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Ben Ofoedu

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Ben Ofoedu
BornHong Kong
Occupation
  • Musician
Years active1989–present
Formerly of

Benedict Spencer Ofoedu (/oʊfeɪduː/) is a Nigerian/British singer-songwriter. He is best known for being the former fiancée of Vanessa Feltz and for his media appearances therewith, though he had some success as a vocalist, having sung on ten UK Singles Chart entries as part of Benz, Phats & Small, and Intenso Project; a solo single, "Your Love", charted at No. 76 on the same chart.

Career

Early life and music

Benedict Spencer Ofoedu[1] (/oʊfeɪduː/)[2] was born in Hong Kong and moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was two years old. His parents were Igbo; his father was a merchant seaman.[3] In 1989, Ofoedu featured on the tracks "Don't Stop" and "The Deep", from Humanoid's Global.[4] In 1993, Ofoedu joined the band Benz; the band also contained Overlord X.[5] The group had five singles enter the UK Singles Chart; "Boom Rock Soul" (No. 62), "Urban City Girl" (No. 31), "Miss Parker" (No. 35), "If I Remember" (No. 59), and "On A Sun-Day" (No. 73).[6]

In 1999 he became the singer of Phats & Small[7] after they found they needed a frontman for their hit single Turn Around,[8] which peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] Ofoedu would later sing on their singles "Feel Good" and "Tonite",[10] which charted at No. 7 and No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] In 2000, he released a solo single "Your Love"[7] under the name "Ben", which charted at No. 76 on that chart.[11] In 2001, he joined REDhill, a rap rock band,[2] whose other members were Mark Brightman, Rodney Williams, and Shane Lynch; they were never signed, and disbanded in 2002, before Ofoedu, Brightman, Williams, and Tony Thompson formed Four Story in late 2003,[12] who with "Hand on My Heart" appeared on Making Your Mind Up with the intention of representing the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest; they came fifth.[7]

In 2002, he joined Intenso Project,[7] which peaked at No. 22, No. 32, and No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart with "Luv Da Sunshine", "Your Music" featuring Laura Jaye, and "Get It On" featuring Lisa Scott-Lee.[13] In 2008, he wrote Chanelle Hayes' I Want It.[14] On 11 March 2017, he appeared as a fifth of Boys Allowed, a parody of Girls Aloud, on Let's Sing and Dance.[15] On 13 April 2018, he featured on The Power Of Muzik's "Bruised" featuring Michael Rice, Asher Knight, Luena Martinez and Angels N Bandits,[16] a charity single which raised money for Barnardo's,[17] and in 2019, he formed Boyz on Block.[7]

Television career

Ofoedu has appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks four times; as a panellist he appeared on 14 October 1999[18] and 4 October 2004,[19] and as one of the Identity Parade he appeared on 17 November 2014[20] and 12 October 2021.[21] On 22 September 2006, Ofoedu performed magic tricks on The All Star Talent Show, where he came fifth.[22] On 29 March 2015, Ofoedu appeared on the BBC's The Big Questions, where the big question in question was "Do you need to be born again to be a Christian?".[23] On 29 November 2015, he appeared on Fern Britton Meets...,[24] and in September 2022, Ofoedu appeared on Pointless Celebrities.[25]

In April 2007, he and his then-fiancée Vanessa Feltz turned up on an episode of Channel 4's Celebrity Wife Swap, in which she spent a week with Paul Daniels, and Ofoedu spent a week with Debbie McGee.[26] On 22 September 2007, Feltz and Ofoedu won £150,000 on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.[27] Between 10 January[28] and 24 June 2011, Ofoedu and Feltz co-hosted Channel 5's The Vanessa Show.[29] In July 2011, the pair appeared on Pointless Celebrities, reaching the final, but failing to win the jackpot for their charity;[30] they appeared again in February 2019, winning £2,500.[31] They also appeared on All Star Mr & Mrs in July 2014,[32] and on Celebrity Big Brother's "Bit On the Side" as panel members on 1 September 2014.[33]

