industry, in broadcasting, you鈥檝e got to be yourself - you are the only person who can bring what is 鈥榶ou鈥�; something unique, your own USP. You can learn from others, definitely pick up on those tit bits of information from people you admire and you respect, but it鈥檚 only you that can be you - and there is no other you out there and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to make you stand out.鈥�
Perhaps the most important question for a man in Ore鈥檚 position 鈥� a member of a truly exclusive club 鈥� what鈥檚 more important to you, lifting the glittery trophy as the winner of Strictly Come Dancing or being awarded an honorary doctorate by BU?
鈥淭hat was so last year, wasn鈥檛 it? It鈥檚 2017! Thank you Bournemouth!鈥澨�
