Melvin Odoom: MiniDiscs, Memories and an Olympic Torch

Summary

Podcast Summary: Sort Your Life Out Unpacked – Melvin Odoom: MiniDiscs, Memories and an Olympic Torch

Host: Dilly Carter (BBC Sounds)
Guest: Melvin Odoom
Date: August 4, 2026

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Overview

This episode of Sort Your Life Out Unpacked dives into the life and memories of radio and TV personality Melvin Odoom. Host Dilly Carter guides Melvin through the stories behind three personally significant items from his home, prompting laughter, nostalgia, and some gentle encouragement to let go of clutter. The conversation meanders through Melvin’s early radio days, family bonds, and the pride of carrying the Olympic torch, all while Dilly offers organizational advice and unpacks why our possessions mean so much to us.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction and Melvin’s Organisational Habits

[01:06 – 04:14]

• Dilly introduces Melvin with a warm recap of his career, family ties, and time on "Strictly Come Dancing."
• Discussion starts with the whereabouts of Melvin’s Strictly trophy—used to be in his front room, now in his (messy) office/studio.
• Melvin compares his cluttered studio to Monica’s secret messy cupboard from Friends:

  “No one is allowed in that room, dear.” (03:03, Melvin)

• Dilly recalls helping Melvin organise his wardrobe. The ‘Dillified’ blazers and suits remain tidy, but his everyday clothing drawers have slipped back into disorder.
• Melvin admits he likes areas where mess can be hidden:

  “Anything where you can close the doors and hide mess, that’s what you want to do. That is my thing.” (04:04, Melvin)

2. Home Truths and Melvin’s Relationship with His Home

[04:22 – 05:10]

• Quickfire questions:
  • Melvin calls his home his “place of peace.” (04:25)
  • The strangest thing on his wall: multiple portraits of himself sent by fans and friends.
  • He jokes about the weirdness of a “Melvin shrine,” and Dilly teases:

    “Imagine if I went home and I said, Charlie, there’s a picture of Melvin...” (05:14, Dilly)

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3. First Mystery Item: Minidisc Box – Early Radio Memories

[05:26 – 10:42]

• Melvin brings out a designer sunglasses box, now repurposed to store minidiscs from his university radio days with longtime co-host Ricky.
• The minidiscs contain old jingles and recordings:

  "There might be my jingles from my student radio show with Ricky." (06:29, Melvin)

• Dilly and Melvin play some of the contents, giving a taste of his early ambition and playful broadcast style.

  "So I used to have all my interviews, all my jingles, all my news bits on there, but in my house, I have trunks full of mini discs." (07:29, Melvin)

• Discussion on the transition from actor ambitions to falling into radio, inspired by collaborating with Ricky and drawing influence from Trevor Nelson.
• Family support: Melvin’s mum was initially skeptical of creative careers, but his sister “always had [his] back,” especially in his early TV days.

  "My sister is your biggest fan." (09:16, Dilly)
  "She literally... If you were to meet her, you'd prefer her over me." (09:22, Melvin)

• Melvin values physical memorabilia, stating he can’t get rid of the minidiscs:

  “There’s something about something that’s physical in front of you that makes you go, okay, this is a Mary J. Blige [CD].” (10:21, Melvin)

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4. Second Mystery Item: The 2012 Olympic Torch

[10:46 – 16:14]

• The next item is the Olympic torch Melvin carried during the 2012 London Relay—one of his most cherished possessions.

  “I was so honored to do that. That's one of my favorite possessions in my house.” (12:21, Melvin)

• Dilly suggests displaying it with a guitar-style wall mount, lamenting how such a meaningful artifact is hidden away in a cupboard.
• The torch symbolizes family, pride, and connection to his late grandfather (run in his honor for Prostate and Breast Cancer charities):

  “So I thought about granddad while I did it... He’s just such a beautiful man. You know when you meet someone and you’re like, this is my guy.” (12:59, Melvin)

• Loving remarks about his home city:

  “London in the sunshine... there’s nothing better, isn’t it?” (14:32, Dilly)
  “No one is more integrated than London. And I love it for that.” (14:05, Melvin)

• Reflection on growing up in a musical, joy-filled Ghanaian-British household and family parties:

  “If you, like, you've bought a car. Okay, cool. Let's have a party.” (14:47, Melvin)

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5. Third Mystery Item: Vintage Handheld Game

[17:24 – 20:07]

• Melvin’s third object is an old-school, bronze-gold handheld video game from his youth:

  “Forget Game Boys, forget Game Gears. Before all that, you had these.” (17:43, Melvin)

• The game triggers waves of nostalgia. Dilly tries (and fails) to beat the dinosaur game.
• Discussion of family hand-me-downs, especially fond memories of inheriting trainers—even if they were branded “Panthers” instead of “Pumas.”
• Favorite childhood toy: shared Sega Mega Drive with his sister—especially coveted for Sonic the Hedgehog.
• Dilly marvels at how retro toys can become valuable collectibles, suggesting he could potentially “sell that for a lot!” (19:36, Dilly)
• Melvin is reluctant to get rid of any of it:

  “I can't part with it.” (20:00, Melvin)

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6. Letting Go of Stuff: Personal Philosophy and Family Bonds

[20:07 – 24:12]

• Dilly explains her ability to let go stems from her early life in an orphanage, never having much stuff.

