Ariana Madix Is Ready to Strut Her Way Into the ‘Love Island USA’ Villa Feeling “Confident and Sexy”

There’s no doubt that Ariana Madix played a huge role in helping Love Island USA become a cultural phenomenon over the last two years.

Her star power alone, thanks to her viral run on Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, definitely attracted her fans over to the Peacock reality dating show when she took over the hosting duties during season six in 2024. But it was her commanding and confident aura when she entered the villa each time that helped keep viewers coming back for me (in addition to plenty of mouth-watering drama with the Islanders).

Love Island USA, which follows sexy singles looking for love in a Fijian villa, has climbed the streaming charts the last two years, becoming not only Peacock’s most-watched original unscripted series but also one of the most anticipated reality shows in the U.S.

“It’s an absolute star maker,” Madix says of the Peacock series. “I’m so happy and excited that Love Island USA is starting to get its flowers because the absolute feat that it is to create and make the show and put the show out and have it be as good and incredible as it is, it’s really insane. And I don’t think any other show is doing what we do.”

Now Madix is back at the reins for the third time as season eight prepares to get underway on June 2. And she’s ready to not only meet all the new Islanders but also watch sparks fly and drama heat up along with America, especially since she’s a fan first.

But before she re-enters the villa, the host opens up to THR about the show’s newfound success the last two years, how she prepares for her hosting duties, her relationship with the castmembers, navigating the Islander dynamics with online discourse and what she’s looking forward to most about season eight.

What are you looking forward to most about returning for your third season hosting?

I’m really excited to get back to see our whole crew that I work with, both on my team and all the people who make the show. It feels like we see each other on the other side of the world and then we never get to hang out outside of that. So it feels like a bit of a reunion in a way. I’m also really excited to see who the new Islanders are going to be. I love getting to know them and getting to see their stories and trying to decipher, before they go in, what I think they’re going to be like. I have a really lovely time getting to know them throughout the season because I do feel as though they grow so much both personally and in their friendships and their relationships over that time. So to see them on that first night when they come in is a really fun feeling.

What does your preparation process look like before the season kicks off?

I do a lot of work in the gym. And I feel as though I do that throughout the year as well. It’s not something I only do for this, but I definitely ramp it up just because I want to feel confident. I want to feel sexy. I want to feel like I have an authority when I walk into the villa. I also do a little bit of work on confidence in general to go in there because I think something that’s really important as a host is not just being able to empathize with the Islanders, but also being able to command the room. Because when I go in there, there’s no producers there. It’s just me; I’m in charge. So I need to come in having that confidence for sure.

Ariana Madix for ‘Love Island USA.’

Peacock

As a longtime fan of the franchise, what do you make of the U.S. version becoming such a cultural phenomenon the last two years? 

The way that they are able to format the show and bring elements to the show that feel unique to Love Island USA and make it stand out among the Love Island franchise, I think it’s amazing because you look at all of the different challenges, the different twists and turns that they bring and that feels unique to Love Island USA. Of course, you have your tent pole things that you do cross a franchise, but we’ve really been able to carve out a unique place and it’s something that makes the show appointment television.

Also the casting of the Islanders season to season is absolutely incredible. These Islanders are never together. They don’t meet. There’s no interaction where they can chemistry test the way you would on a scripted show. So you don’t know until they’re all in a room together what kind of sparks are going to fly. And yet year after year, the casting team does such an incredible job of finding the secret sauce amongst the cast to really make those sparks fly and make the show exciting.

Last year, there were also episode watch parties all across the U.S. I mean, that’s like a whole new level of success to reach. What was your reaction to that?

I love it! I wish so badly I could show up at a watch party. I remember there was a moment [in season seven] with Nic and Olandria [when] Olandria opened the car door and said, “Get in, get in.” And watching the videos of the people jumping out of their chairs, screaming, cheering was so cool. And it was so validating because that’s also how I felt when I saw it. So it felt as though we were connecting from the other side of the world in our excitement for all of the things going on. And it’s a bit like sports, in the way that people are able to cheer and boo or whatever’s going on.

Fans have pointed out the role you played in bringing your Vanderpump Rules fanbase with you when you joined Love Island USA. What do you make of the role you played in the show’s success?

It’s really kind, and I, of course, would love to think that I’m even just a small part of that. It’s a really, really cool feeling. There’s so many factors that have gone into the success of the show and the show really taking off when I became host, so I’d love to think that I’m kind of part of the fabric of that. And when you look at all the things, it’s really a perfect storm of factors that have really helped the show take off. And of course, if I can be one of the lightning bolts in that storm, that’s amazing!

‘Love Island USA’ season seven.

Peacock

When we’ve chatted previously, you said you would love to host Love Island USA until you die. Is that still your perspective?

