Love Island USA has certainly raised a few eyebrows and had a whole lot of people talking on social media this summer.
Based on the British dating series of the same name, the series has come a long way in terms of viewership and its fan base since its debut season in 2019.
Now in its fifth season, the series follows current contestants Imani, Destiny, Carmen, Kenzo, Matia, Johnnie, Kassy, Bergie, Hannah, Marco, Zay, and Leonardo as they "couple up" until the end for a grand cash prize, which of course may lead to a mega-successful Influencing career. And with the stakes so high, producers for the series also chucked in Scott van-der-Sluis, a previous contestant from the British version of the show, for good measure.
And with one of the best dating series casts so far, Love Island USA has undoubtedly been filled with more drama, chaos, controversy and ground-breaking firsts than ever before, which has kept the British public going after season ten of the UK version came to an end earlier this summer.
Say hello to All Stars, the new dating show landing on our screens this winter.
Regularly a trending topic on Twitter, this season of Love Island USA has been engulfed in widespread commentary and discussion ranging from its same-sex coupling to its host, Modern Family star Sarah Hyland, accused of "disrespect" by an Islander. So, if you feel a little left behind and want to jump in on all the mayhem that has people switching from Love Island UK to Love Island US, read ahead for all the key moments so far.
The first same-sex relationship in the Love Island USA villa confirmed
After declaring their feelings and mutual attraction for one another, Kassy Castillo and Johnnie Garcia sealed the deal with a kiss. "I obviously find you attractive, I just didn't know if you felt the attraction too. I just wanted to know if you were seeing that," Kassy, said, with Johnnie responding: "B****, I been seeing it, what do you mean?"
Kassy hesitantly asked Johnnie whether she was joking about her feelings, to which she replied she wasn't.
Johnnie added: "I like people that bring out a fun side in me, and I feel fun when I'm with you. I feel comfortable when I'm with you. Those aren't things you often find in people where you're [on the island] – you get to be somebody else when you're with them."
Viewers were thrilled for the new couple, with one person tweeting: "I need Kassie & Johnnie to couple up so we can give them the money. We win all these lame dudes leave empty handed #LoveIslandUSA."
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Sarah Hyland accused of being disrespectful
During a recoupling ceremony, Sarah was taken aback when contestant Mike Stark accused her of being "mad disrespectful". The comment came when the actress asked Vickala Gray if she was positive about her decision to leave the show with her partner Keenan Anunay after he received the fewest votes from the public. However, the question did not sit well with Mike, who blasted her in front of everyone.
"Why are you saying it like that?" he asked. Sarah, who was clearly stunned, turned to face him and asked: “Me?”
"Yeah. You sounded mad disrespectful," he reiterated. Sarah remained composed while stating: "I'm being disrespectful? Okay then."
Who knew she was such a stan?
While another one of the boys quickly apologised to Sarah on behalf of Mike, viewers also leapt to Sarah's defence, with one person penning: "Mike is a clown for coming at Sarah hyland like that. Who does he think he is?? She asked a reasonable question and he's trying to have some solidarity moment with Keenan 😩😭 that was disrespectful af #LoveIslandUSA."
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Another asked: WHO ARE THESE CHILDREN THAT KEEP DISRESPECTING @Sarah_Hyland!? #LoveIslandUSA," while a third added: "Sarah Hyland is NOT there to be contradicted. She is an american treadure MIKE #loveislandusa."
Ariana Madix's guest cameo goes down a treat
Love Island USA pulled out all the stops for a guest cameo by Vanderpumps Rules star Ariana Madix. Months after the world watched her massive heartbreak and betrayal on her show when she found her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval was cheating on her with her then-good friend Rachel Leviss, the reality star certainly knows a thing or two when it comes to navigating the world of love in a public space.
During her cameo, she also threw a little shade at her ex as she introduced a challenge. "I can't wait to see who's actually been taking the time to get to know one another," she said. "Take it from me, it's important to know who you're dating or sharing a bed with. And if they're not the one for you, trust me, it's better to find out sooner rather than later."
Viewers were also thrilled with Ariana's appearance, with one person tweeting: "Ariana been living her best life since Tom cheated on her 🤣🔥#LoveIslandUSA."
She went down such a treat with another person, who declared: "Petition for Ariana Madix to host #LoveIslandUSA #LoveIsland permanently."
Love Island USA airs on ITV2 and streams on ITVX. The episodes have been airing two weeks after the US, so try to avoid spoilers online if you can!
