Ben Ofoedu: Vanessa Feltz’s Former Fiancé, the Phats & Small Voice Behind “Turn Around”
Vanessa Feltz is back at the centre of the national conversation on Friday 6 November 2026, after appearing on ITV’s This Morning to recall an encounter with Russell Brand from his 2006 chat show, a day after Brand was convicted at Southwark Crown Court. The broadcaster’s name is a new trending search in the UK today, and the renewed attention has put the spotlight on the people closest to her — above all Ben Ofoedu, the singer she was engaged to for 17 years.
Ofoedu is far more than a footnote in Feltz’s story. Long before the engagement, he was the voice of one of the defining dance records of the late 1990s, and his career in British pop stretches from the early 1990s to a boy-band supergroup formed in 2019. This is the story of the singer behind “Turn Around” — and of a relationship that lasted nearly two decades without ever reaching the altar.
Ben Ofoedu — Quick Reference Profile
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benedict Spencer Ofoedu |
| Date of birth | 29 June 1972 (reported; age 54) |
| Birthplace | British Hong Kong |
| Nationality / ethnicity | British; parents Igbo, father a merchant seaman |
| Primary role | Singer-songwriter; former lead vocalist of Phats & Small |
| Famous anchor | Vanessa Feltz, former fiancée (engaged 2006–2023) |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Height | Not publicly verified |
| Family | Former fiancée Vanessa Feltz; remarried in July 2025 to Vanessa Brown; children not publicly verified |
| Social handles | Not publicly verified |
From Hong Kong to London: a childhood shaped by music and faith
Benedict Spencer Ofoedu was born in British Hong Kong and moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was two years old. His parents were Igbo, and his father worked as a merchant seaman — a background Ofoedu has spoken about as the foundation of both his identity and his work ethic.
Faith has been a constant thread in his life. Ofoedu is a born-again Christian, and the nickname he carried through his first band, B.I.G. Ben, stood for “Believe In God Ben”. Music came early: by 1989 he was already featuring on tracks for Humanoid’s album Global, and he went on to form the act Big Ben & The Fox before his first proper chart breakthrough.
Benz, “Turn Around” and the Phats & Small years
Ofoedu joined the band Benz in 1993, under the name B.I.G. Ben, alongside Tim Shade and Darkboy. The group placed five singles on the UK Singles Chart, including “Urban City Girl” at No. 31 and “Miss Parker” at No. 35, giving him his first taste of national exposure.
His defining moment arrived in 1999, when he became the singer of Phats & Small. The Brighton dance duo needed a frontman for their single “Turn Around”, and Ofoedu’s vocal carried it to No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart — one of the biggest dance records of the year. He stayed with the act for the follow-ups “Feel Good”, which reached No. 7, and “Tonite”, which reached No. 11.
The chart entries kept coming. In 2000 he released the solo single “Your Love” under the name Ben, which charted at No. 76. In 2001 he joined REDhill, a new band featuring Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, and in 2002 he joined the Intenso Project, scoring three more UK chart entries. In 2003 he formed Four Story, whose “Hand on My Heart” finished fifth on the BBC’s Making Your Mind Up in the contest to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest. Away from the microphone, he wrote Chanelle Hayes’ single “I Want It” in 2008, and in 2019 he co-founded the boy-band supergroup Boyz on Block.
Seventeen years beside Vanessa Feltz — and the split that ended it
Ofoedu met Vanessa Feltz in the mid-2000s, and the pair got engaged in 2006. They never married: Feltz has said her previous marriage, which ended after her husband cheated on her, left her unwilling to walk down the aisle again. Instead they built a highly public life together as a couple, appearing on Celebrity Wife Swap in April 2007, winning £150,000 for a cancer charity on the celebrity edition of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? in September 2007, and co-hosting Channel 5’s The Vanessa Show from January to June 2011.
The relationship ended in February 2023. Ofoedu later admitted he had cheated on Feltz, and the pair separated after 17 years together. The split closed one of British television’s longest-running showbusiness partnerships — and, as Feltz’s return to the headlines this week shows, the public fascination with the couple has not faded. The renewed attention follows Brand’s conviction on Thursday 5 November 2026, after which Feltz spoke on This Morning about a remark he allegedly made to her about her and her two daughters during his 2006 chat show. Brand is due to be sentenced on Monday 9 November 2026. For the background to the conviction from inside Brand’s own family, see our profile of Laura Gallacher, Russell Brand’s wife
A new chapter: remarriage, reunions and the road ahead
Life after the engagement has moved quickly. Ofoedu remarried in July 2025, tying the knot with Vanessa Brown in Carlisle, according to the News and Star. He has also kept performing: Boyz on Block, the supergroup he co-founded in 2019 with Shane Lynch, Abz Love and Dane Bowers, has kept him on stage, and he remains available for DJ sets and live performances of the Phats & Small hits through his booking agency.
The money question is the one part of his story that stays blank. No reliable source publishes a verified figure for Ofoedu’s net worth, and estimates circulating on celebrity-net-worth sites are not backed by accounts or reporting tied to him — so this article does not repeat them. What the record does show is a working musician’s career: ten UK Singles Chart entries across Benz, Phats & Small and Intenso Project, a No. 2 single, television work spanning three decades, and a second act built on the nostalgia circuit. Like Kris Jenner’s longtime partner Corey Gamble — Ofoedu’s public profile was shaped by a famous partner — but the chart record underneath it is his own.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Ben Ofoedu?
Ben Ofoedu is a British singer-songwriter best known as the former lead vocalist of Phats & Small, whose 1999 single “Turn Around” reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. He was engaged to broadcaster Vanessa Feltz from 2006 to 2023.
How old is Ben Ofoedu?
He was born on 29 June 1972, according to widely reported biographical sources, which makes him 54 years old in November 2026.
What is Ben Ofoedu famous for?
He sang on Phats & Small’s “Turn Around”, “Feel Good” and “Tonite”, and earlier sang with the band Benz. He has ten UK Singles Chart entries to his name across Benz, Phats & Small and Intenso Project.
Was Ben Ofoedu married to Vanessa Feltz?
No. The pair were engaged from 2006 but never married, and they split in February 2023 after Ofoedu admitted he had been unfaithful.
Who is Ben Ofoedu married to now?
He remarried in July 2025. His wife is Vanessa Brown, and the wedding took place in Carlisle.
What is Ben Ofoedu’s net worth?
Not publicly verified. No reliable source publishes a verified figure, so this article does not state one.
Myths and facts
Myth: Ben Ofoedu was Vanessa Feltz’s husband.
Fact: They were engaged for 17 years but never married. Feltz has said her previous marriage put her off marrying again.
Myth: Ofoedu was only famous because of Feltz.
Fact: His chart career began in 1993 with Benz, years before the relationship, and “Turn Around” reached No. 2 in 1999.
Myth: Ofoedu and Feltz are still together.
Fact: They split in February 2023, and Ofoedu remarried in July 2025.
