MY STAGE CAREER? IT'S ALIVE!

ORE ODUBA TALKS TO DIANNE BOURNE ABOUT WINNING STRICTLY AND TAKING 'BIG ASS RISKS'

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ORE Oduba may have won Strictly Come Dancing and appeared in a number of major theatre tours since, but he's now preparing for what he describes as the 'biggest role of my career.'

For Ore is about to play the lead in a major new production of Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein at Manchester's award-winning Hope Mill Theatre.

He will lead the show in the iconic role of Frederick Frankenstein made famous by Gene Wilder in the 1974 movie.

And he says: "It's so funny, I just can't wait for people to see it."

He adds: "I love the show, I remember seeing it in the West End, so when the chance came to audition for Young Frankenstein in Manchester well, I didn't think I'd get it. But within the week I was told they'd like me to take on this iconic role and I thought wow, oh my gosh, I guess I am ready to do the biggest role of my career, let's get on with it."

It's a role that also brings him back to Manchester, a city he called home for seven years when he was then a BBC Breakfast presenter, in the times before Strictly came a-calling and life would change forever for Ore.

Ore won Strictly with dancer Joanne Clifton in 2016 in a memorable series that saw Ore wear his heart on his sleeve throughout the dance competition.

Thinking back to that time now, he still seems surprised about his win.

He laughs: "I hadn't planned to win Strictly! So I had absolutely no idea what to do after that happened.