Prior to appearing on the latest series of Love Island, Ope Sowande was a backing dancer on Strictly Come Dancing and has said it would be "incredible" to go back after he's back from the villa17:09, 31 May 2026Love Island isn't the first TV appearance for Ope Sowande - nor does he want it to be the last. The new Islander has previously appeared on the hit BBC dance show Strictly Come Dancing as a backing dancer and would love to go back to compete.‌Eagle-eyed fans will recognise 27-year-old West End star Ope as one of the extra dancers who performed with Sarah Hadland in her Musicals Week Charleston to Popular from Wicked.‌Speaking to the Mirror and other press before heading out to the villa, he said he loved it. “I danced with Sarah, and she was amazing!” he gushed. “It was really, really fun to be on that show.”‌While Ope is the only Love Islander to have been on Strictly first, he’s not the only one to be connected to the show. Series eight Love Islander Tasha Ghouri and series three winner Amber Davies have both reached the final, while series four winner Dani Dyer signed up before she was forced to withdraw due to injury and is expected to return to compete properly in the upcoming series.Ope has said he would love to do the show again as a contestant. “Could you imagine? That would be incredible. I’m going to focus on the villa for now, but who wouldn’t want to be on Strictly?”‌When asked how his time on Strictly has prepared him for entering the Love Island limelight, he added: "I'm unsure of how the villa is going to go, but I’ve learned to take everything as it comes.”His strategy is just to be himself and "go with the flow". Ope explained: "I want to be straightforward and honest. No pot stirring." He added that while he is an actor and a performer by trade, he won't be using those skills in the villa.‌"I am a performer, and I am Ope. In the villa, I will just be Ope and be as positive as possible. I'm really going to take it as it comes and be my authentic self."But he continued to say that he wouldn't mind observing the drama from afar: "I’m not here for the drama, and I want to find love, the drama could be funny. I love the ‘watching with a telescope, ooh what’s going on, sip the tea’ kind of vibe. I’m not here for the drama…but I’m here for the drama."He may not be able to avoid the drama, though, as he has said that he won't be "playing it safe" in the villa. "I’m never playing anything safe, that’s boring."Article continues belowInstead, he's planning on using his humour to get through to the ladies: "My thing is to go for the goal and make someone laugh straight away. I think that’s the key to love and the key to getting girls. My ultimate thing in life is to make people feel comfortable around me, so as soon as that happens, I’m sweet. And I’ve got the best smile in Britain."Love Island returns Monday 1st June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVXLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .