Love Island’s Ovie Soko claims it was ‘written in the stars’ that he’d write a book to help people

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LOVE Island’s Ovie Soko thinks his new role as an author was written in the stars.

The reality star, 29, revealed he’d found a note in his journal about wanting to “reach a lot of people” – that he’d written six months before joining the ITV2 dating show.

The Basketball player found fame on Love Island

Speaking exclusively to HOAR about his debut book You Are Dope, he said: “Funny enough, I had written down in my journal – quite a while before even the idea of Love Island came about – that I wanted to reach a lot of people.

“I wanted to create a product or a service that would help people feel better about themselves.

“Those are the exact words I wrote down.

“I didn’t know that would be a book – I wasn’t aware what service that was going to be.”

The islander hopes his self-help book, released on October 1st, will help people realise that their uniqueness is a gift – and what dope actually means.

He said: “I didn’t realise how much I said it until a couple of my mates called me out.

“They’re like, bro, you say dope all the time.

He has written a book to try and help fans feel confident

“But I use the word dope as a way of describing the inner compass.

“[I’m] getting people to realise that being cool or dope looks different for all of us – it’s our uniqueness that makes us special.”

Ovie added that he loved writing the book over lockdown, as it made him realise plenty about himself – including how closed off he can be.

He said: “I feel like it was necessary for me to be transparent – I don’t really think I open up too much on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s just how I am to be fair, just go about my business.

“But in order for people to be able to connect and to see themselves in some of these stories that I share, I feel like it was important for me to be pretty transparent with people.”

He added: “I quite enjoyed talking about the time where I kind of messed up in school.

“I say that because I think there’s been this image of me – people treat me as if I’m perfect.

“But obviously I’ve messed up just like all of us have.

“It was nice that I was able to grow from it.”

London-born Ovie shared that he feels like it’s his ‘gift’ to share the life lessons he’s gathered so far.

He said: “I’m just trying to help – trying to do my part.

“I think everyone’s job in life is to leave the planet a better place by giving whatever gift we have.

He was praised on the ITV2 show for being level headed

Ovie enjoyed writing about his mistakes because it show’s no one is perfect

“You have a gift, I have a gift.

“Sometimes we don’t see it as a gift, and sometimes we underplay our gifts and don’t truly appreciate them.

“And I feel like my gift has been basketball. And I’ve been able to communicate with people – that might be another gift of mine.”

The pro basketball star returned to play professionally this summer, signing with French team Le Mans Sarthe Basket, after having a break when he joined season five of Love Island in 2019.

He said: “I feel like I’ve been really privileged to have been able to go on a show like that – obviously it’s really huge in the UK.

“And I feel like that went really well.

“I enjoyed meeting new people throughout that whole experience – I was able to do things that I probably wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.

“But a part of me still has more to give to the game of basketball.

“The game and my journey playing the game still has more to teach me, so I’m definitely still here for the lessons.”