Between giving bad news and bringing bombs to the Love Island village, Ariana Madix sometimes finds time to retaliate against enemies.
“That requires a certain level of stupidity on their part and a certain level of knowing exactly what I would say in response to that,” he said. Vanderpump Rules star explains to ET about her clapbacks in the comments section that garnered attention. The most recent, a simple “Disrespectfully, you saw yourself,” replied to a user who wrote, “You should exercise those legs” below an Instagram reel of the newly created Love Island USA host taking one of the show’s infamous slow-motion walks to the villa.
“If it’s something I would sit down and think about, then I won’t say anything back,” she continues in the video chat from Fiji, where the Peacock series is being filmed. “But if it’s something that comes to mind and that person is just what idiot, so it makes me think, you know, why not put them in their place? They’re asking for it. They’re probably just really excited to have this attention, honestly.”
Ariana is getting a lot of attention while 6th seasonmaster of ceremonies, taking on hosting duties in Sarah Hyland. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Ariana’s arrival on the show happens at the same time as Love Island USA is having its breakthrough season, becoming a cooler (or actually X/previously cooler on Twitter?) show that many viewers say is running circles around fan favorites Love Island in the UKwhich is simultaneously airing its 11th season.
“I would love to feel that way, but I think it’s this cast,” says Ariana, not wanting to take credit for the show’s success. “The cast is absolutely insane. …From the OGs to the bombs, everyone is just filling a space that needs filling and making it the perfect combination of what they do Love Island, Love Island.”
A superfan of the franchise, Ariana says getting into TV didn’t ruin the experience for her. In fact, her fandom has deepened.
“I’m even more obsessed,” she admits. “When I get into the villa, I do my hair and makeup in advance, and I’m usually getting ready at the same time as the islanders get ready, so I can, during that time, watch the camera feed, and then I go to the villa and it happens. whatever happens, whatever crazy thing happens, and then I go out and I’m getting unprepared, and I still have the power on and we have to actually tell ourselves, ‘It’s time to go to bed. We have to go home.'”
“If I had the opportunity to observe these islanders 24 hours a day from my hotel room, I would probably never leave my room,” he confesses.
Vanderpump Rules fans will remember, Love Island got lost in the Bravo series when Ariana’s ex told her he didn’t have time to “watch 50 damn episodes” of the show. Your new man, Daniel Waihowever, he does has (or rather, makes) time, especially after spending some time with Ariana in Fiji at the start of filming.
“He’s hooked, even though he’s not – no one is on the same level as me with my obsession,” Ariana laughs, “but he’s watching to keep up with what’s going on. Well, which episodes are you in? And I said, ‘Well, if you don’t watch the in-betweens, you’ll have no idea what’s going on, so you have to watch them all!’
Watching just Ariana’s appearances would also mean only seeing the show’s most difficult moments; as a host, she appears mainly to introduce twists or mediate reconnections and breakups.
“I hate it because I hate showing up and everyone will be like, ‘Oh my God! Ariana!’ and I’m like…” she makes a sour face. “You know, I have to be serious and I feel so bad!”
Ariana’s favorite moment (so far) is when she has fun with the islanders at the “underwear party” featured in episode 6. After instructing the couples to choose one partner to blindfold and one to handcuff, she gave welcome to two bombs. – Andrea Carmona and Nicole Jacky – who then had the chance to kiss the men of her choice.
“It’s never been the same since,” Ariana notes. “I think that was my favorite moment because it was fun. No one was going home and that triggered everything.”
Andrea saddled Rob Rausch, kicking off the steamiest drama of Season 6 so far, as Rob then chose to dump Leah Kateb and pursue a relationship with Andrea. This relationship came to an end a few days later when the women of the village voted to remove Andrea from the game. Rob was left in tears, ready to leave the show and pursue Andrea outside of reality television. Ultimately, he chose to stay, with encouragement from friend Aaron Evans.
“Rob and Aaron, I think they are literally the strongest couple of the season right now,” Ariana jokes. As host, she stays neutral during the official dates and cheers everyone on to find their match, while also serving up looks/lewks curated by stylist Emily Men.
“We pre-determined all of our looks in L.A. before we came here, so at least I know what I’m wearing, which is usually what takes the longest if you leave it up to me,” Ariana says of the two-person process. hours necessary to leave her enchanted for the exclusive tickets to the show.
“The slow-motion walks, with that team, don’t take as long as you might think,” she says. “We just do it a few times, from different angles, and at this point, I feel like they know exactly how to get what they need, you know? we write down our formula.”
Ariana highlights looks from the premiere episode — a gold goddess dress that looked like liquid metal and a color-blocked chainmail minidress that resembles Jennifer Garnerparty clothes in 13 Going On 30 – like her favorites so far, but there’s so much more to come as she lives her “dream job.”
“I want to pinch myself every day,” she says. “I think the first few times I went into the village, we were either doing things here in Fiji, especially filming the opening – my Britney Spears ‘Sometimes’ moment on the island pier – I feel like it doesn’t feel like work. … I’m truly living my dream.”
After Love Island In the end, Ariana will be able to return to another dream, with a second run on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago.
“The fact that I can go back to Broadway, like, these words are coming out of my mouth is very surreal and I’m very excited,” she smiles. “I’m so curious if it’s going to be different or if I’m going to play the role differently. I have so many questions on my mind and, yes, I am very, very excited.”
After her August dates on the Great White Way, Ariana plans to take a vacation – her first in years – and then return to work at her diner with Vander’s pump Co-star Katie Maloney, Something about her. The restaurant opened shortly before Ariana left for Fiji, meaning she missed out. Diane Keaton – who has a sandwich named after him on the menu – popping in for a visit.
“That’s a moment I’ll never get over!” she exclaims. “I’m in a very different time zone; I’m 19 hours ahead of Los Angeles, which means I’m five hours early but the next day. … So basically I woke up seeing this and just, I’ll never get over it. that! It was real, I still can’t get over the fact that it happened.
As for the other famous ladies with their own sandwiches (Reese Witherspoon, Meg Ryan It is Viola Davisto name a few), the invitation is open to popping in at any time, though it might be worth waiting until Ariana is back in town.
“Oh yes please!” she smile.
Love Island USA airs six nights a week on Peacock, with episodes debuting at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
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