  “If my house burnt down tomorrow, I could not care. You know, as long as my family and my dog are fine, nothing else would matter.” (20:46, Dilly)

• Melvin counters, saying his attachment is tied to his poor memory—objects trigger important recollections.

  “Because I feel I've got a bad memory and items remind me of stuff... they're reminders for me of amazing moments in my life.” (22:11, Melvin)

• Dilly gives Melvin an exercise: to recall a treasured memory about his sister without any physical reminder, moving Melvin to near tears:

  “I just started crying... I held them [his niece and nephew] both. And I was so late for work the next day. I held them for like five minutes... that is my favorite memory.” (23:10, Melvin)

• Dilly’s takeaway:

  "Always remember that everything we hold is in our mind. Everything is a memory. So we don't need those physical possessions." (23:56, Dilly)

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7. Final Decisions: Keep, Donate, or Sell

[24:46 – 25:20]

• Dilly asks Melvin to choose:
  • Sell: the retro handheld game (“I see the pound signs in your eyes!” – Dilly, 25:01)
  • Donate: the minidisc player (for “Gen Z kids...” – Melvin, 25:05)
  • Keep: the Olympic torch, honoring its deep sentimental value.
• Melvin’s happy place: His kitchen, where he hosts “Boxing Day 2” for friends and family:

  “So kitchen is the answer to your question.” (26:22, Melvin)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My home is my place of peace. Doesn’t matter what’s happened in my day, as soon as I walk through that door, I’m just chilling.” – Melvin [04:25]
• “You know Monica from Friends? She’s got that messy room – that is my studio office space.” – Melvin [02:27]
• “I used to have all my interviews, all my jingles, all my news bits on there, but in my house, I have trunks full of mini discs.” – Melvin [07:29]
• “There’s something about something that’s physical in front of you... it inspires something else.” – Melvin [10:21]
• “I was so honored to do that. That’s one of my favorite possessions in my house.” – Melvin (on carrying the Olympic torch) [12:21]
• “Because I feel I’ve got a bad memory and items remind me of stuff... they’re reminders for me of amazing moments in my life.” – Melvin [22:11]
• “Everything we hold is in our mind. Everything is a memory. So we don't need those physical possessions.” – Dilly [23:56]
• “So kitchen is the answer to your question [happy place].” – Melvin [26:22]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:25 Home as a place of peace, quickfire questions
• 05:26 First box: Minidisc player and radio days with Ricky
• 10:46 Second box: The Olympic torch, family and London pride
• 17:24 Third box: Retro handheld game, childhood nostalgia
• 20:46 Dilly on her minimalist approach, philosophical discussion of attachment
• 23:10 Melvin’s emotional memory exercise about his sister
• 24:46 Decision: Keep, donate or sell
• 26:22 Melvin’s happy place in the home

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Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, playful, and deeply personal. Dilly employs gentle humor and probing questions, helping Melvin reflect on the real meaning behind his objects and memories. There’s mutual respect and affection, both for the memories shared and the underlying message: while physical objects have meaning, true value lies in people, experiences, and the stories you carry with you.

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Organizational Tips from Dilly

• Repurpose old boxes for practical storage — don’t waste designer packaging!
• Display your treasures: Don’t let sentimental items gather dust—find practical, stylish ways to show them off.
• Memory isn't in objects: The most important things are held in your heart and mind.
• Freedom from clutter: Letting go of possessions can create space for new memories and more meaning.

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Conclusion

This episode uses Melvin Odoom’s keepsakes as a springboard for heartwarming tales, practical tips, and an inspiring outlook on what we carry through life—memories, not just stuff. Whether you’re a sentimental hoarder or an aspiring minimalist, Dilly and Melvin’s conversation offers both empathy and actionable advice for “sorting your life out.”

Transcript

[Melvin Odoo]

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[Dilly Carter]

I'm Dilly Carter, the organized one, and this is Sort yout Life Out Unpacked. Get ready to unpack three boxes with my celebrity guest. Every box has an item from their own home, plus a load of stories and memories. And stand by for my tips on how to sort your own life out too. My guest this episode is a radio host who's part of an iconic trio presenting first on Kiss FM and then on BBC Radio 1. Outside of radio, he's super close with his sister and her kids and we love seeing him form another beautiful sisterly relationship on I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here with Otie Mavouso. Talk Talking of Strictly stars, our guest today won the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, A Moment which had his family screaming from their sofas. He's given himself a very solid 7 out of 10 when it comes to organisation. It's my friend, the wonderful Melvin Odoo.

