Ariana Madix spoke out amid speculation that her time as Love Island USA host is over.
Before the Sunday, July 13, finale of the hit Peacock series, Ariana, 40, was asked on TikTok whether there are plans to “replace” her if the show returns for season 8.
“I’m not leaving,” she replied in the comments section. “I’ll see you guys really soon.”
Peacock confirmed that Ariana is cohosting the Love Island USA reunion, which premieres on August 25, alongside Andy Cohen. According to a press release, the special “will feature this season’s winners, fan-favorite couples, and this year’s bombshells for an up close and personal look back at their experience in the Villa.”
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Ariana, who hosted seasons 6 and 7 of Love Island USA, is also slated to host the upcoming second season of Love Island Games. The new episodes will premiere on September 16 as fan-favorite Islanders return to compete in challenges while “navigating dating, eliminations, recoupling, dramatic arrivals, and new competition twists and turns that help control the game like never before.”
The updates about Ariana’s future in the Love Island franchise come after fans noticed a pattern of past hosts — including Sarah Hyland — leaving after two seasons. Throughout season 7, Ariana was forced to call out viewers multiple times for their treatment of the contestants.
“I do want to say something to some of those people who are online,” she said during an episode of Aftersun in June. “Don’t be contacting people’s families. Don’t be doxxing people.”
At the time, Ariana reminded audience members to not harass the Islanders or their loved ones.
“Don’t be going on Islanders’ pages and saying rude things. You still have time to delete all of that because the Islanders don’t have their phones,” she noted. “So we are giving you a chance because this is a fun, amazing and beautiful show. We should be thanking each one of these islanders every single day for giving us themselves.”
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Ahead of the finale, Ariana got emotional about this year’s journey, saying on the Saturday, July 12, episode of Aftersun, “It’s been a really tough season for a lot of reasons. The Islanders who were eliminated, there’s been a lot of stuff that’s just been crazy.”
She added: “I just want them to know, and any Islander who has also left the villa at this point, I just want them all to know how much I genuinely really love them and appreciate them for putting themselves out there.”
Love Island USA is currently streaming on Peacock. The reunion airs Monday, August 25, at 9 p.m. ET and Love Island Games returns on September 16.