Sure! I did just get announced that Love Island Games is renewed for season three and I will be returning as host for Love Island Games season three. So there’s at least one more that’s on its way, so that’s exciting. I truly feel very fulfilled doing this job. I feel creatively fulfilled. It also scratches an itch for me in terms of the performance side. It really feels like I’m going out on stage every time. I love connecting with the Islanders every season, and so I definitely could see myself doing it for quite some time.

Do you still maintain a relationship with any of the Islanders from seasons six and seven? And if so, who?

I talk to them here and there. I love getting to see them whenever we end up out somewhere. I just saw Leah [from season six] not too long ago, Olandria at Coachella; that was so nice to see them. And I always want to support in any way that I can. They all have such amazing business acumen; their mind for what it is that they want to set their sights on is so amazing. And so I’m always going to be in line buying the product or whatever it is.

Ciara Miller and Tefi Pessoa were recently announced as the co-hosts of Aftersun this year. What’s your reaction to them joining the Love Island family?

I’m so excited! I know both of them personally, and Tefi and I have chatted so much about just different things, and I’m very, very excited to get their perspective as the season is airing. They’re going to have such great things to contribute and we’re going to have so much fun in Fiji. Hopefully we’ll all get a day off and we can go snorkeling or something.

Last season, there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding a few of the castmembers and resurfaced racist clips and posts. As the host, I know you’re also tapped into the online conversations that pop up throughout each season. How do you separate knowing the fan discourse when approaching hosting and interacting with the castmembers? 

When approaching hosting, it’s almost like it has to just not even be a factor at all. Everyone just gets treated exactly the same, always going into that villa with a clean slate, going in exactly as things are in the villa because the villa kind of is its own little bubble, its own little world. And of course everything that’s happening outside of that is all conversations or comments or even what’s happening just in the world at large. Last year there was a lot of turmoil happening abroad or back in the U.S. as well. And I think once we step foot into that villa, it’s its own bubble.

‘Love Island USA’ season seven.

Peacock

Is it difficult to separate everything or do you look at hosting almost as a character or role you’re stepping into once you enter the villa?

I definitely think a lot of hosting does feel as though I’m playing a bit of a character, but that character does still have a lot of me. So sparkly, scantily clad, tan, sexy, confident me is a part of me, but that’s not really me. So I’m playing almost like a very heightened, very different version of myself, but at the same time I still have the same empathy for them or for what’s going on and I am still bringing the real me to it. But it reminds me of Alan Cumming hosting Traitors; he’s playing a characterized version of himself, but he’s still very much himself.

As someone who has had to navigate their own public scandal and headlines in the past, what was your reaction to seeing the headlines and backlash that some of the Islanders faced in season seven? Did you offer them any support or advice? 

I’m very limited, especially while the season is airing, on my contact with everyone and that sort of thing. At the finale, once we were done filming, everybody had jumped in the pool, we were all chatting about how happy and proud we were of all of them [and] I definitely wanted them to know that if they ever had questions about anything like that or they wanted to reach out, that I would always be there. And I can only imagine getting your phone back and having a barrage of both positive and not-so-positive things come your way. … But I feel as though these Islanders do have such amazing support systems and they have such a unique experience that they go through together that it really hopefully helps bond them in a way that they can be there for each other as well.

Heading into season eight, do you have a favorite challenge or activity that you’re hoping returns this season? 

You guys are going to hate me for this one. I really liked the Milk Challenge (Laughs). I just can’t get the image out of my head of Nic just full sending it, having a blast with it. I know it was so gross, but there was something about it that was so funny to me, and everyone hates the food challenges and things like that, but they’re so funny because they’re wacky and they’re not sexy at all. And sometimes I think we get sexy all the time on our show, so it’s nice sometimes to have something that’s silly and gross and weird, and that to me is very fun.

‘Love Island USA’

Peacock

What have you been told about the new season that you can tease for fans?

I know nothing. They know not to tell me anything because they know I will spill the beans. I know that the villa is, of course, getting its annual little makeover. I’m sure there will be maybe even more plants this year, so I’m always excited to see that, but I don’t know anything about potential Islanders. I know last year, they were making decisions almost just two days before we started filming. So I know that process goes into the wee hours.

That sounds stressful because I assumed you would know more details going into night one of hosting.

I would like to know if I’m doing some sort of dance number and to what song and what is it? And please tell me soon because it’s usually the night before that I’m watching somebody’s cell phone video of choreography, trying to make sense of what is going on (Laughs). So as soon as they would figure that one out, I would love to know.

Season eight of Love Island USA premieres on Peacock June 2 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. Check out all of THR‘s Love Island USA coverage here, including a recent interview with an executive producer.