[Melvin Odoo]

Hi, Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

Melvin.

[Melvin Odoo]

That was a nice big up, by the way. It was too nice.

[Dilly Carter]

No, I'm always nice. Let's just start with, Tell me, where is that Strictly trophy?

[Melvin Odoo]

So it was in my front room underneath the TV for ages. And I've moved it to my office. Like my studio space.

[Dilly Carter]

Nice.

[Melvin Odoo]

I say it like it's a really cool space. It's just mess. So you know Monica from Friends, she's got that messy room that is my studio office space.

[Dilly Carter]

But that's the most important space that you need to be clear. Right.

[Melvin Odoo]

I know but it's because there's so much, like, there's music on one side, there's a desk with all, like, my paperwork on another side. No one is allowed in that room, dear.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, my God.

[Melvin Odoo]

In fact, when you came to my house, you weren't. You didn't see that room.

[Dilly Carter]

I didn't see that room.

[Melvin Odoo]

You especially. You're never seeing that room. No way.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, Melvin, you and I go. I feel like I met you when I was in my 20s. You very kindly came and DJed for a family that I was working for. And yeah, we've sort of just seen each other over the years.

[Melvin Odoo]

Well, I'm so proud of you, dear, because I remember when I first saw your show and I was like, this is incredible. And I never knew you as a presenter or a TV personality. I know you're talented. I know you are great with people.

[Dilly Carter]

Thank you.

[Melvin Odoo]

I appreciate that. I know you as Little. Little Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

It says. Says Little Melvy.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who I just never mess with.

[Dilly Carter]

I came to your house, I helped you with your wardrobe. How is your wardrobe, number one?

[Melvin Odoo]

Okay. Honestly.

[Dilly Carter]

Honestly. You said to Melvin, it's a safe space.

[Melvin Odoo]

He said, after a week, it'll be messy. I kept it tidy for months.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

Then my, you know, like my underwear drawer and then my sports drawer and all that. That's a mess. My casual drawer. Wardrobe is a mess. But the blazers and suits is still Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay.

[Melvin Odoo]

It's dillified.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, okay.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

Why have we managed to keep the blazers and suits and not any of the other stuff?

[Melvin Odoo]

Because you don't really wear that all the time.

[Dilly Carter]

Because you don't touch it.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, but with my casual stuff, I wear it all the time. I'm a casual guy.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, you're a casual guy.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, I'm sure.

[Dilly Carter]

But you're also quite a neat freak.

[Melvin Odoo]

I am. But anything where you could close the doors and hide mess, that's what you want to do. That is my thing. Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

Do we need to come and sort that office?

[Melvin Odoo]

I would love it, but I feel like you're too expensive now, dear.

[Dilly Carter]

I cannot wait to see what you brought in. But first of all, I'm going to ask you some quick fire home truths.

[Melvin Odoo]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

How would you describe your home in a sentence?

[Melvin Odoo]

My home is my place of peace. Doesn't matter what's happened in my day. As soon as I walk through that door, I'm just chilling.

[Dilly Carter]

That's nice.

[Melvin Odoo]

Thank you.

[Dilly Carter]

What's the weirdest thing hung on your wall?

[Melvin Odoo]

I don't Know why? But people over the years have either commissioned or painted or sent me pictures of myself, of you. Of me. So there's about eight.

[Dilly Carter]

Is it just a shrine to yourself?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, but I think it's weird to put them up because, like, let's say you came to my house and there was like loads of pictures of me on the wall.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

You'd be like, what is this guy about?

[Dilly Carter]

But I mean, you could spread them out. Right. Your house is a nice size, but

[Melvin Odoo]

don't you think it's worse to then have every room that you walk in there's a photo of me.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, probably. I mean, your mum would love them. Right. Your sister would love them.

[Melvin Odoo]

That's what I'm thinking. Would you like one, dear? Yeah. For your front room or your bedroom?

[Dilly Carter]

Imagine if I went home and I said, charlie, there's a picture of Melvin I'm bringing home as well. Right. I love it. Yeah. Let's put it above the bed for his birthday.

[Melvin Odoo]

Done.

[Dilly Carter]

Shall we have a look at what is in your first box? Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

I'm excited about this, you know.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, I am. Hand it over. So hand it over.

[Melvin Odoo]

Here we go.

[Dilly Carter]

Thank you very much. Okay. And in this box, this first box is another box. It's got designer label on it, but in it. Oh, I like that. You've used this box for storage because it's very important.

[Melvin Odoo]

Oh, you like that?

[Dilly Carter]

I love that.

