Who is Michelle Ogundehin? All about the Interior Design Masters judge
Michelle Ogundehin is one of the most influential figures in British interior design, making her mark as a journalist and editor before launching a successful TV career as head judge on BBC One's Interior Design Masters.
With the eighth series of the hit show hosted by Alan Carr already filmed and due to hit our screens in spring, and her new book, Your Powerful Home: 4 Steps to a Healing Home due out around the same time, we reveal everything you need to know about the on-screen design queen...
Who is Michelle Ogundehin?
Michelle was born in Salford, Manchester to a Nigerian father and British mother.
She grew up in Manchester and London and studied at Bartlett School of Architecture, part of University College London.
Michelle says she is someone that loves silence and thrives on being alone and that it is ‘frankly bananas’ that she has ended up doing TV. She was late-diagnosed as autistic in adulthood.
Michelle’s passions are walking, painting and renovating old buildings, and while she admits that she scrubs up well for the camera, she says she is more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt, wearing no makeup with a beanie hat to hide her unwashed hair.
What is Michelle Ogundehin's age?
Michelle doesn't publicly reveal her age and was quoted in 2022 as saying, 'I'll be 70 before I admit to being 40!'
How did Michelle Ogundehin become famous?
Michelle began her career on the Tate art magazine and influential design magazine Blueprint, before joining Elle Decoration in 1997 as features director.
In 2002 she set up her own creative consultancy, MO:Studio and in 2004 became Elle Decoration UK's editor-in-chief, a position she held for 13 years.
In 2015 she made her first foray into television, joining Kevin McCloud as co-host of Grand Designs: House of the Year. But it is her role as a judge on the BBC's Interior Design Masters, which she joined for the first series in 2019, that has turned her into a household name.
Is Michelle Ogundehin married or in a relationship?
Michelle is divorced, explaining on her Instagram that she got married early, failing to listen to her oldest friend’s advice that he wasn’t right for her. It is not known if she is currently in a relationship, but she has previously described herself as ‘happily consciously single’.
Does Michelle Ogundehin have children?
Michelle has one son, conceived by IVF. She has disclosed on her Instagram that she has been through five miscarriages, adding, ‘I really wanted more children, but it wasn’t meant to be. I still get sad about this sometimes.’
Where does Michelle Ogundehin live?
Michelle was a long-time resident of Brighton, where she lived in a pretty Georgian period cottage with her son and two basset hounds, Stanley and Henry. Last year she moved to a new house in Kent, which she is currently renovating.
What books has Michelle Ogundehin written?
Her first book - Happy Inside: How to Harness the Power of Home for Health and Happiness, was published in April 2020 and shares her ideas on how interior design can influence our wellbeing.
Her second book – Your Powerful Home: 4 Steps to a Healing Home will be published by Hay House in March 2027. This is a deeper exploration of the health benefits of living in a clean, green and toxin-free environment and a guide to creating a healing home.
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