Personal life

He became a Christian since 1991,[34] when he was nineteen;[35] his parents were Christians, though Ben did not convert until he heard a sermon by Barry Smith at Kensington Temple.[35] He has credited his faith with getting him through a bout of bell's palsy he suffered after Benz were dropped, which caused him to spend eight months at home.[2] He was engaged to television and radio presenter Vanessa Feltz between 2006[36] and 2023;[37] the pair were introduced by Keith Duffy.[38] The pair did not marry due to Feltz's previous bad experiences with marriage (her previous husband had cheated on her),[39] and they split up due to Ofoedu also cheating on her.[37]

References

  1. ^ "Trade Marks Opposition Decision (O/315/00)" (PDF). IPO. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Shape Your Future Podcast Episode 112: Ben Ofoedu, Singer and Song Writer". YouTube. 16 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Turned Around". Magzter. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  4. ^ Humanoid (1 May 2023). Global (Media notes). Westside Records.
  5. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 255. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  6. ^ "BENZ". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Boyz On Block: Who exactly are the band that have been asked to perform at Preston's Christmas lights?". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
  8. ^ Arena, James (15 May 2017). Stars of 21st Century Dance Pop and EDM; 33 DJs, Producers and Singers Discuss Their Careers. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
  9. ^ a b "PHATS & SMALL". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  10. ^ Phats & Small (1999). Now Phats What I Small Music (Media notes). Multiply Records.
  11. ^ "BEN". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  12. ^ "Four chaps with a Euro-vision". East London and West Essex Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  13. ^ "Intenso Project". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  14. ^ "So, this Chanelle Hayes single..." DigitalSpy. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Members of our favourite boy bands unite for a Girls Aloud classic on Let's Sing and Dance for Comic Relief". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Power Of Muzik - Discography". Spotify. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Anti-bullying music tour to visit Battersea school". Wandsworth Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  18. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Never Mind The Buzzcocks Series 6, Episode 6". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  19. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Never Mind The Buzzcocks Series 15, Episode 3". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  20. ^ Series 28, Episode 7. Never Mind the Buzzcocks. BBC Two. 17 November 2014.
  21. ^ Series 29, Episode 4. Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Sky Max. 12 October 2021.
  22. ^ Episode 3. The All Star Talent Show. Channel 5. 22 September 2006.
  23. ^ "Episode 12, Series 8, The Big Questions". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  24. ^ "Fern Britton Meets..., Series 7, Shane Lynch". BBC. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  25. ^ "Pointless Celebrities, Series 15, Music". BBC. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  26. ^ "Sorry for Vanessa? Now that's magic". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  27. ^ "BBC Radio London presenter Vanessa Feltz's famous partner who was a 90s pop star". MyLondon. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Interview – Vanessa Feltz & Ben Ofoedu ('The Vanessa Show')". Digital Spy. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  29. ^ 24 June 2011. The Vanessa Show. Channel 5.
  30. ^ "JustWatch". JustWatch. Retrieved 2016-07-26.
  31. ^ "Pointless Celebrities, Series 11, Family". BBC. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  32. ^ "All Star Mr & Mrs Episode 5". ITV. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 4 March 2018 suggested (help)
  33. ^ 1 September 2014. Celebrity Big Brother: Bit on the Side. Channel 5.
  34. ^ "Ben Ofoedu". Challan Carmichael. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  35. ^ a b "Ben Ofoedu Talks His Partner Vanessa Feltz, Being A Christian Rapper & More". YouTube. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  36. ^ "Vanessa Feltz returns to Big Brother as Nadia and Makosi get booted out". Daily Record. 4 September 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  37. ^ a b "Ben Ofoedu Admits To Cheating On Vanessa Feltz As He Breaks Silence On Split". Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  38. ^ "Q& A with Ben Ofoedu". Bounce Magazine. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  39. ^ "Vanessa Feltz shares reason she refused to marry Ben Ofoedu before split". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
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