[Melvin Odoo]

Oh, good.

[Dilly Carter]

You know, we should always use. This is an old sunglasses box. Yeah. So it's an old designer sunglasses box, but Melvin has used it very sensibly.

[Melvin Odoo]

Thank you.

[Dilly Carter]

I always like people to keep their, you know, designer boxes or any boxes to repurpose. Very important part of storage is reusing things that we have. So boxes that come into our houses, use them for storing memory cards or in your case, these are.

[Melvin Odoo]

Do you know what that is?

[Dilly Carter]

Are these mini CDs?

[Melvin Odoo]

Minidisc player.

[Dilly Carter]

Minidisc player.

[Melvin Odoo]

That's how I know.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow.

[Melvin Odoo]

So d this. So after CDs, right? Mini disc player, this came out and everyone went wild on this minidisc.

[Dilly Carter]

It says radio the early days. Luton.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

So do you reckon you know what's on this?

[Melvin Odoo]

There might be my jingles from my student radio show with Ricky.

[Dilly Carter]

And so for those of you that don't know who is Ricky, Tell us about Ricky.

[Melvin Odoo]

So Ricky is my co host at Radio 1 alongside Charlie.

[Dilly Carter]

Three amigos.

[Melvin Odoo]

Three amigos.

[Dilly Carter]

This is a tape that you and Ricky.

[Melvin Odoo]

So these were the jingles that we used to use for our radio show

[Dilly Carter]

and was this in your uni days.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

And that's how you met Ricky, wasn't it?

[Melvin Odoo]

So I met Ricky, Yeah. At university at uni. And Rick was so, like, confident. He just came up to me, introduced himself, said hello, and we became friends.

[Dilly Carter]

Let's see.

[Melvin Odoo]

Is it working? Now it's time for the News with Melvin o'. Donne. Oh, my.

[Dilly Carter]

Dave,

[Melvin Odoo]

play something else. Do not play my news. You're given a suspended present sentence. Yes, yes, yes. In the studio today, we were lucky enough to have Slick Rick PA at Nacosta Nostra last weekend. So, yeah, so that's basically what we used to get up to.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

So I used to have all my. My interviews, all my jingles, all my news bits on there, but in my house, I have trunks full of mini discs.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow.

[Melvin Odoo]

Unless it's plugged in, I can't use it.

[Dilly Carter]

So it's just been stored.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah. And I refuse to throw it out

[Dilly Carter]

because you just want to hear them.

[Melvin Odoo]

If I have kids eventually.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

Play them this 100. And, like, when my niece and my nephews get older and they'll be like, uncle Melv, what did you do at uni?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

I'd love to have this as, like,

[Dilly Carter]

this is what we used to do.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

This is what me and Ricky used to sit there and record ourselves creating jingles. And do you think that is what spurred your love of thinking, do you know what? I want to do this on radio.

[Melvin Odoo]

Do you know what? Radio always felt like an accident because I wanted to be an actor and I was. I got really nervous when I used to do any scenes and I couldn't remember my name, my line story. And so when I went to uni, I was like, what do I like doing? And I was doing. I was playing a lot of music and listening to people like Trevor Nelson. Yeah. And I met Ricks and he went to Brit school.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

And then anytime I did something with Ricks, it just felt like. It didn't feel like work.

[Dilly Carter]

It just felt like it's just fun,

[Melvin Odoo]

a bit of fun. And then I kind of fell into it.

[Dilly Carter]

And is that something that your mum and dad ever saw you doing?

[Melvin Odoo]

No, my mom was like. Because obviously, for my mom at the time, there was like, maybe two Black people on TV. You had Trevor McDonald and you had, like, Lenny Henry. So when I said to my mom, I want to be an actor, I said, I want to be a dj. She was like, surely you need to get, like, a normal job.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. What was a normal job to her?

[Melvin Odoo]

It was always like a Banker or a doctor or something.

[Dilly Carter]

Banker, lawyer, doctor.

[Melvin Odoo]

But then my sister always had my back. And I got a job on CBBC on a show called Dick and Dumb in the Bungalow. I used to just get covered in custard every weekend, but my sister used to watch every single episode.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, your sister is your biggest fan.

[Melvin Odoo]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My biggest supporter, 100%.

[Dilly Carter]

Which is so lovely, isn't it? Cause you're super close.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, yeah. Like, yo is like. I call her the angel of the family because she literally, like, if you was to meet her, you'd prefer her over me. All of my friends prefer Yona over me.

[Dilly Carter]

What do you think your partnership with Ricky has taught you over the years?

[Melvin Odoo]

It's shown me that I'm lucky. I really respect even the way Ricky sells music on the radio. I just think he's so eloquent and so articulate.

[Dilly Carter]

Well, you do it well together.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

You're a good team.

