BIOGRAPHY
Professional British Basketball player Ovie Soko started his career at college in America. He turned pro in 2014 and has gone on to play for teams in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Japan and to represent Great Britain on the international stage.
Ovie reached the final of the 2019 series of Love Island, during which he captured the hearts of the nation. Ovie was applauded for staying true to himself, his openness, his words of wisdom, giving great advice and his positive outlook on life. He became a great role model for the youth and in 2020 he released his inspirational self-help book ‘You Are Dope’. In 2021 he partnered with Amazon Music for his podcast ‘Ask Ovie’, giving advice to listeners to help them solve real-life scenarios with the help of some celebrity guests.
Ovie was the subject of a BBC documentary ‘Ovie: Life After Reality TV’ which explored the good and bad side of reality TV as he contemplated which direction to take his career in after his new-found fame. Ovie has successfully managed to continue playing professional basketball whilst simultaneously carving out a career as a TV personality, author and influencer.
Ovie has continued to appear on our TV screens as a sports pundit for Sky Sports ‘Heatcheck’ show and for BBC’s coverage of basketball at the 2022 commonwealth games. He took part in the 2020 series of Channel 4’s ‘The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer’, and BBC’s 2022 ‘Sport Relief All Star Games’.
Ovie is known for his sense of style and in 2019 he was named as ASOS’s first ever celebrity ambassador, releasing two successful edits with the brand. Ovie has since gone on to work with some of the world’s biggest brands, featuring in adverts for Diet Coke and campaigns for Samsung, Lacoste and luxury fashion brand Hugo Boss. He has appeared in publications such as Vogue, Man About Town and the Guardian. Ovie continues to excel in both the fashion and sports industries and in 2021 he launched Everlast’s first basketball range with his own collection.
