Ariana Madix reveals which Love Island star was her secret favorite
Ariana Madix reveals which Love Island star was her secret favorite
Chiara FiorilloSun, May 31, 2026 at 1:53 PM UTC
0
Ariana Madix is returning to host Season 8 of Love Island -Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited (Reach Publishing Services Limited)
Ariana Madix has revealed which Love Island star was her secret favorite while opening up on the realities of filming the popular dating show away from home.
The former Vanderpump Rules star stepped into the permanent hosting role in 2024 for Season 6, replacing former host Sarah Hyland. She is now returning to host the upcoming eighth season, filmed in Fiji, which is scheduled to premiere on June 2.
Ariana, 40, said filming the show is her "dream job" but she admitted it comes with several challenges - including being so far from home and on "a wildly different time zone" which makes her feel "very removed from life." In a new interview, the TV host also discussed the success of Season 7, praising Islander Olandria Carthen, who finished as a runner-up. It comes after a Love Island star was removed from the villa after the discovery of foul videos.
• Woman, 27, gang raped, stabbed 50 times and forced to carry her intestines in hands
• ABC viewers mercilessly mock Donald Trump as they say he had '90 minute diaper change'
While talking about the success the 28-year-old model and influencer has had since leaving Love Island, Ariana said, "I mean, I could've told you that was gonna happen. The girl's a star." Talking about Olandria, who was the runner-up with Nic Vansteenberghe, Ariana said she was her secret favorite.
"The second I saw her casting sheet, I was like, I'm obsessed with this girl," she told People. "I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but she was my favorite cast member."
Advertisement
Olandria Carthen was Ariana's secret favorite on the show
She added, "I felt like I related to her on so many levels and I'm so happy for her and so proud of her, and I think that this is just the beginning for her, so I'm excited to see what she does next." Ariana said she feels "very, very proud" to host such a popular show, adding it is a "dream job" for her.
In her interview, she also shared some tips for the upcoming Season 8 contestants, urging them to be authentic and true to themselves. "Being authentic and vulnerable and showing yourself is really the best thing you can do in that situation," she shared.
The highly-anticipated new season has already seen a contestant booted off from the villa just two days after the cast was announced, according to reports. Vasana Montgomery has reportedly been kicked off the show due to resurfaced videos circulated on social media of the 25-year-old appearing to say the N-word, including one in which she appears to be rapping along to a song.
Vasana Montgomery was reportedly removed from the Love Island cast -Credit:Peacock
In one video, the Oregon native appears to say "Knock, knock, n----" while playing an arcade game and in the second video, Vasana sings along to a rap song, apparently audibly saying the N-word. While Vasana has not confirmed she is the person in the videos, the clips circulated on social media, infuriating fans of the show.
Shortly after the cast was announced on May 28, the new crop of singles heading to Fiji for the summer were put under a magnifying glass by fans of the show, with contestant Kenzie Annis facing backlash for posing for photos with people donning MAGA gear, though her father clarified to TMZ that their family does not support Donald Trump. The videos of Vasana surfaced soon after, with outraged fans calling for her removal from the show just days before the season is set to premiere on Peacock.
This news follows the revelation that Eric Trump finally shared the 7 words that Barron whispered into Joe Biden's ear.
Season 8 of Love Island USA premieres on Peacock on Tuesday, June 2 at 9 PM EST.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
