Ariana Madix Reveals What She’d Say to Olandria Carthen, Who She’s Shipping on Love Island, and Reacts to All the Kissing & Resurfaced Vanderpump Rules Clips

Love Island USA is back on Peacock for its seventh season, and Ariana Madix has returned as the host. So far, it’s been a well-liked season, with even Paige DeSorbo stepping in to lead one of the challenges. Now, Ariana is opening up about who she wants to see get together on the show, times she’s wanted to intervene, and how she feels about some of her Vanderpump Rules soundbites resurfacing.

Ariana, 40, joined Love Island USA as the host in 2024. Notably, the news also came out that the previous host, Sarah Hyland, learned she was being replaced via text message. 

Recently, Ariana sat down for a short interview with Entertainment Tonight‘s Brice Sander, in which they talked all things Love Island season seven. One of the first topics that came up was whether she believes that Nic and Olandria truly aren’t “into each other.”

Ariana responded, “You know what, I want to say that I trust their own judgement when they both say that they’re not, but it’s giving that they are.”

She then cited multiple times where they have kissed on the show as evidence of them being into each other. Ariana also reacted to how so many of the couples are kissing with tongue this season, and she and Brice agree it must be a generational thing.

She said, “I am personally not a tongue-first person. I’m like a tongue second person. Yeah, I’m not really sure. Why is everyone leading with the tongue? Maybe it’s a Gen Z thing.”

Regarding who Ariana wants to see get together on the show, she revealed, “I was kind of enjoying Chelley and Chris flirting, but I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I feel like Chelley finds herself in these love triangles at every turn, and I don’t know if she’s a very decisive person. It seems like she is caught in limbo and doesn’t really know which way to go.”

She then said, “I would love to see Chelley and Cierra get together, to be honest.” They went on to discuss how everyone on the show wanted Cierra. Ariana also said she seems like someone she would be friends with.

From there, Brice asked Ariana if she had ever considered intervening with the contestants. She said, “It was, I think, the Casa Amor recoupling when Olandria wrote Taylor’s name on her card. I’m not sure what other name she would have written or could have written that would have changed the scenario that left her single.”

She continued, “That to me, I just wanted to be like, ‘Babe, you’re better than this.’” She also accused Taylor of “breadcrumbing.”

Finally, she was asked how she feels about some of her old Vanderpump Rules clips going viral on social media. According to Ariana, “Well, that’s hit or miss depending on the audio. There are some that are fun and some that are maybe some very difficult moments in my life, so hey, have fun with it.”