How is ‘Love Island’ USA winner decided? Inside the voting process, 100K prize and one huge twist
Long-time ‘Love Island’ USA fans know how the winners of the Peacock dating show are decided. For new fans looking to learn more about the voting process, how it works, and the one big twist, here are all the details. Throughout the show, fans play a crucial role, as their votes determine the Islanders’ futures. Sometimes they can save an islander; other times, they can send someone home, or even let their favorite couple stay longer in the Villa. The final vote is the most important one, as viewers decide which couple will be crowned the winners. A combination of Villa decisions and fan votes determines which couples make it to the finale and, ultimately, the winning couple.
After the winners are announced, there's one huge twist that new fans might not be aware of. The winning prize is $100K, which is kept in an envelope. However, there are two envelopes: one containing the prize money and the other, empty. The person who receives the envelope containing the cash is then asked whether they want to split the prize with their partner or keep it all. ‘Love Island’ USA Season 7 featured four finalist couples, including Nic-Olandria, Iris-Pepe, Amaya-Bryan, and Huda-Chris. The winning couple was Amaya and Bryan. After Bryan’s envelope turned out to be the one full of cash, he decided to split it with Amaya. The pair became the first bombshell/Casa Amor Islander couple to win the show.
While there have been no instances in which the winner decided to steal the money and keep it all to themselves, one came close. It happened during the ‘Love Island’ USA Season 5 finale. After discovering his envelope contained the cash prize, Marco Donatelli briefly considered keeping it. During his September 2023 interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer, he shared, “I wanted to take all 100 and double it, then give her 100. I knew there would be a tax on it. I said it about 10 times, and they cut it out every single time. But no, I had to split it, but I really did want to take 100 and double it and then give her 100. So, we're going to rock with just splitting the 50. We'll double it from here.”
Season 6 saw Serena Page and Kordell Beckham win the title. After splitting the monetary prize, the two decided to save most of their money. Apart from the monetary prize, participants gain much wider recognition, and many of their social media accounts see a significant increase in followers. In addition, they receive endorsement opportunities after their win on the show. Season 8 is heading toward its next major Villa shake-up following the Casa Amor twist and recent recoupling. Fans are set to witness the highly anticipated Movie Night, which is expected to shake the villa and the currently coupled-up Islanders.
