‘Love Island’ USA host Ariana Madix reacts to her first Emmy nomination ahead of Season 8 finale
While all ‘Love Island’ USA fans are eagerly waiting for the Peacock show’s finale, the host, Ariana Madix, has earned a notable accolade. ‘Vanderpump Rules’ alum has received her first Emmy nomination for Best Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program. The news broke with the recent 2026 Emmy nominations reveal, but since she has been in Fiji, currently filming the dating show’s eighth season, she was initially unaware of it. In her latest interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she opened up about the moment she learned the news: “I was dead asleep. It was 4:30 in the morning here. And my room phone, not my cell phone, started ringing, and as an anxious person, that is terrifying. So I ran over to answer the phone, worried that something bad had happened. And it was my team calling to tell me about it and to congratulate, and we were all so excited on the phone.”
Ariana noted that she was still half asleep when she received the call and heard the news because she “went back to sleep almost wondering if that had really just happened.” However, when she later realized it was not a dream but had actually happened, she was “so over the moon” about being nominated for the category. Along with her, notable personalities have also been nominated, including RuPaul Charles (for ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’), Alan Cumming (for ‘The Traitors’), Jeff Probst (for ‘Survivor’), and Kristen Kish (for ‘Top Chef’). Ariana reflected on the fellow nominees and shared that it was a “really crazy and amazing and cool feeling” to see the people she calls her TV heroes. ‘Love Island’ USA host added, “I know there’s kind of this joke that people make of it’s just an honor to be nominated, but it is so true. It’s such a huge honor to be nominated, especially to be nominated in the category where these are people who are the absolute best at what they do.”
Ariana Madix’s journey with the Peacock show began in 2003, when she started hosting from Season 6. Over the years, the show has become a fan favorite and gained massive popularity across the U.S. Even before joining the Peacock show, Ariana had been sharing her love for the franchise, which is why being nominated for her first-ever Emmy, for the show she has loved so much, felt “extra special.” “I think part of the reason why maybe people wanted to see me nominated in this category is hopefully that they can see my love for the job and my love for the show translate on the screen. At least I hope so,” she noted.
Soon, she will be celebrating the big moment of her career with her team at a “lovely beach bar” in Fiji. “The hotel that this beach bar is at, there are some really amazing, beautiful people who work there. I promised them the last time I was over there that we would do the Zara Larsson ‘Lush Life’ dance together. And I think tonight I’m going to make that happen,” she added. Fans can enjoy the upcoming 78th Emmy Awards on September 14 at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on NBC and can also livestream it on Peacock.
