Who is Imani Wheeler from ‘Love Island: USA’ season 5 and ‘Love Island Games’ season 1?

Calling all islanders — Love Island Games is about to commence, bringing together former Love Island contestants from the British, Australian, and American versions of the franchise for a one-of-a-kind series with both prizes and romance on the line.

With stars like Cely Vazquez, Justine Ndiba, Zeta Morrison, and more returning to our television screens, the show will surely be a smash hit in no time! According to Peacock, the series will offer previous islanders “a second shot at love as they compete in a brand-new format to be crowned champions of Love Island Games. In this cheeky new iteration, romance will meet reality as fan-favorite islanders are faced with both team and couples’ challenges, all while navigating dating, eliminations, recoupling, dramatic arrivals, and new competition twists and turns like never before.”

While the entire cast is nothing short of spectacular, one former Love Island: USA contestant caught our eye, Imani Wheeler, serving as the only member of Love Island: USA season 5 to participate in the inaugural season of Love Island Games (except Scott van-der-Sluis).

If you are unfamiliar with Imani and her journey on Love Island: USA this past summer, have no fear — we’ve got you covered!

Who is Imani Wheeler?

The Sacramento, California native entered Love Island: USA as a bombshell, pursuing a connection with Carsten “Bergie” Bergersen and Jonah Allman before connecting with Kyle Darden during the infamous Casa Amor week.

When her relationship with Kyle began to fizzle out, Imani tried to pursue a connection with Isiah ‘Zay’ Harayda. However, they were deemed the least compatible couple of the remaining islanders, ultimately forcing them to leave the villa on August 22.

Despite leaving as a couple, the 22-year-old quickly realized that she and Zay had “more of a friendship vibe,” dishing about what the future had in store for them (or lack thereof) in an exclusive interview with Love Island‘s Maura Higgins.

“Zay expressed that he was interested in me and finds me attractive, and our conversation went really well. I saw a romantic spark there, and I was like, ‘Okay, maybe we just missed each other. We had a lot going on.’ I was excited, you know, I saw great qualities in him, and I felt like it could work, and then the recoupling happened… I realized it was more of a friendship vibe.”

Since filming Love Island: USA this past summer, Imani Wheeler has been living it up as a single woman, sharing dozens of sexy solo shots on her Instagram profile, which has amassed over 80k followers. Most recently, Imani celebrated Halloween at the clubs in Los Angeles, California, dressing up as a vampire and a fairy — how fun is that?

Also on her Instagram profile, the direct support professional announced that she would be a part of Love Island Games on October 7, with a caption that reads: “What a crazy way to spend your 22nd birthday/summer lol! From season 5 of Love Island USA to Love Island Games. 🤍”

To top off this exciting announcement, in a video titled Love Island Games | Meet the Islanders | Peacock Original, Imani teases the camera by saying, “If I want something, I’m gonna get it.” Needless to say, we are intrigued!

To watch Imani Wheeler’s second chance at finding love from start to finish, catch new episodes of Love Island Games Sundays through Fridays on Peacock.