For “Love Island USA” superfan Ariana Madix, hosting the show “doesn’t feel like work” | Hollywood

In Season 10 of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules” — before the real-life infidelity fiasco known as “Scandoval” came to light — there was a scene in which Ariana Madix and her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval admitted that they weren’t spending enough time together. Sandoval wanted to party like a rock star, while Madix wanted him to stay home and watch her favorite TV show with friends: “Love Island USA.”

“I don’t have time to watch 50 episodes of Love Island. No, I don’t,” he said.

“That’s literally all we’re talking about, so…” Madix replied, in a “get in or you’re out of luck” kind of way.

About a year and a half later, Madix and Sandoval are no longer together. The scandalous part of the whole thing is that Sandoval cheated on Madix with a “Vanderpump” co-star for more than six months. Madix is ​​now the host of “Love Island USA” on Peacock, taking over from previous host Sarah Hyland.

It’s a fitting development for Madix, whose nearly 10-year relationship publicly fell apart. Since then, she has competed on “Dancing with the Stars” and appeared on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago.” Her first run was extended due to ticket demand, and she will return to the role next month. A former bartender, Madix has released a best-selling cocktail recipe book and opened a sandwich shop called “Something About Her” in Los Angeles with her “Vanderpump” co-star Katie Maloney.

Last month, Madix was in Fiji filming Love Island USA and says the job is a dream come true for a superfan like her.

“I love watching this show get made,” Madix said in a recent Zoom interview. “There’s a crew of maybe 400 people or so working on the show to make this all happen and produce these episodes almost in real time. It’s so impressive.”

On Love Island USA, a group of single men and women move into a secluded villa with the goal of finding love. Contestants match up based on first impressions. These relationships are put to the test. Is there chemistry between them? They also have the opportunity to connect with other people, including a flood of new singles who join in over time. At various points, viewers are asked to vote for their favorite couples. At various points, contestants are also eliminated, and at the end, the audience chooses the winning couple, who receive a cash prize.

In a Q&A, Madix talks about Love Island USA and future possibilities. Answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

____ : As a fan of “Love Island USA” you get to see how the sausage is made by working on the show. What is that like?

MADIX: I love it. I think that there are a few things that make this show so interesting compared to other reality shows where there are cameras everywhere. These are cameras that you see as a fly on the wall, and there’s no one walking around with a camera on their shoulder like you might see on Real Housewives or Vanderpump or something like that. I like how unpredictable it is. It doesn’t feel like work at all. : What appeals to you about it?

MADIX: It feels like a study of sociology or something. Aside from the big dramatic moments that you see, I’m also fascinated by the mundane everyday conversations and the little moments and conversations that they have. I feel like it’s a cultural study. A group of people are in a fishbowl and I’m just watching how they interact with each other, how they fall in love and how they fall out of love. : Did you vote before you were on the show? Were you that engaged?

MADIX: I couldn’t do that on the UK version, which was available in the US after it first aired in the UK, but I have voted for Love Island, USA in the past. I started with season 4, which was the season that was filmed in California. : As a viewer, do you stay up to date when you are not on set or working?

MADIX: On the days I’m not there, I’m constantly texting the people who work at the villa to keep them updated on what’s going on. : Can you interact with the candidates outside of the show?

MADIX: I can greet them when I come in, but it also depends on what I have to do. Recently there was an audience vote where a girl and a boy went home. That was a night where I wish I could have talked to them more. And when I come in, you know, sometimes they’re excited to see me. Sometimes I think they can tell by the look on my face that I’m the bearer of bad news. I always wish I could talk to them more and spend more time with them because I love them all in different ways. I feel bad when someone is initially happy to see me and then I put on a poker face so you know it’s going to be bad. : You recently turned 39. When you think about it, your 38th year has been really exciting and full of possibilities. Do you expect this year to be just as busy?

MADIX: I’m working on a few things. I hope this year is just as great, of course. I hope I can really let it rip and make it something super fun and just one last hurrah for my 30s. : There was obviously a lot of interest in you immediately after “Scandoval”, but new opportunities kept coming your way – “Chicago” might not have happened without “Dancing with the Stars”. Were you able to deal with that?

MADIX: It’s not often that I stop and reflect on things, but when I do, I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of my team because they give absolutely everything in every way. We’ve all progressed together in some ways, worked so hard together for many years. Self-doubt and things like that creep in. I really try to push all that away and focus on how hard we’ve worked and how we’ve earned these things. And hopefully we keep going.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications.