SUR-prise: Ariana Madix is entering the villa.
The Vanderpump Rules star is set to make a special guest appearance on the fifth season of Love Island USA, Peacock announced July 11. The Bravolebrity will head to Fiji to surprise the new cast of 10 sexy singles during week two of the dating competition, which will air daily starting July 18.
As VPR fans surely remember, Madix's ex Tom Sandoval—whose months-long affair with their costar Raquel Leviss came to light in March—infamously criticized her for spending hours binging Love Island amid their breakup.
Madix teased she was getting the last laugh in a July 9 TikTok video in which she mouthed, "This week, a hot new bombshell enters the villa," accompanied by the caption, "Islanders: ready to shake things up? Don't worry, I don't bite #LoveIslandUSA @peacock."
And now it's official.
In addition to the special guest, the series is seeing some returning names, with host Sarah Hyland and narrator Iain Stirling back for season five.
News of Madix's Love Island debut is just the latest addition to her growing post-Scandoval portfolio. Last week, the 38-year-old revealed she's joining season 32 of Dancing With the Stars this fall after filming season 11 of Vanderpump Rules wraps.
Madix announced the ballroom gig in a July 7 Instagram video alongside DWTS judge Derek Hough, who made a subtle joke about the Scandoval cheating controversy by saying, "That's right, say 'goodbye' to the drama and 'hello' to the dance floor," before the two shouted in unison, "Let's dance!"
Keep reading to meet Love Island USA's new cast of season five men and women heading to Fiji to find love in the hopes of winning a cash prize.
The new season of Love Island USA premieres on Peacock July 18 with new episodes dropping every day at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET during premiere week. New episodes will then drop every day thereafter except Wednesdays.
Age: 22
Hometown: Youngstown, OH
Currently Lives: Boca Raton, FL
Occupation: Chiropractic Student
Fast Facts:
Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, Marco was always the troublemaker known for being unapologetically brash (and he likes it that way). He has no trouble scoring dates and his phone is always buzzing with texts and DM's from single ladies, and while he won't always answer, he loves the game of being pursued.
His celebrity crush is Sommer Ray.
He says his dating age range is "19 to question mark" — he's open to any age.
He gets a manicure & pedicure once a month.
He is a former college football player.
Tired of the usual hook-up scene, Marco wants to find someone family-oriented to build a future with.
Age: 22
Hometown: Zachary, LA
Currently Lives: Fort Worth, TX
Occupation: Real Estate Student
Fast Facts:
Kassy has roots from Peru and Mexico City and has lived in Texas since her junior year of high school.
She's someone who falls in love easily but always chooses the wrong guys. She even went as far as getting a tattoo on her bottom lip to get a guy's attention.
She once partied with rapper Swae Lee.
She is a big fan of adult bedtime stories.
She is very spiritual and loves crystals.
She claims to be great at doing impressions of other people.
Age: 21
Hometown: West Hartford, CT
Currently Lives: West Hartford, CT
Occupation: Salesman
Fast Facts:
Leonardo has always been pushed to be the best, as he grew up in a very competitive family. His twin sister currently plays soccer at Yale, his older brother played baseball at UMass-Amherst, and Leonardo himself was a Division I baseball player.
Believes he is single because he can "see a red flag from a mile away."
His celebrity crush is Eva Mendes.
Leonardo thinks men these days have trouble getting women because they rely on cheesy pickup lines. He instead relies on eye contact, his funny sayings, and the fact that he is fluent in Spanish to get dates.
Age: 27
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
Currently Lives: Florissant, MO
Occupation: Microbiologist
Fast Facts:
Destiny has Native American and African American roots and is proud of her Southern heritage. Born and raised in St. Louis, she loves the midwest and has always been close with her parents, especially her superwoman mom who raised kids while pursuing a career.
She claims to be an "Alpha" dater — she calls all the shots.
She put sugar in her ex's gas tank because he ignored her calls.
She has never been rejected by any guy she wants to go after.
She wants a husband like Drake.
She loves Southern men and tries all types, but tall guys truly catch her eye. She is ready to find her equal, her last missing puzzle piece in life.
Age: 28
Hometown: Madrid, Spain
Currently Lives: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Student/ Wrestler
Fast Facts:
Born in Spain, Victor grew up in a traditional family with two parents and a sister. His first passion in life was wrestling, and he competed for many years, eventually earning a scholarship in the United States.
He won a National Wrestling Championship in Spain.
His celebrity crush is Emma Watson.
He is currently writing a romantic novel.
He plays rugby in addition to wrestling.
He has been asked to work children parties as Aquaman, and while the job is fun, he says it can get a bit awkward, especially when the moms will want to take more pictures with him than their kids do.
Age: 22
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Currently Lives: St. Barthelemy & Boca Raton, FL
Occupation: Criminal Justice Student
Fast Facts:
Anna's dad is a detective with the Boca Raton Police Department, and she aspires to follow in his footsteps. When it comes to dating, Anna isn't afraid to look up potential suitors just to make sure they aren't career criminals.
She describes herself as "a walking red flag" — she is known for falling in love with a guy and then falling in love with another one just as quickly.
Her celebrity crushes are Miles Teller, Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny.
She can tell if a guy likes her right away, based on the tone in his voice.
She loves to go after guys who all the other girls like.
With her "type" truly being all over the place, Anna plans on mingling with every hot guy she can and hopes to drive them all crazy with her bubbly blonde personality. If a prospective guy whom she likes starts talking to another girl, we just may see Anna's jealous side come out.
Age: 23
Hometown: Cottage Grove, MN
Currently Lives: Madison, SD
Occupation: Dairy Queen Manager
Fast Facts:
Bergie grew up in a small town in Minnesota, where his nickname was practically a family heirloom. Both his dad and grandpa are also known as "Bergie" in their hometown.
His longest relationship in college lasted for 10 months.
He remembers even the smallest details from meeting someone once.
Zendaya is his celebrity crush.
He competed in a body building competition.
Bergie wants to find a woman who shares the same values as him. He also likes tall girls, which he claims provide "more to cuddle with." Bergie is a hopeless romantic ready to give his heart to the woman of his dreams. He even keeps a journal with love letters to his future wife.
Age: 25
Hometown: Palestine, TX
Currently Lives: Palestine, TX
Occupation: Travel Nurse
Fast Facts:
Vickala aka"Kay Kay" is an East Texas native who says her upbringing was anything but "city girl." From cruising through the mud on four-wheelers to riding horses in the streets with no saddle, she describes her upbringing as "down and dirty" in the best way possible.
She recently was dating a man whom she thought was "The One" — until she found out he had a wife and two kids.
She bartended her way through nursing school.
A$AP Rocky is her celebrity crush.
She adjusts her dating profile location to hundreds of miles away for a better selection of men, and is willing to drive over 4 hours for a date. She admits she can get jealous in a relationship.
Age: 23
Hometown: Washington, DC
Currently Lives: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Student
Fast Facts:
Keenan's first love is football, not only for the game itself, but for the confidence it instilled in him during high school. Admittedly, Keenan has never truly settled down, since football takes up too much of his time and emotional energy to invest in anything else.
His celebrity crush is Mariah the Scientist.
He's a great cook.
He once called out a girl for catfishing him.
Age: 24
Hometown: Mount Morris, IL
Currently Lives: Nashville, TN
Occupation: Trauma Stepdown ICU Nurse
Fast Facts:
Growing up in the small town of Mount Morris, her childhood was spent on the backroads with friends trying to find fun things to do in their one-horse town.
After a falling out with a recent boyfriend, Jasmine packed her bags and moved to Nashville to start fresh. Tired of the games, she's ready to settle down with someone who takes care of themselves and doesn't take life too seriously.
Her preferred type is a man with dark hair and tattoos, and while it's not a prerequisite, she usually dates guys with tattoos.
She is a self-proclaimed "Queen of Talking Game."
Her celebrity crush is Ashton Kutcher.
She can pick up large items with her toes, including a hairbrush.
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