[Melvin Odoo]

100%.

[Dilly Carter]

What does he think about your collection of minidiscs? Has he got one?

[Melvin Odoo]

I think I might have a few more. Cause I used. I'm obsessed with, like, compiling music.

[Dilly Carter]

So what are you using now? So have you gone from mini discs to vinyl to everything online? Have you got a good vinyl collection?

[Melvin Odoo]

When I started buying music, CDs were the big thing. So I've got loads of CDs. What I love is, like, if you go to Spotify now, right? Or if you go to a streaming site, any streaming site, you still have to work out and think about what you're gonna play to stuff.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, of course. Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

Whereas with this, there's something about something that's physical in front of you that makes you go, okay, this is a Mary J. Blige.

[Dilly Carter]

I'm just gonna play it.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, I'm just gonna play it. When you see stuff in front of you, it inspires something else. So I do like that physical element, and that's why I can't. I will never get rid of it. Ever?

[Dilly Carter]

No. Ever.

[Melvin Odoo]

Never.

[Dilly Carter]

You're like, never ever.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

Shall we have a look at your next box?

[Melvin Odoo]

Are you ready for it?

[Dilly Carter]

And see what's in there?

[Melvin Odoo]

This is a big one.

[Dilly Carter]

Wow. Okay, so this is a huge box. And in this huge box is a very big baton. Let me turn this around. Aha. Oh, my gosh. So this is London Olympic torch relay. You carried the Olympic torch?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, 2012. So when it was. It was the same year that I ran the London marathon, and so. And it was such a proud moment. It's wild.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, this is the most incredible thing. I've never seen an Olympic torch up close. I mean, I've never. Yeah, I think I've only just seen people run through the crowds with it. Yeah. I mean, this is mega, isn't it?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, what an honor to have been asked to do that.

[Melvin Odoo]

It was the coolest thing, like the closest thing, isn't it? Yeah. And it's so solid. And I go, I always say to myself, I'm going to hang it up and I don't know how to do it or. I'm sure you've probably got some good ideas for me.

[Dilly Carter]

Well, I would say that what you need is a wall mounted clip that like a rubber, you know, like you would hang a guitar neck.

[Melvin Odoo]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

So imagine this is the guitar neck of something. I mean, that is something to be mega proud of.

[Melvin Odoo]

But it never leaves the bag. It's in like a wardrobe, but I keep it in.

[Dilly Carter]

It doesn't sound like it's taking pride of place in your house, but I

[Melvin Odoo]

don't know where else to put it.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, I think you should just get a guitar grip and I think that will sit there really nicely on that. I feel like it definitely is such a work of art.

[Melvin Odoo]

Do you like it?

[Dilly Carter]

I really love it.

[Melvin Odoo]

I was so honored to do that. That's one of my favorite possessions in my house.

[Dilly Carter]

So we should display it.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

You know, when we have beautiful things, they should not be kept in their dust bag hidden in the bottom of a wardrobe. Like, if someone walks into your house and they see that, they're like, whoa, that is amazing. Because how many people get to see the Olympic torch?

[Melvin Odoo]

True.

[Dilly Carter]

Anyone that comes to your house would be like, wow, how come they chose you, Melvin?

[Grainger Ad Announcer]

What was it?

[Melvin Odoo]

Why did they. Why did they choose you, Melvin? You are not athletic at all.

[Dilly Carter]

Did you tell me that you'd done the London Marathon?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah. So the same year I ran it for prostate and breast cancer because my granddad passed away from prostate cancer.

[Dilly Carter]

I'm sorry.

[Melvin Odoo]

And so now. Thank you. And so, like, I remember the organizer saying, if you have someone in mind while you're doing it, it will really help to motivate you. So I thought about granddad while I did it, and he was, like, the coolest. I met him once in person when I went to Ghana with the family. And he was on the porch and he sat with me and he was like, just sit down and tell me all these stories about, like, my family and. And about where he grew up and stuff. And he said, melvin, don't tell anyone this, but your mom is my favorite of all the kids, so make sure you take care of her. And I was like, that's amazing. Then I spoke to my cousin, and apparently he said the same thing to all the kids for every single sibling. And I was like, that's such a great idea. But he was just such a beautiful man. You know when you meet someone and you're like, this is my guy.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

And so. Yeah, I always remember that. And so he really helped me through. And so, yeah, 2012 was a beautiful year.

[Dilly Carter]

How would you describe your relationship with London?

[Melvin Odoo]

It's my favorite city in the world. And everyone always goes, like, why? And I'm like, I've been to be lucky enough to go to so many different places in terms of integration. No one is more integrated than London. And I love it for that. I can go to a kebab shop here, and I can have some Jollof rice over here. I can listen to R B over there, and I can listen to Bangra over there. And I just think it's a beautiful place. And in the summer, you'll not be in London.

