An iconic Love Island star has announced that he has no plans to return to the show, sharing the reason behind his decision. The former bombshell first set foot in the Mallorcan villa over five years ago.
Love Island’s Ovie Soko stars in Everlast Sports Direct campaign
Love Island’s Ovie Soko has revealed why he’ll never join the show’s All Stars spin-off, despite fans begging for his return. Ovie shared on X (formerly Twitter) that he has no plans to re-enter the famous dating villa, citing his age as the main reason. Alongside a serious selfie, he captioned his post: “I’m never going on Love Island All Stars. Love the show, but I’m 33, guys. I’m your uncle now.”
Fans were quick to disagree, urging the much-loved alum to reconsider and make a comeback to television. One fan commented: “We would’ve loved to see you again though,” whilst another added: “33 is not uncle age. Cut it out. lol.” A third wrote: “Age ain’t nothing but a number.”
Prior to Love Island, Ovie was a Professional basketball player for the London Lions of the British Basketball League.
Ovie rose to fame in 2019 during Season 5 of Love Island. He entered the villa through Casa Amor as Anna Vakili’s pick, even though she was coupled with Jordan Hames at the time. However, Anna’s lingering connection with Jordan eventually led to a breakdown in her pairing with Ovie, leaving him single as she reunited with Jordan.
Things were looking up for Ovie when India Reynolds entered the villa just two weeks before the final. Their chemistry quickly blossomed, and their popularity with viewers helped them secure an impressive third-place finish.
Interestingly, India arrived with Greg O’Shea, who went on to win the season alongside Amber Gill—Ovie’s closest friend in the villa. The runner-up spot was claimed by Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury.
Season 5 remains a fan favourite due to its unforgettable cast and dramatic twists. Ovie, along with other standout islanders, left a lasting impression on fans and many of the stars saw their lives transformed after leaving the show.
For example, Maura Higgins, another Season 5 icon, went on to host Love Island USA last year and is now appearing on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. Other notable names from the season include Chris Taylor, Joanna Chimonides, Arabella Chi, Anton Danyluk, and Joe Garratt—all of whom returned for the All Stars spin-off in January of last year.
When one fan took to Reddit to ask: “What do you think made Season 5 so successful?” the thread was flooded with comments highlighting the cast’s chemistry and unforgettable drama.
One penned: “The cast is the main thing, including the bombshells – the OGs are strong but as you go through the series more and more interesting characters are added right up to the end. And the series was edited well, there’s a good mix of drama and more lighthearted stuff so you don’t have to watch Unseen Bits to understand the friendships.”
Another added: “Great og casting from the girls and boys barring two which was made up for by two great bombshells almost immediately. Cast was so different from each other,yet complimented each other so so well without trying. The chemistry was just right. The challenges came at the right time as well because of that and they did the right ones too,didn’t do filler challenges most of the time,it all just flowed very naturally.”
Whilst a third penned: “The sheer amount of volatile yet engaging characters. Almost every single islander was fiery or dramatic, and there were so many clashes. There were also countless complex romantic entanglements between islanders, as opposed to lots of couples who coupled up and were steady from the beginning.”