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Ariana Madix Shares Thoughts on the Wild Casa Amor Recouplings

Casa Amor may be over, but drama in the villa is just beginning and Ariana Madix is here for it. 

By Clara Faulkner

From jaw-dropping re-couplings that left hearts racing to heart-wrenching betrayals that shook the villa, Love Island Season 6 host Ariana Madix has been at the center of every twist and turn, expertly navigating the drama.

Casa Amor, the infamous twist that tests the strength of relationships by introducing new islanders to tempt the contestants, hit the villa and it was a doozy in Season 6. Now Madix is discussing how she's steered the drama, supported the girls, reprimanded the boys, and is maintaining order in the villa. 

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In the wake of the recent drama that occurred at Casa Amor, Ariana sat down with Maura Higgins on Aftersun to discuss her strategy for navigating the rest of the season and preparing for the upcoming movie night.

Ariana Madix on Kaylor and Aaron after Casa Amor

Closeup of Ariana Madix

Ariana opened up about the recent events in the villa, reflecting on the intense emotions and unexpected moments that unfolded.

"The recoupling was obviously wild," she told Higgins. "But going into Casa I was so excited. Well first of all, I got to hang out with the girls a lot longer than what you saw."

Higgins then shifted the conversation to the unexpected recoupling between Kaylor Martin and Aaron Evans. For those unfamiliar, Kaylor had chosen to stay single after seeing a video of her partner, Aaron, fooling around with another girl in Casa. Aaron, meanwhile, returned to the villa hoping for a reunion with her. Ariana shared her candid thoughts on the situation, reflecting on her earlier predictions and the surprising turn of events. 

"At that time, I did not," she admitted. "Earlier on in the season, I thought, 'Oh, Casa's going to be make or break, could be really rough for Kaylor and Aaron.' And then leading up to it, I thought, 'Actually, I think things are going to go really well.' Boy, was I wrong."

During their time in Casa Amor, Aaron developed a connection with Daniela Ortiz Rivera. The girls back at the villa received a text from Casa showing a video of Aaron getting close with the bombshell, despite his supposed commitment to Kaylor. When asked about the ensuing drama, Ariana mentioned that such shady situations can sometimes unfold.

"You should be getting to know people," Ariana continued. "I feel like it would be suspicious if you acted really closed off with the girls. The fact he kept repeating that handshake with Daniela, it was almost like he just transferred his relationship with Kaylor right onto Daniela, just like that."

Reflecting on the situation, Ariana shared her concerns, saying, "It gives you answers. If someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. And I just hope Kaylor sticks to her guns, but I think she's going to fold and go back to Aaron. It really worries me." 

She recounted how Aaron's immediate proximity to Kaylor after she declared her intention to stay single surprised her.

"The way he immediately sat next to her after she said she was going to remain single — I separated them," Ariana added with a scoff. "I could not believe he was going to try to do that."

Ariana Madix on the girls in the villa after Casa Amor

Closeup of Ariana Madix

Whether she's rearranging seats or giving advice in the villa, one thing is certain: Ariana stands by the girls, through and through. 

Reflecting on the season, Ariana expressed her admiration, saying, "I love them. I think they're so strong. I think that is my favorite thing about this entire season, this group of girls, they are so strong."

She recalled the intense moments, adding: "Watching them go through getting that text message, watching that video. It was so hard. Sat around that fire pit when Liv [Walker] was sitting there giving it to every one of the boys. I love her."

There have been standout moments during this season that showcase just how close the girls are, from Liv standing up for everyone to Serena [Page] backing Leah [Kateb]. One memorable instance was when Liv started a Conga line around the fire, and Madix joined in, highlighting the fun the girls have been having together.

"That was Liv's idea. Once she started, she invited me to join, and I was not going to say no."

"She's incredible. When she said she was worried she was too much, you are never too much. If you are too much for someone, they can go find less," Madix concluded.

Ariana hints at more drama ahead of Love Island USA Season 6 movie night

Love Island Usa's Ariana Madix poses on a couch

Similar to Kaylor and Aaron, drama unfolded in the villa with Serena Page and Kordell Beckham, who have been coupled together since day one of the villa."Of course, I was really rooting for her and Kordell. I really loved their banter with each other and their jokes. I felt like they were getting to a really good place. She was finally feeling safe to let her guard down, which I totally understand," Ariana reflected.

However, Kordell's actions in Casa Amor left Serena with false aspirations about their relationship. He returned to the villa with a new bombshell, Catherine, which deeply impacted Serena and the dynamics within the villa.

"Ultimately, I think that Kordell is a sweet person, but him being 22, I think that the immaturity is really showing. I think that is just Kordell's age," she continued, analyzing the situation.

"My other problem is these boys bringing other girls back to the villa and then acting sheepish when they get confronted with their choices. The Casa girls have not done anything wrong, they've done exactly what they've come to do," Ariana added, highlighting her frustrations with the boys' behavior and defending the Casa girls' intentions.

"I would be like, 'I'm going to just go if you're not going to say you really like me and you brought me back here for a reason,'" Ariana remarked.

She continued to express empathy for the Casa girls who faced uncertainty from the boys after being brought back to the villa.

"You know, as soon as one said they were going, they all wanted to do it together," Ariana observed.

"We have so many things that these Islanders need to see. We're going to need lots of popcorn," Ariana chuckled, looking forward to the drama and revelations expected during the upcoming movie night.

"People got to go, there's only so many beds. Another fan vote will determine who stays," she mentioned, alluding to the upcoming elimination process.

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