{"id":2787,"date":"2026-06-02T23:23:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T23:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/2026\/06\/02\/ariana-madix-is-ready-to-strut-her-way-into-the-love-island-usa-villa-feeling-confident-and-sexy\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T23:23:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T23:23:00","slug":"ariana-madix-is-ready-to-strut-her-way-into-the-love-island-usa-villa-feeling-confident-and-sexy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/2026\/06\/02\/ariana-madix-is-ready-to-strut-her-way-into-the-love-island-usa-villa-feeling-confident-and-sexy\/","title":{"rendered":"Ariana Madix Is Ready to Strut Her Way Into the \u2018Love Island USA\u2019 Villa Feeling \u201cConfident and Sexy\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\tThere\u2019s no doubt that Ariana Madix<\/a> played a huge role in helping Love Island<\/a> USA <\/em>become a cultural phenomenon<\/a> over the last two years.<\/p>\n

\tHer star power alone, thanks to her viral run on Bravo\u2019s Vanderpump Rules<\/em>, definitely attracted her fans over to the Peacock<\/a> 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). \t<\/p>\n

\tLove Island USA<\/em>, which follows sexy singles looking for love in a Fijian villa, has climbed the streaming charts the last two years, becoming not only Peacock\u2019s most-watched original unscripted series<\/a> but also one of the most anticipated reality shows in the U.S. <\/p>\n

\t\u201cIt\u2019s an absolute star maker,\u201d Madix says of the Peacock series. \u201cI\u2019m so happy and excited that Love Island USA<\/em> 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\u2019s really insane. And I don\u2019t think any other show is doing what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tNow Madix is back at the reins for the third time as season eight prepares to get underway on June 2. And she\u2019s ready to not only meet all the new Islanders<\/a> but also watch sparks fly and drama heat up along with America, especially since she\u2019s a fan first. <\/p>\n

\tBut before she re-enters the villa, the host opens up to THR <\/em>about the show\u2019s 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\u2019s looking forward to most about season eight. \t<\/p>\n

\tWhat are you looking forward to most about returning for your third season hosting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI\u2019m 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\u2019m 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\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

\tWhat does your\u00a0preparation\u00a0process look like before the season kicks off?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI do a lot of work in the gym. And I feel as though I do that throughout the year as well. It\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s no producers there. It\u2019s just me; I\u2019m in charge. So I need to come in having that confidence for sure. \t<\/p>\n

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\t \t\t\t\t\tAriana Madix for \u2018Love Island USA.\u2019<\/span> \t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeacock<\/cite> \t\t\t\t\t \t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\tAs a longtime fan of the franchise, what do you make of the\u00a0U.S.\u00a0version\u00a0becoming such a cultural phenomenon the last two years?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tThe way that they are able to format the show and bring elements to the show that feel unique to Love Island USA<\/em> and make it stand out among the Love Island<\/em> franchise, I think it\u2019s 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<\/em>. Of course, you have your tent pole things that you do cross a franchise, but we\u2019ve really been able to carve out a unique place and it\u2019s something that makes the show appointment television.<\/p>\n

\tAlso the casting of the Islanders season to season is absolutely incredible. These Islanders are never together. They don\u2019t meet. There\u2019s no interaction where they can chemistry test the way you would on a scripted show. So you don\u2019t know until they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

\tLast year, there were also episode watch parties\u00a0all across\u00a0the U.S. I mean,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0like a whole new level of success to reach. What\u00a0was your\u00a0reaction to that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI 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, \u201cGet in, get in.\u201d And watching the videos of the people jumping out of their chairs, screaming, cheering was so cool. And it was so validating because that\u2019s 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\u2019s a bit like sports, in the way that people are able to cheer and boo or whatever\u2019s going on. \t<\/p>\n

\tFans have pointed out the role you played in bringing your\u00a0Vanderpump Rules<\/em>\u00a0fanbase with you\u00a0when you\u00a0joined\u00a0Love Island\u00a0USA<\/em>.\u00a0What do you make of the role you played in the show\u2019s success?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tIt\u2019s really kind, and I, of course, would love to think that I\u2019m even just a small part of that. It\u2019s a really, really cool feeling. There\u2019s so many factors that have gone into the success of the show and the show really taking off when I became host, so I\u2019d love to think that I\u2019m kind of part of the fabric of that. And when you look at all the things, it\u2019s 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\u2019s amazing!<\/p>\n

