Ariana Madix was just as surprised as the rest of Us after viewers voiced their collective concern the former Vanderpump Rules star wouldn’t be returning to host Love Island USA.
“I do [see that]. And obviously I can’t speak yet to what’s going to be happening next season,” Ariana, 42, exclusively told Us while promoting her partnership with Orgain. “We did announce already that I will be hosting Love Island Games next year.”
While Ariana “can’t say anything that speaks to” plans for season 9 of Love Island USA, she was curious about the fans’ fears.
“I do wonder about that sometimes. [People on social media have] been saying that every year, and I always wonder where that comes from,” she noted of the online speculation. “I have seen comments online that say there’s some sort of two-year thing and I’ve always wondered where did that [rumor] come from?”
Ariana has appreciated the outpouring of love amid the concern.
“But you know what? It is really nice because so many of those comments will be so positive in the sense that they’re wondering because they’re hoping that I will be back. So that’s really great,” she added. “But yeah, nothing’s been said. So I don’t know where they come up with that.”
The reality star joined the hit Peacock dating series during season 6 after exiting Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, bringing a surge of new viewers to the show. She recently earned her first Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program.
After season 8 concluded earlier this summer, Ariana addressed a social media comment asking whether this was her “last season hosting.”
Ariana swiftly shut down the speculation, replying in July, “Why would it be.”
For now, Ariana is focused on hosting the upcoming Love Island USA reunion with Andy Cohen, which will stream on Peacock on August 31.
“I think it’s going to be so great because I’m really, really looking forward to asking them what’s been going on the last few weeks and having them give us all the updates,” she told Us, while acknowledging the current silence from the Islanders on social media. “It is hard for me to keep up when everything is out there. I want to be able to keep up because, of course, I want to be able to ask the best questions.”
Ariana will then host season 3 of Love Island Games, so Peacock viewers will have to wait for news about the future of the franchise. Before Love Island USA returns, however, the casting producers need to find their next hopefuls.
After an application officially opened up for season 9, Ariana offered some advice to those aiming to get a spot in the villa.
“It sounds cliché, but be your most authentic self,” she said. “It is the best way to succeed on the show in any way, shape or form. To succeed with the other Islanders, to find love in the villa and for people [in] the audience to connect with you.”
With Ariana’s schedule continuing to fill up, she is still aiming to prioritize her wellness and has teamed up with Orgain for its plant-based protein powder, which has become part of her morning routine.
“This has been such an easy alignment because this is something that I do every day. It was something I was doing every day leading up to going to Fiji,” she explained to Us. “I — no joke — had to have someone bring tubs of it to Fiji so that I could continue on my protein iced coffee routine in the morning.”
Madix loved incorporating Orgain before her workouts. “When I first got back from Fiji, of course, I was jet-lagged. I was struggling a little bit in [those] first few days to get back into my routine, and now I’m back,” she says. “So I have my 21 grams of protein in my iced coffee every morning. I know myself, so I know that I’m not going to get up in the morning and make an elaborate smoothie and mess up my kitchen and do all of that before I head out the door.”
The TV personality is thrilled to have found the product.
“My schedule is so different every day. So I know that if I can just start with that 21 grams of protein, I’m already at a headstart for hitting my goals for the day,” she told Us. “Obviously, I love to work out, I love to lift weights, and if I’m not getting enough protein within that and I’m not hitting the right things for my diet, then I’m not going to build the muscle. And that’s really important to me. So this is the perfect thing to fit into my day for me.”
