Ariana Madix has been at the heart of Peacock‘s Love Island USA amid the Peacock dating series’ breaking out in Season 6.
The former Vanderpump Rules star was in attendance of Deadline Contenders TV, where she explained her evolution as a host.
“It’s funny because so many things about it do feel like riding a bike,” she said. “You know, we get to kind of reunite with our whole crew. There’s like 400 people that put this show together in such a short amount of time, it feels like a bit of a reunion when we first get back [to the villa].”
Madix knows what it’s like to be at the center of the drama on a reality series, which allows her to connect with the Islanders in a unique way.
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“As somebody who’s been on the other side of things on a reality show, I feel like I have a unique position where I do know what it’s like to be on that side, and I do know how nerve-racking it can be,” she said. “And I think for these Islanders to be able to come into the villa, they’re so vulnerable, they really show us so many sides of themselves, and we’re all so grateful for it. I’m honoring that they’re able to do that is if they do feel a little bit of like a sense of safety. And when I come in, of course, I come in a lot of times, bringing some very scary or bad news at times. But I always want them to know that even if it’s a little bit scary, that I’m on their side.”
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Madix walks a fine line between connecting with Islanders and being the host of the show.
“It was even more important for me to bring myself to that role as host and to feel more comfortable speaking with them, because you also don’t want to get in trouble for talking to them too much,” she said. “But at the same time, I want them to know that when I’m coming in, I want them to feel OK. So I think going into Season 7, it was very important for me to show even more of that empathy that I have for them, for them to know that I’m laughing along with them and things like that. Because I think you know it is a fine line of you need to have that authority as a host.”
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With the summer approaching and the heat turning up, Madix is prepping for the new season and shared her excitement about going back to the villa in Fiji with a whole new crop of Islanders.
“I’m really excited to get back to Fiji with everybody on the whole team,” she said. “I’m excited to see who these Islanders are going to be. I feel like it’s such a lightning moment, because they cast the best people, but until they’re all in a room together, you actually have no idea how it’s all going to come together, what sparks are going to fly.”
She continued: “So I’m very, very excited. The show is — yes, it’s fun and it’s sexy and it’s bright colors and it’s flashy, but by the end of the summer, I’ve fallen in love with like, 10 to 15 to 20 people, and getting to watch them have this best summer of their lives and open themselves up to me, the world, all of us, is really a gift. And I’m so grateful I have the best job in the world.”
Check back Monday for the panel video.
