Leah Kateb defended her decision to remain celibate for several years before joining season 6 of Love Island USA.
“[When I joined the show], I was just like, ‘I am having fun.’ I hadn’t had sex in like two years,'” Leah, 26, recalled in Us’ exclusive sneak peek of the Tuesday, August 11, episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “I was just like, ‘I am ready to get the f*** up out of there.'”
When asked by host Amanda Hirsch what made her not have sex for years, Leah replied, “Because I just didn’t want to. I feel like I was in a place in my life where I am like, ‘I am really over men. Why am I going to keep ruining my body and letting them have the time of their life?’ No, I am over it.”
Leah didn’t expect for her situation to change going into the villa.
“I didn’t think I was going to have sex with anyone. That is not my vibe,” she continued. “I am not a crazy sexual person. [I joined the show because] I was bored and had no plans.”
Season 6 of Love Island USA, which aired in 2024, took Us on a journey as Leah initially formed a romantic connection with Rob Rausch. After recoupling, Leah and Rob explored other people and ultimately never fully rekindled their relationship. Instead, Leah found love with Miguel Harichi, whom she has been dating for two years now.
Leah previously called out alleged attempts made by one Love Island USA producer who tried to manipulate her and Miguel behind the scenes.
“I didn’t think that I wanted to return back to reality TV for a really long time. I don’t think it was ever a final note at all [though]. That’s a really big thing that people mistook what I said when I said I wouldn’t be on Love Island Games,” she noted on a July 2025 episode of Tommy DiDario’s “I’ve Never Said This Before” podcast. “They called me right after I got out the villa. [But] I didn’t want to work with certain producers on Love Island USA again just because of my personal experience and what they have said to me.”
Leah denied that her issues had to do with how she was portrayed on the show.”I don’t even care about [the villain edit]. It’s my experience that I had outside of that was not positive. It was certain producers that I wouldn’t work with again. That’s all I meant,” she continued. “I love Peacock and I love NBC. I honestly love a lot of the producers that were on Love Island USA as well. It was just a few people that were not very respectful and I feel like they took a lot of advantage.”
At the time, the reality star explained that producers on Love Island USA “pull you aside” and “check in” as Islanders are looking for a connection. “During those check-ins, they would be like, ‘Oh, Miguel told me that he doesn’t see a future with you outside of this,'” she alleged.
“When I told Miguel he was like, ‘I literally never said that,’” she explained. “They were trying to shove me in a different direction — away from Miguel — because they thought that would be the craziest reality TV moment. But I’m a human being with feelings. They were also saying the same things to Miguel. It was the same producer. While he was in Casa, he was told, ‘You don’t know what Leah’s doing over there.'”
Leah said she was grateful their connection withstood being on reality TV.
“Miguel and I were into each other enough that we didn’t even care about the things that they were saying. Obviously we weren’t as close as we are now, but I feel like we just got each other,” she gushed. “That that such a big thing that we were able to just trust each other.”
The full episode of the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast with Leah goes live on Tuesday, August 11, at midnight PST.
