Hardball host Ore Oduba wants another dance under the Strictly glitterball

FORMER Strictly champ Ore Oduba wants to get his dancing shoes on again.

And a twinkle-toed reunion with professional partner Joanne Clifton is on the cards.

Ore and Joanne won the 2016 series and Ore, who recently had a baby son, Roman, with his wife Portia, has told iN10 that talks are underway about rekindling their dance floor magic.

“We stay in touch,” said Ore, 32, who is now hosting BBC1 quiz show Hardball.

“She was round the other day to see Roman and she’s good friends with Portia. Jo is one of my best friends in the world and we’re still so tight. On days off we always try and hook up.

“We’re consistently trying to think of ways we can work together again.

“We had this amazing thing together and it’s just finding the right opportunity.”

Previous glitterball champions Louis Smith and Jay McGuiness have subsequently been involved in touring dance shows, Jay with his partner Aliona Vilani, and Ore admits it’s a prospect that appeals.

“I’d absolutely love to do that. At the end of Strictly I said I would love to carry on dancing.

“We need to find the right stage and the right timing.”

Hardball is a fast-paced quiz where contestants have to outrun the Hardball, losing out if it catches them.

They step up to face it on 25 metres of track, trying to answer a series of varied questions as they endeavour to stay ahead.

Ore admits the Hardball could be a little temperamental, having suffered a few dings during transportation to the BBC’s Glasgow studios. But that didn’t lessen the fear factor in the contestants’ faces as they confronted it.

Hardball is screened just before Pointless and the affable presenter couldn’t be happier.

“People really love quiz shows. You’ve got Tipping Point followed by The Chase on ITV and now ourselves and then Pointless on BBC1, so it’s a really good place to be.”

What also made Ore happy was getting back to one of his favourite cities, Glasgow. He spent plenty of time there for his sports presenting duties during the Commonwealth Games, so it was all very familiar.

Like most quiz shows, several episodes of Hardball were recorded each day, thereby limiting the time he was away from home.

With his first child Roman just four months old, home life is more important to him and Portia than ever.

And that meant there had to be an in-depth conversation with Portia before he headed off in January and February this year to host the hugely popular Strictly arena tour, which included Scots champ Joe McFadden.

“I went on tour with that within six days of Roman being born,” said Ore. “that was not a decision taken lightly.

“Portia and I sat down for a long time thinking about whether that was something I could do. Luckily Portia’s mum and dad were there for her and she stayed with them for the three-and-a-half weeks I was away.

“If it wasn’t for them, it wasn’t something I could have said yes to. So we were very lucky to have that support.

“But having the opportunity to host the Strictly tour was a big deal for me.

“I felt going back fitted me like a glove. I have never had a role in which I felt more at home.

“The people at Strictly feel like my family now.”

Like most winners, Strictly raised Ore’s profile and he’s had a host of nice job offers since, away from his former BBC Sport duties.

But he’s keen to stress that having made his TV debut on Newsround exactly a decade ago, he had the experience to make the right calls.

And one thing he is unabashed about is the number of times he shed a tear during Strictly.

“I’ve always been in touch with my emotions and in the past couple of years a lot of the things I’ve dreamed of have come true,” adds Ore.

“If you don’t get emotional about that there’s something a little bit frozen inside.

“So it’s not going to stop.”

Hardball, BBC1, weekdays, 4.30pm.