Last year, Ariana Madix ushered in the Love Island USA renaissance. The erstwhile Vanderpump Rules star — who’d proved her reality TV savvy in 2023, when she helped propel the long-running series to its first Emmy nominations by exposing her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s affair — began hosting LIUSA in its sixth season. She made an immediate impact on the Fiji villa, bonding with contestants, asking tough questions, and making her opinions known (even when she wasn’t there).
Under Madix’s watch, LIUSA became the most-watched reality series across all streaming platforms. As a fan herself, she relished the success. “It felt really validating that other people connected with this show that I love,” Madix, 39, tells Bustle ahead of Season 7’s premiere on June 3. “I was right about how great this show is all along.”
Madix credits the breakout popularity of Season 6 to the undeniable cast chemistry. Nearly a year later, the final three couples — JaNa and Kenny, Leah and Miguel, and winners Serena and Kordell — are still together, a rare feat for any dating competition.
“No shade to shows like The Bachelor, but when there’s an expected engagement at the end of a show where you barely went on three dates with somebody, I just find that to be not realistic for a long-term relationship,” she says. “When you’re living in a house with people you’re dating, by the end of filming for Love Island, they really do know each other, and there’s not that added pressure of pulling out a ring in the season finale.”
As a host, Madix still gets to enjoy the perks of reality TV, even as she explores other opportunities — like making her Broadway debut, as she did in Chicago in January 2024. But she’s grateful to be out of the hot seat on Pump Rules, which will soon be rebooted with a new cast.
“I have a hard time putting things out there because I feel like they’re just open to interpretation,” she says. “You can’t go around correcting every wrong thing that’s ever been said. It gives me more anxiety than I have as a person. I feel very happy and calm, not being involved in that sense.”
Below, Madix opens up about her life post-Pump Rules, the one thing she misses about reality TV, and the Bravo bombshell she wants to see enter the villa.
What qualities does the ideal Love Island contestant need?
The perfect Love Island contestant needs to be somebody you want to hang out with, because we’re hanging out with this person for 50 episodes. Authenticity is super important, not trying to fill any sort of reality TV tropes. And being really confident in putting yourself out there, because sometimes you’ve got to walk right in and start making out with people.
Do you have a dream celebrity that you’d love to see enter the villa one day?
You know how sometimes they do those concerts on Love Island? We should have Luann de Lesseps do a show in the villa.
I think she would have the best time with that.
They’d be like, “What’s going on?” I’d be like, “This is for me, guys.” But she’s super fun and she’s so gorgeous. All the guys would be in love with her. They’d be like, “We don’t want this person anymore. We want Luann.”
Before you became host, was there ever a part of you that thought, “Maybe I want to be a contestant one day”?
I’m much, much too old. That ship sailed a long time ago for me, and you know what? As fun as it seems in some ways, I like to sleep too much. I would get kicked off very quickly. They’re like, “No one wants to couple up with you because you’re asleep 20 hours out of the day.”
Is there anything that you miss about filming your life?
Sometimes our crew was the same people we would work with year in and year out. I see some of them sometimes, but it’s not like how it was. It’s nice to know that some of them aren’t on the show anymore, so now we can really talk.
Is there something you wish fans would have seen on Pump Rules before it ended?
It would’ve been cool for people to see the Dancing with the Stars and Broadway rehearsal process, what it was really like to do all of that. My favorite kind of reality TV is when you get to see how the sausage is made.
As a fellow theater nerd, I always want to know that stuff. Who do you still keep in touch with from the Pump Rules cast as of right now?
Katie and I talk every day. Not only is she a really great friend of mine, but we’re in business together. Scheana and I will say hi every now and again. It’s about to be her birthday, so we’ll check in. I don’t know if you would count Dayna [Kathan] as cast, but she’s also one of my best friends.
What did you think about Scheana writing a memoir? Is that something you would consider one day?
I would consider it, but I don’t know what the angle would be. I know that it’s hard to write a memoir, so congratulations to her for sure.
I went to the sandwich shop a few weeks ago. How’s it doing overall?
It’s great. The best part of our business is Katie and my [dynamic]. Even though we are a small business and we don’t have a huge space or a ton of employees, it can still be really challenging at times. Getting to do it with Katie, our rapport together is really, really good. Of course, it’s not an easy thing to do, so please come to the shop.
You’ve tried hosting, acting, Broadway. Do you have a next goal in the entertainment space?
I’d love to come back to Broadway. It’s my favorite thing in the world. I would love to originate a role or be part of an original cast of a revival. Mamma Mia! is my favorite show. I typically don’t like jukebox musicals, but throw me in. I’ll play anybody.
With hosting, I would love to get something off the ground that’s a brand-new show. That would really be fun.
Would you ever consider competing in a show like The Traitors?
No, not unless Alan Cumming really wanted to retire as host.
Wait, I could see it. I think it’d be fabulous.
Listen, he’s so iconic. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else doing it.
What would you think it would take for you to ever open your life to the cameras again?
It would have to be the right show, the right team, the right tone. I would never want to do anything that ever resembles something like a Vanderpump Rules ever again.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
