Ariana Madix might be known for her poker face, but even she couldn’t hide her emotional reaction to one of the most dramatic moments in this season of Love Island USA.
As the host of the Peacock series, Madix is accustomed to delivering tough news to the Islanders, but one particular moment this season left her feeling shaken.
The Dramatic Moment That Stunned Ariana Madix
Madix, 40, who is hosting the show for the second time this summer, had to maintain her composure when she was tasked with delivering a tough blow to the Islanders. “I don’t always get a lot of [happy moments] because usually when I come in, it’s stressful,” Madix shared with PEOPLE. “They see me coming and they know bad news is potentially coming.”
However, one moment in particular had Madix struggling to stay neutral as the host. The dramatic recoupling when America voted for the bombshells, followed by the dumping of Charlie Georgio, left her “reeling” for days.
“The recoupling when America voted for the bombshells and the moment that I had to dump Charlie, that was really tough,” she admitted.
Madix had to keep her cool, but behind the scenes, she couldn’t shake the emotional impact of the decision. “I feel like I was reeling from that for — I had to catch up on episodes after that because I wasn’t — I was like, ‘Help, I’m still at the restaurant,'” Madix recalled.
Watching Hannah and Charlie’s Connection Fade
Madix was especially upset to watch the emotional fallout from Charlie’s sudden exit. The connection between Charlie and Hannah Fields had been one of the season’s most captivating, and Madix was rooting for them.
“I loved Hannah and Charlie together,” she shared. “Watching them, I felt like I was watching the second coming of The Notebook that night on the monitors waiting to go in. I just was like, ‘I cannot believe we’re about to recouple them.'”
But when the boys voted to dump Charlie, Madix was left in shock. “I truly did not think they would vote him out,” she said, revealing just how unexpected the turn of events was for her.
What’s Next for Hannah and Charlie?
Though both Charlie and Hannah were separated on the show, there is still hope for the couple in the outside world. Hannah, who was recently dumped from the villa herself, has expressed she’s open to reconnecting with both Charlie and Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez.
“I would like to see how our relationships could play out in the real world,” Hannah told PEOPLE. “It’s really different outside of the villa, and you never know.”
Meanwhile, Charlie isn’t giving up on winning Hannah back. “Let’s see how real it is,” Charlie said, expressing his desire to return to the villa and reclaim his chance with Hannah. “I think it would be great for TV, but also for me, I feel like I was robbed of a real Love Island journey.”
The twists and turns of Love Island USA are keeping viewers on edge, and Ariana Madix is no exception. Whether or not Charlie and Hannah will rekindle their relationship remains to be seen, but the emotional toll of this season’s drama is clear.
Fans can continue to follow the drama on new episodes of Love Island USA every day, except Wednesdays, at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