[Dilly Carter]

London in the sunshine is nothing better, isn't it?

[Melvin Odoo]

I'll beat it. You can't.

[Dilly Carter]

Your mum and dad obviously must have been super proud of the torch.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Ad Announcer]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

What was your house like growing up?

[Melvin Odoo]

Our house was all about good food, great music. The thing about my parents is they would have a party for any reason.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

Like, if you, like, you've bought a car. Okay, cool. Let's have a party.

[Dilly Carter]

I love that you've got.

[Melvin Odoo]

You've got hair on your chin.

[Ad Announcer]

Cool.

[Melvin Odoo]

Let's celebrate that.

[Dilly Carter]

There'll be a lot of parties in my house at the moment. Oh, really?

[Melvin Odoo]

Really. Okay, fair play.

[Dilly Carter]

Some menopause.

[Melvin Odoo]

No, no, no. You look glorious.

[Dilly Carter]

Thank you.

[Melvin Odoo]

So my mum's remarried, and so my step dad at Christmas, he's like the dj.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh, brilliant.

[Melvin Odoo]

And he takes pride in.

[Dilly Carter]

You have to battle for the DJ spot.

[Melvin Odoo]

No, I let him do his thing.

[Dilly Carter]

Do you not find it hard when you see someone DJing in your spot? You're like, oh, you need to do this. Like, why don't you press that button and. Hold on a minute. Just. Just turn that off.

[Melvin Odoo]

Only if it's a bad dj. Yeah, but with. With uncle. I let him do his thing.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah, Just let him take the rain.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah. And he's so happy. Like, that's his happy place.

[Dilly Carter]

I mean, music is everyone's happy place, surely. I mean, it brings Everyone together. That's what I love about music the most. What did it feel like when you first picked that up and you started walking through with the torch?

[Melvin Odoo]

I remember everyone. I was walking, walking because they had the. They basically put a flame.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

There's like a little gas canister. So there's a flame kind of like,

[Dilly Carter]

like a big lighter. Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

So you're scared about that going out.

[Dilly Carter]

Can you feel the heat coming off the.

[Melvin Odoo]

It's, it's hot. But it doesn't because you're right, you're right down the bottom and they give you like this tracksuit. I nearly brought the tracksuit for you. So it's like this like white tracksuit.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

With Olympic logo on it.

[Dilly Carter]

I think you should display. You should be proud of that.

[Melvin Odoo]

What I'm going to do D is I'm going to take some pictures of the kitchen and the front room and the study and. No, the study's messy.

[Dilly Carter]

I can help you. I can just tell you in a few seconds how long to do with

[Melvin Odoo]

that room yet, dear.

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[Dilly Carter]

Shall we have a look at your third item? In this medium sized box, I am pulling out what looks like a very retro game. Yep, it's like a handheld. What color would we call it? It's like a silver silvery gold.

[Melvin Odoo]

Like bronze gold.

[Dilly Carter]

What is this?

[Melvin Odoo]

So forget Game Boys, forget Game Gears. Before all that you had these and they would have kind of pre programmed

[Dilly Carter]

games in them like Space Invaders or something.

[Melvin Odoo]

Exactly, exactly. So this was like a dinosaur game.

[Ad Announcer]

Oh my God.

[Dilly Carter]

It's.

[Melvin Odoo]

Oh, that is wild hearing that. It's taken me back like 30 years.

[Dilly Carter]

Whoa. Oh my God. I Don't actually know what I'm doing.

[Melvin Odoo]

So the premise of the game is to collect the axe and then walk up to the dinosaur and then hit the dinosaur on the head.

[Dilly Carter]

Did I get him?

[Melvin Odoo]

No, you got.

[Dilly Carter]

I got killed.

[Melvin Odoo]

Oh, you're hooked. You see, Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

Oh my gosh, this is amazing. So someone gave you this? Who gave you this?

[Melvin Odoo]

I have a feeling I've got a cousin called Wesley and Wesley was that cousin who always got like the best toys, the best computers. There's always one clothing, like his clothing used to smell like honeysuckle. And he used to give you all his hand me downs. It was just amazing.

[Dilly Carter]

Did you get a lot of hand me downs in your family?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, because we've got like loads of cousins. Yeah, I used to get a lot of my cousins. So my female cousins trainers. So a lot of my female cousins trainers. Yeah, A lot of my first brand name trainers.

[Dilly Carter]

And you got small feet.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah, but don't, don't let that, you know, deter you.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay?

[Melvin Odoo]

Small feet, small socks. That's the only way to get designer. Because when I said to my, my dad, can I get some Pumas? He got me something called panthers and he goes, I've got you your brand new trainers for Christmas. I was like, no, these aren't Pumas.

[Dilly Carter]

These are not the ones. And what was your favorite toy as a kid?

