Ariana Madix: From ‘Scandoval’ to Love Island USA host

The new season of Love Island USA, premiering Tuesday, welcomes back Vanderpump Rules alum Ariana Madix as host.

Madix, 39, returns to present season seven of the American version of the hit British reality series, where a group of contestants enter a villa in hopes of coupling up and finding love while competing in games and challenges.

The Love Island superfan and reality star first joined the series last year, taking over hosting duties from Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland.

But just a year before stepping into the hosting spotlight, Madix was at the center of reality TV drama herself.

Madix is best known for her longtime role on Bravo’s Vanderpump Rules, which follows a group of employees working at the Hollywood-based restaurants owned by former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump.

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The Florida-born TV personality first appeared as a guest on the debut season of the series in 2013 before becoming a regular cast member in season two. She stayed on the show for the next 10 seasons, alongside her now ex-boyfriend Tom Sandoval, 42.

The two met during the second season and dated for approximately nine years until Sandoval infamously engaged in a six-month-long affair with their Vanderpump Rules co-star Raquel Leviss, 30.

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News of the cheating scandal, dubbed #Scandoval, first broke in March 2023.

At the time, Madix reportedly discovered that Sandoval had been cheating on her with Leviss when she was in Los Angeles to see him perform in his cover band, Tom Sandoval & the Most Extras. During the concert, a racy video sent from Leviss popped up on Sandoval’s phone, which prompted Madix to uncover their history of inappropriate texts, according to People.

Meanwhile, in New York, Leviss and co-star Sheana Shay had just wrapped up an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen that same day, when a source told People that Leviss admitted to Shay the truth about her and Sandoval after the taping.

#Scandoval significantly impacted the series and caused major rifts among the cast, leading several members, including Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, and James Kennedy, to publicly rally around Madix, while Tom Schwartz and on-set jewelry designer Kyle Chan stood by Sandoval.

Days after reports of their infidelity surfaced, both Sandoval and Leviss issued apologies to Madix on social media.

Later during the Vanderpump Rules season 11 finale — which aired in 2024, a year after it was filmed — Madix boldly walked off set after Sandoval attempted to approach her at the cast event in San Francisco.

She has since confirmed that she has no intention of returning to the show or its forthcoming reboot.

“I don’t think I was ever going to go back to Vanderpump Rules. That’s the first time I’ve ever said that publicly, but I was never going to,” Madix admitted in a recent interview with People. “It just didn’t feel right. Not in any sort of rude way, not in a professional, ‘We don’t need this,’ not in a, ‘I’m too good for this’, but it just didn’t feel right.”

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Following her dramatic Vanderpump Rules exit, Madix has since gone on to star in Broadway’s Chicago revival. For eight weeks, beginning in January 2024, she played the lead of Roxie Hart. She later returned to Broadway in the same role for a month-long run in August 2024.

Between her two Broadway stints, season six of Love Island USA premiered with Madix as host.

Speaking to The Associated Press in July 2024 about her first season hosting the reality show, Madix praised the experience, saying: “I love it. I think that there are some things that are so interesting about this show in comparison to other reality shows where there are cameras everywhere.

“I enjoy how unpredictable it is,” she added. “It does not feel like work at all.”

Season seven of Love Island USA premieres June 3 on Peacock at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Episodes will release daily thereafter, except on Wednesdays.