Melvin Odoom


Melvin Kuuku Odoom is a British radio DJ and television presenter. Alongside Rickie Haywood-Williams and Charlie Hedges, he presented the Kiss FM breakfast show and since then, on BBC Radio 1. In television, he has been involved in presenting Dick & Dom in da Bungalow, Basil's Swap Shop, the BRIT Awards 2010 and Must Be the Music, The Xtra Factor, Bang on the Money, and MOBO Awards 2016, as well as being a regular guest celebrity on many television shows. He was also a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2024.

Education

Melvin Kuuku Odoom was born on 30 July 1980 in Cricklewood, London. He attended the University of Bedfordshire and studied a Media Performance and Radio degree. It was at Luton that Odoom met and lived with Rickie Haywood-Williams.

Career

Radio

Odoom, alongside Rickie Haywood-Williams and Charlie Hedges, hosted Kiss Breakfast every weekday morning 6 - 9am, followed by Kiss Morning Anthems until 10am on Kiss 100. Kiss Breakfast won Silver at the Sony Radio Awards in 2009 within the category of "Breakfast Show Award", and was nominated for the same prize in 2010, finally winning 'Gold' at the event in 2012. Odoom was part of the Kiss Breakfast team for 10 years, stepping down in 2018.
In April 2019, the trio moved to BBC Radio 1 to present the late night show Monday – Thursday from 9 to 11pm, also occasionally covering day time shows. In April 2021, It was announced by Radio 1 that Clara Amfo would be moving to evenings on the station to replace Annie Mac. As part of this reshuffle Melvin, Rickie and Charlie would be taking on the 10:30 – 12:45 show including the live lounge.
Since 2025, Odoom has provided holiday and relief cover on BBC Radio 2 for DJ Spoony on The Good Groove.

Television

Odoom and Rickie Haywood-Williams have presented MTV Digs on MTV One, Monday to Saturday between 4 and 7pm and MTV Music Junkie together — a live studio music show. Odoom presented MTV One's coverage of the BRIT Awards 2010 alongside Haywood-Williams, and also presented coverage of the BAFTA awards alongside Kimberly Walsh for MTV One.
In 2010, Odoom and Haywood-Williams also presented the backstage online content for Sky1's Must Be the Music.
Odoom hosted an MTV Leona Lewis special and presented BBC Blast for BBC Two. Odoom was presenting Basil's Swap Shop with Basil Brush in 2008 on Saturday mornings, alongside his days of playing various characters for the long-running show Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow.
From 2013 until 2015, Odoom was a team captain on the BBC Three comedy panel show Sweat the Small Stuff. In 2014, Odoom and Haywood-Williams presented an episode of The Hot Desk featuring Mark Ronson. Since 2015, Odoom and Haywood-Williams co-hosted ITV2's red carpet show at the BRIT Awards alongside Laura Whitmore.
On 18 June 2015, Odoom and Rochelle Humes were confirmed as the new presenters of The Xtra Factor, replacing Sarah-Jane Crawford.
Odoom and Haywood-Williams co-presented the Saturday night entertainment series Bang on the Money, which began in April 2016 on ITV.
On 12 August 2016, it was announced that Odoom would take part in the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and was partnered with Janette Manrara. The couple were the first to leave the competition having had the fewest public votes. However, Odoom and Manrara went on to win the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.
In February 2017, Odoom took part in a celebrity edition of Take Me Out.
In 2017, Odoom and Haywood-Williams took part in Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief.
Since 2017, Odoom has hosted the Channel 4 programme Lego Masters, where teams battle to build the best Lego creations.
In 2020, Odoom took part in Richard Osman's House of Games and became the show's first contestant to score a minus point.
In November 2024, Odoom appeared as a contestant on the twenty-fourth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in which he became the fourth campmate to be eliminated from the series, finishing in ninth place.

Personal life

He is a celebrity ambassador for The Prince's Trust charity, which is involved in helping young adults in life. He is also the brother of actress and writer Yonah Odoom.
Odoom is not a big follower of football but is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and the Ghana national football team.

Filmography

;Television
YearTitleRoleChannelNotes
2002–2006Dick & Dom in da BungalowHimselfCBBC226 episodes
2006–2008The SlammerMelvinCBBCSupporting cast; 28 episodes
2007Gina's Laughing GearPolicemanCBBC1 episode
2008SMartGuest presenterCBBC1 episode
2008Basil's Swap ShopHimselfCBBC13 episodes
20084Music IntrosPresenter4Music6 episodes
2009Da Dick and Dom DairiesHimselfCBBC20 episodes
2009The Legend of Dick and DomMoonbeamCBBC1 episode
2010Must Be the MusicOnline presenterSky 1
2012Diddy MoviesDiddy BradCBBC1 episode, 'Hollywood High'
2013–2015Sweat the Small StuffTeam captainBBC Three
2014The Hot Desk: Mark RonsonCo-presenterITV2Alongside Rickie Haywood Williams
2015–2016The BRITs BackstageCo-presenterITV2Alongside Laura Whitmore and Rickie Haywood Williams
2015Celebrity SquaresHimselfITV1 episode
2015The Xtra FactorCo-presenterITV2Alongside Rochelle Humes
2016Bang on the MoneyCo-presenterITVAlongside Rickie Haywood Williams
2016Up Late with RylanGuestChannel 5
2016Strictly Come DancingParticipantBBC OnePartnered with Janette Manrara
2016CBBC Official Chart ShowGuestCBBC1 episode
2016MOBO Awards 2016Co-hostITV2Alongside Rickie Haywood Williams
2016Strictly Come Dancing Christmas SpecialParticipant/WinnerBBC OnePartnered with Janette Manrara
2016New Year's Eve FireworksPresenterBBC One
2017Take Me Out: Celebrity SpecialHimselfITV
2017Let's Sing and Dance for Comic ReliefParticipantBBC OneAlongside Rickie Haywood Williams
2017Marrying Mum and DadGuestCBBC
2017Lego MastersPresenterChannel 4
2017Would I Lie to YouPanalistBBC1David Mitchell’s team
2017My Hotter HalfPresenterE4
2018JapandemoniumNarratorITV
2020Celebrity Karaoke ClubContestantITV2
2020Richard Osman's House of GamesContestantBBC2
2021The Great British Bake Off: An Extra SliceGuestChannel 4
2024I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!ContestantITV1series 24

;Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2009My Last Five GirlfriendsAgent 2
2013Battle of the YearHimself