#’Love Island’ Host Arielle Vandenberg on Heading to Hawaii for Season 3 and Wedding Planning

CBS’s summer romantic reality series is heading back to an island for its third season (after the second landed on the strip in Las Vegas), and viewers can expect more love, drama, and even a waterfall — in Hawaii.

Love Island returns on Wednesday, July 7, with a new group of single “Islanders” looking for love in a stunning villa — and dealing with the ultimate temptation of Casa Amor, as well as new games and challenges to test and strengthen couples’ relationships. The singles have to win over not only each other but also the viewers, who can shape events on screen and ultimately crown one couple the winner.

In addition to episodes airing Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays on CBS, 15 hours of exclusive content will be available to stream on Paramount+.

Arielle Vandenberg is back as host, and she teases what to expect, and updates us on her and Matt Cutshall’s wedding plans.

Love Island is almost back to dominate our TVs this summer! After two seasons of this, what have you seen that makes it work as an almost daily show?

Arielle Vandenberg: We’re really watching these people in real time make friends, fall in love and meet new people. It’s like a never-ending journey and you get to just watch their entire lives unfold and it’s so fun.

What makes Hawaii the right spot for Season 3?

We’re actually on an island this time. [Laughs] Hence the title. It’s so nice actually being on an island, feeling the island energy. And it’s just so beautiful here. Also, the villa that we have this season is insane. There’s a waterfall coming out of the side of it. It’s seriously a bananas house. It’s perfect.

What’s the same in Season 3 and what’s new?

You’re going to get Casa Amor back, which is my personal favorite. Obviously, we’ve got a whole new hot cast of Islanders. And then something else that is new is that we’re gonna have some steamy scenes, that we couldn’t put on the broadcast, on Paramount+. So lots of extra content, which I’m excited for.

How do you think the Islanders, who know what to expect from the show, might shake things up this season?

The Islanders know what the show is. They know that they have to put their best foot forward in certain situations and just be very open when they’re going on [about] who they are. They don’t know when they’re coming in, if that makes sense. They could be thrown into Casa Amor. They could be part of the first lineup. Whatever role they get put into, they just gotta be open and ready to play.

As time goes on, the Islanders know from watching previous seasons, “I can be this person. I can be my true self on the show.” I’m looking forward to just meeting the whole new cast of Islanders and being able to see their personalities come out. That’s the best part.

With your experience hosting the show, what have you noticed about the Islanders when it comes to love? Is there anything anyone is or isn’t keeping in mind that you think they should, other than being themselves?

I think just being open to the whole experience, because obviously, this is not a normal everyday scenario that you’re just trapped in a house with a bunch of people that you’ve never met. So being open to finding love and finding new friendships and letting those things just blossom naturally, because they don’t have their phones, they don’t have other distractions. And I think it’s important even for viewers to go, “Wow, I should be more open. I should go outside my comfort zone. I should talk to that guy that I think is cute” or whatever it is. Just being more open to the possibilities of love is what I think people can take away from the show and the Islanders definitely take away from being in the villa as well.

It’s a good summer show, especially the location this season.

Yeah. I feel like especially having it on pretty much every day, you feel like you’re there with them and you’re living that life with them, which is so cool. And then we have Matthew Hoffman who does the voiceovers for the show. If you watch the show by yourself, you don’t really feel like you are because Matthew feels like he’s sitting right there with you, being the commentator for the show, and he’s incredible.

How’s wedding planning going?

[Laughs] Oh my God, I wish I could say it was going. We have put it on a full pause. First of all, we got engaged right before the pandemic and we didn’t know when this was going to stop, so we kind of put on a pause. But I’m ready to get started. I’m like, “Let’s do this. Should we get married in Hawaii? Maybe we should go to a couple places out here after I’m done shooting and check out some wedding places because it’s so gorgeous here.” I’d love to get married in Hawaii. But yeah, I wish I could say more about that. Right when I started thinking, “OK, we can start planning, things are opening up again,” I started work, so I’m like, dang it. I want this wedding to happen.

Hopefully it happens soon.

Oh, it will. I’m so excited.

Love Island, Season 3 Premiere, Wednesday, July 7, 9:30/8:30c, CBS