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\t \t\t\t\t\t\u2018Love Island USA\u2019 season seven.<\/span> \t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeacock<\/cite> \t\t\t\t\t \t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\tWhen we\u2019ve chatted previously, you said you would love to host Love Island USA<\/em> until you die<\/a>.\u00a0Is that still\u00a0your perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tSure! I did just get announced that Love Island Games<\/em> is renewed for season three and I will be returning as host for Love Island Games<\/em> season three. So there\u2019s at least one more that\u2019s on its way, so that\u2019s 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\u2019m 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.<\/p>\n

\tDo you still\u00a0maintain\u00a0a relationship with any of the Islanders from seasons six and seven?\u00a0And if so, who?<\/strong> \t<\/p>\n

\tI 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\u2019m always going to be in line buying the product or whatever it is.<\/p>\n

\tCiara Miller and\u00a0Tefi\u00a0Pessoa were recently announced as the co-hosts of\u00a0Aftersun<\/em>\u00a0this year.\u00a0What\u2019s\u00a0your reaction\u00a0to them\u00a0joining the Love Island<\/em> family?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI\u2019m so excited! I know both of them personally, and Tefi and I have chatted so much about just different things, and I\u2019m very, very excited to get their perspective as the season is airing. They\u2019re going to have such great things to contribute and we\u2019re going to have so much fun in Fiji. Hopefully we\u2019ll all get a day off and we can go snorkeling or something.<\/p>\n

\tLast season, there was quite a bit of controversy<\/a> surrounding a few of the\u00a0castmembers\u00a0and resurfaced racist clips and posts.\u00a0As the host, I know\u00a0you\u2019re also tapped into the online conversations that\u00a0pop\u00a0up throughout each season. How do\u00a0you\u00a0separate knowing the fan discourse when approaching hosting and interacting with the castmembers?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tWhen approaching hosting, it\u2019s 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\u2019s happening outside of that is all conversations or comments or even what\u2019s 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\u2019s its own bubble. \t<\/p>\n

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\t \t\t\t\t\t\u2018Love Island USA\u2019 season seven.<\/span> \t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeacock<\/cite> \t\t\t\t\t \t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\tIs it difficult to separate everything or do you look at hosting almost as a character or role you\u2019re stepping into once you enter the villa?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI definitely think a lot of hosting does feel as though I\u2019m 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\u2019s not really me. So I\u2019m 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\u2019s going on and I am still bringing the real me to it. But it reminds me of Alan Cumming hosting Traitors<\/em>; he\u2019s playing a characterized version of himself, but he\u2019s still very much himself.<\/p>\n

\tAs someone\u00a0who\u00a0has\u00a0had to\u00a0navigate 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?\u00a0Did you offer them any support or advice?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI\u2019m 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. \u2026 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. \t<\/p>\n

\tHeading into season eight, do you have a favorite challenge or activity\u00a0that you\u2019re hoping returns this season?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tYou guys are going to hate me for this one. I really liked the Milk Challenge (Laughs<\/em>). I just can\u2019t 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\u2019re so funny because they\u2019re wacky and they\u2019re not sexy at all. And sometimes I think we get sexy all the time on our show, so it\u2019s nice sometimes to have something that\u2019s silly and gross and weird, and that to me is very fun.<\/p>\n

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\t \t\t\t\t\t\u2018Love Island USA\u2019<\/span> \t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPeacock<\/cite> \t\t\t\t\t \t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\tWhat have you been told about the new season that you can tease for fans?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI 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\u2019m sure there will be maybe even more plants this year, so I\u2019m always excited to see that, but I don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\tThat sounds stressful because I assumed you would know more details going into night one of hosting.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\tI would like to know if I\u2019m doing some sort of dance number and to what song and what is it? And please tell me soon because it\u2019s usually the night before that I\u2019m watching somebody\u2019s cell phone video of choreography, trying to make sense of what is going on (Laughs<\/em>). So as soon as they would figure that one out, I would love to know. \t<\/p>\n

\tSeason eight of\u00a0<\/em>Love Island USA\u00a0premieres on Peacock June 2 at 6 p.m. PT\/9 p.m. ET.<\/em> Check out all of <\/em>THR\u2018s <\/em>Love Island USA coverage here<\/em><\/a>, including a recent interview with an executive producer<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Logo text There\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1537,2,1456,1538,1078,34,85,335],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ariana-madix","category-hollywood","category-love-island","category-love-island-usa","category-peacock","category-reality-tv","category-tv","category-tv-features"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsmag.live\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}