Courtesy of Deadline
The final four couples from Season 7 of Love Island.Imagine a sun-soaked villa tucked away in a glamorous Fiji location with neon lights glowing at night, a sparkling pool in the center and lounge chairs perfectly arranged for chats. This was the setting of the seventh season of “Love Island USA,” the reality dating show and one of the world’s latest pop culture crazes.
“Love Island USA” premiered in 2019, introducing American audiences to a villa full of romance, games and drama. Inspired by “Love Island UK,” each season is filmed during the summer months and lasts about six to eight weeks, with new episodes airing almost daily on Peacock.
The participants of the show, dubbed “Islanders,” live together in a luxurious villa under cameras 24/7, cut off from the outside world — no phones, no clocks, no way to know even the time or day. Over the seasons, the show has moved around the globe, from Las Vegas to Hawaii to, most recently, Fiji.
Each season’s competition begins with 10 single Islanders, who must pair up with each other in order to prevent elimination — any Islander not in a couple by the end of each week must leave the villa immediately.
However, the show introduces a drama-filled spin with the use of “bombshells.” These single Islanders enter the villa and have the sole purpose of breaking up existing couples, escalating tensions between Islanders who have developed deep connections with each other.
To win, a couple must receive the most votes from viewers in the final episode; the winning couple is awarded $100,000. In a final twist, the couple is given the choice to either split up or keep the money, which is when they find out: Were they in it for love or in it for the money?
“Love Island USA” Season 7 achieved remarkable success and quickly became one of the most talked-about seasons in the franchise. When it premiered in June, it not only built on the momentum of the previous season but also reached new heights, becoming the most-watched original series on Peacock to date. Over its 6-week run, the season amassed a staggering 18.4 billion minutes viewed, with nearly half of the audience (49%) being new viewers.
Beyond the numbers, what really made Season 7 stand out were the Islanders themselves.
Despite not winning, fitness influencer Huda Mustafa quickly became the face of the season, emerging as the most followed contestant with 4.7 million followers on Instagram and an equally impressive 6.3 million followers on TikTok. Huda’s bold personality and dramatic moments made her stand out among fans.
At first, many, including myself, saw her as the villa’s “mean girl” because of her outspoken outbursts. Personally, I felt that her confidence and fiery attitude made her unlikable, but a redemption arc later in the season revealed a more relatable and vulnerable side that made her easier to root for. Huda, who is the first contestant to enter the villa as a mother, brought a unique and different perspective to the show.
For me, one of the season’s most unforgettable moments came when she revealed to another Islander, Nic Vansteenberghe, that she has a daughter. It was during this interaction that Nic delivered the now-iconic “Mamacita” line, which quickly went viral on social media. Nic’s playful response of, “Mommy? Mamacita?” was both humorous and catchy, garnering the attention of many viewers.
Amaya Espinal, who won the season with Bryan Arenales, also experienced significant social media growth. I was initially drawn to her bubbly and authentic personality and the viral “Sensitive Gangster” catchphrase. Amaya also deeply resonated with viewers, earning her an endearing nickname of “Amaya Papaya.”
Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen — often referred to together as Nicolandria — were impossible to ignore this season. From the very beginning, I was rooting for them to be together, even though Nic was coupled up with Cierra Ortega for the majority of the season.
After Cierra was removed from the villa due to previous inappropriate remarks that resurfaced, Nic and Olandria finally had the opportunity to couple up with each other. I was excited to finally see Nic and Olandria get their chance — honestly, I thought their connection felt extremely genuine and it was a heartwarming romance.
I know some fans have been skeptical, thinking their romance might be a PR stunt, but on screen, their chemistry was palpable and I enjoyed watching their story unfold.
A month after the finale, the season reunion, which aired on Aug. 25, brought all the villa drama back to the spotlight, especially with the top four couples of the season: Amaya and Bryan, Nic and Olandria, Iris and Pepe and Huda and Chris.
Tensions flared as Huda faced off against Chelley Bissainthe and Olandria Carthen — I found the confrontation to be intense but also inevitable, but the resulting fallout in their friendships was surprising to me because they had seemed really close in the villa.
Despite backlash on social media, with fans labeling this season as unauthentic, Season 7 of “Love Island USA” is still worth watching for anyone who enjoys dramatic, entertaining reality TV. The villa drama, unforgettable moments and standout personalities made it entertaining from start to finish, and it is a season I will remember forever.