[Melvin Odoo]

My favorite was a Sega Mega Drive.

[Dilly Carter]

Yep.

[Melvin Odoo]

It was a joint present for me and my sister. But that was. That got me through so many years. And Sonic the Hedgehog was like the

[Dilly Carter]

go to Sonic the Hedgehog. I mean, these are super retro, aren't they? Yeah, I mean, they are now. I mean, kids now would be looking at that going, what, what is that? That's probably worth a lot of money.

[Melvin Odoo]

Do you think?

[Dilly Carter]

I bet if you looked on the, you know, secondhand game market, I'll have a look that might fetch something.

[Melvin Odoo]

If you had that in your house, would you throw it out?

[Dilly Carter]

Would I throw it out? Depends. I mean, I suppose if I had kids that were into gaming, I might keep it. If I had a games room.

[Melvin Odoo]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

But I probably. No, I'm lying. I'd 100 get rid of it.

[Melvin Odoo]

Really?

[Dilly Carter]

Like, what the hell? This is ancient.

[Melvin Odoo]

I can't part of it.

[Dilly Carter]

Of course you can't because you can't part with anything. We've already established that. We've established that you've got a garage.

[Melvin Odoo]

You know, why are you so good at partying stuff?

[Dilly Carter]

Because I remember I've got a cold heart.

[Melvin Odoo]

No, you don't. Have a cold heart. You're one of the nicest people I know, so I don't understand how you do it.

[Dilly Carter]

I do know what I don't know. I think a lot of people ask me this. Why am I so good at letting go of stuff? I think because I was born into an orphanage and I was a child with not many toys, I never was surrounded by stuff. So I think that's why I'm not bothered by anything. Like, if my house burnt down tomorrow, I could not care. You know, as long as my family and my dog are fine, nothing else would matter. I could lose all. Everything I own, and I would not be bothered. I'd be like, all right, start again.

[Melvin Odoo]

Wow.

[Dilly Carter]

Like, stuff doesn't matter to me. Which is funny as well, because I actually do enjoy things. Like, I love jewelry. I love clothes. I love fashion. I love buying stuff. But I'm also very detached from it. Like, doesn't mean I don't think, oh, my gosh, I want to keep that jumper that I wore to you.

[Melvin Odoo]

That's kind of. You've got a kind of a. You're quite free in a way.

[Dilly Carter]

I'm very free. I feel like I'm very. I do. I do feel very free. Nothing holds me down. Nothing stops me. Nothing prevents me from doing anything. And I feel like sometimes stuff can do that. I. I just. I can shake it.

[Melvin Odoo]

Are you like that with photos as well?

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah. I don't keep any photos. I don't keep. I don't really. I've got. In my wedding box, I've literally got a few photos. I've got one album. One photo album in my house from my whole childhood.

[Melvin Odoo]

Wow.

[Dilly Carter]

Your therapist will probably tell me there's a lot. Lot more to that than there is.

[Melvin Odoo]

One of my favorite presents from my dad is a photo album.

[Dilly Carter]

Is it of your family growing up?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah. Because I didn't realize he had the photos. I didn't know. And. And he start. And he. He put pictures in a certain order. He knows how close I am with my sister.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

And he's had so many photos of my sister in there and. And my mom. The way he put it together was just so beautiful.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

And it was like, told the story.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

Of. And showed me cousins I hadn't seen in time and stuff like that. And so I. That's one of my favorite things as well.

[Dilly Carter]

Why do you think you are so attached to things?

[Melvin Odoo]

Because of it. Because I feel I've got a bad memory and items remind me of stuff.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay. So that's why you feel you need

[Melvin Odoo]

to hold on to that. And I feel like if I lose that, it's gonna. I'll forget that I held the torch. If I lose that, I'll forget about playing games at home. My sister. If I lose that, I'll forget about university, so. All these things are so crazy. Yeah. They're reminders for me of amazing moments in my life.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay, let's do something.

[Melvin Odoo]

Go on.

[Dilly Carter]

Close your eyes for a minute.

[Melvin Odoo]

Okay.

[Dilly Carter]

Close your eyes. Okay. And think of. Think of your sister. Think of your most important memory with your sister.

[Melvin Odoo]

Okay, I got one.

[Dilly Carter]

And how's that making you feel?

[Melvin Odoo]

It's making me want to cry. Yeah, you want to know, but what

[Dilly Carter]

are you thinking about when you think it's weird?

[Melvin Odoo]

I wasn't actually with her. So. My sister's got identical twins.

[Dilly Carter]

Okay.

[Melvin Odoo]

And identical twins is quite a complicated birth.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

So when her husband called me to say they were here, I just started crying.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

Thank God I was with Ricky and Charlie and I left the show that she lives in Liverpool. And I went to the hospital that day and I held them both. And I was so late for work the next day. I held them for like five minutes and I got on a train back and went back home. And that is my favorite memory.

