Since stepping into the Love Island villa on day one, West End performer Ope Sowande has found himself at the centre of a discussion on how exactly his name should be pronounced. When he introduced himself on the show, Ope explained that his name is pronounced "Oh-pee." However, viewers questioned why he did not go by the traditional Nigerian/Yoruba pronunciation, sparking weeks of debate across social media.

Ope is a widely used nickname in Nigeria and is often shortened from longer names such as Opeyemi or Opeoluwa. The name is derived from Yoruba words associated with gratitude, praise and thanksgiving.

Several people from Nigerian backgrounds weighed in on the discussion. Former Love Island contestant Deji Adeniyi previously defended Ope’s pronunciation, saying: “Man like Op-ee, not Op-eh! His name is Op-ee, that’s what he is, he is Op-ee.”

As the debate continued online, some critics accused Ope of distancing himself from his Nigerian heritage. However, the reality star has now revealed the personal reason behind the pronunciation he uses.

Appearing on ITV’s The Rundown with Daniel Ajose, Ope addressed the discussion directly.

“Let’s clear this up right now,” he said, before sharing the story behind his name.

Ajose, who is also Nigerian, pointed out that the traditional pronunciation would typically sound more like “Op-eh” than “Oh-pee.”

Explaining his perspective, Ope said: “When I was three months old, I was fostered by an amazing family, Pauline and Barry. Shoutout one time, they’re the best people in the world. They’re both white, and that’s just how they say it. They’ve called me ‘Oh-pee’ from birth. And they raised me, they’re my parents, so I feel like I want to honour that and respect that.”

His explanation prompted a wave of reactions online, with many viewers saying the context changed their perspective on the debate.

Commenting on The Shade Borough's Instagram post, one Resident wrote: “fairsss! We actually can’t argue with that. Also explains why he wants a blond Scottish woman.”

Another took a different view, writing: “This is why it is CRUCIAL that people who seek to foster/adopt children of different ethnicities can prove they have the cultural awareness to do so. It was lazy and dismissive of his parents to pronounce his name in a way that removes him from his cultural identity!”

A third commenter struck a more balanced tone, saying: “People will still hate, but that was a respectable explanation.”