[Dilly Carter]

And what on this table belonged to your sister, though?

[Melvin Odoo]

None of them.

[Dilly Carter]

Nothing. Nothing on this table was that.

[Melvin Odoo]

You know what, as I was talking, I didn't realize. Well done. That was well played, Dilly. That's why she gets the big buck.

[Dilly Carter]

You took yourself there.

[Melvin Odoo]

Oh.

[Dilly Carter]

You remembered that moment. You felt it.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

You don't need anything to remind you of all of those treasured memories.

[Melvin Odoo]

At least keep the mini list.

[Dilly Carter]

Just keep the torch.

[Melvin Odoo]

Keep the torch. Everything else can go.

[Dilly Carter]

Even if you and Ricky were to sit down and talk about your memories, you, Ricky and Charlie even like. Yes, I understand that some things take you back to that place. But always remember that everything that we hold is in our mind. Everything is a memory. So we don't need those physical possessions.

[Melvin Odoo]

Is that how you work with your clients? Is that what you do?

[Dilly Carter]

I'm not a therapist, by the way. But I am.

[Melvin Odoo]

You should do therapy.

[Dilly Carter]

No, but I do say that to people often. Or not. You know, when we actually strip it back and we think about the things that really matter to us, Normally they are just moments. They're not things like all your university days with Ricky. There's, you know, years and years of laughter, love, you know, you don't need to play the tape to remember Those years, do you? Because you and him can be sitting anywhere and think, oh, my gosh. Do you remember this? Do you remember that?

[Melvin Odoo]

This is beautiful. Dilly. I feel like we should do a separate podcast called Moments with Melvin Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

Let's make it happen. Thank you for bringing in all your items. Before we go, if you had to, which would you sell, donate, or keep?

[Melvin Odoo]

I feel like you've just said that might be some money. So let's sell that.

[Dilly Carter]

I see the pound signs in your eyes.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah.

[Dilly Carter]

So you're gonna sell the.

[Melvin Odoo]

Sell the game. I'm gonna donate the mini displayer. So I feel like there'll be a lot of young, kind of like, Gen Z kids into minidis players.

[Dilly Carter]

And wired headphones have now come back into fashion, haven't they?

[Melvin Odoo]

100%. So let's donate that and keep the torch, like you say, because I don't not listen to you.

[Dilly Carter]

No. Good. Okay. Well done. And my last question to you. Where in your home is your happy place?

[Melvin Odoo]

Great question. This is tough. It's out of my bedroom or my kitchen, because my kitchen is the communal place. There was a period where I used to do a second Christmas Day, Boxing Day was the second one. And it was for the people that I love that I don't see at Christmas.

[Dilly Carter]

Nice.

[Melvin Odoo]

So all of my friends, all of my cousins and stuff who may have been with their family on Christmas Day, they come to my house on Boxing Day, and I used to do that every year, but everyone's families have got bigger and bigger. So it used to just be in the kitchen. Everyone would be in the kitchen, watching tv, drinking, eating. It spilled out into the front room. Then it became the front room and the corridor. Then it ended up in the spit. And now it's mental.

[Dilly Carter]

Yeah.

[Melvin Odoo]

And so I'm thinking of doing, like, a barbecue version of that.

[Dilly Carter]

Doors open.

[Melvin Odoo]

Yes.

[Dilly Carter]

Family around you 100%. What more could you want?

[Melvin Odoo]

Yeah. So kitchen is the answer to your question.

[Dilly Carter]

Melvin, thank you so much.

[Melvin Odoo]

Thank you.

[Dilly Carter]

Dilly, it's been such a joy.

[Melvin Odoo]

Can we do this every day? This is lovely, isn't it?

[Dilly Carter]

It's been so lovely. It's been so lovely. I knew it would be so. Thank you. I appreciate your time.

[Melvin Odoo]

Thank you. Dilly.

[Dilly Carter]

I can't wait to be back with you for more revealing home truths, organizational hacks and celeb unboxings. Sort your life out. Unpacked is presented by me, Dilly Carter. You can watch us on iplayer and listen on BBC Sounds. And don't forget to subscribe on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on to make sure you don't miss an episode. If you've got a scrolling problem then this is the podcast for you.

[Melvin Odoo]

It's called Top Comment with me Matt

[Dilly Carter]

Shea and me Mariana Spring. We both investigate social media for a living.

[Melvin Odoo]

Whether it's disinformation, conspiracy theories, Internet culture memes.

[Dilly Carter]

We're going to be getting behind the stuff that is popping up on your

[Melvin Odoo]

feed on this podcast that's Top Comment on BBC Sounds.

[Grainger Ad Announcer]

When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can can get what you need fast and all in one place so nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-granger clickgranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.