Ariana Madix from Love Island Denies Claims of Rigged Voting After Her Elimination
Ariana Madix has addressed Love Island USA viewers’ claims that the voting process is unfair.
The host, age 40, responded to a comment on Instagram after Caleb McDaniel and Sol Dean were excluded from the top couple announcement during the episode on Thursday, June 18, despite an active online campaign for the season 8 stars.
“Unfortunately, they were not in the top 4,” Ariana commented, replying to someone who wrote, “They @loveislandusa messing up the show.” She also “liked” a comment asserting that production “can’t tamper with results” legally, countering the social media speculation.
Fans expressed their disappointment when Sol and Gabriel Vasconcelos were eliminated from the villa following a group vote. This occurred after America had chosen their favorite couples, leaving the bottom three at risk of elimination and requiring the remaining girls to decide which guy would go home, and vice versa.
This isn’t the first occasion Ariana has intervened to dispel rumors. Back in June 2025, she refuted claims that the show was “rigged,” stating to The Wrap, “You can hold any opinions about the show, but I’ll tell you this: Don’t start inventing conspiracies.”
She added: “I’m not a conspiracy theorist; I’m here to debunk.”
Ariana also denied that any Islanders had premeditated strategies to win while entering the villa.
“While someone may try to gamify their experience as an Islander, maintaining that façade 24/7 is nearly impossible,” she continued.
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Ariana encouraged viewers to express their opinions through voting, saying, “If America has a specific sentiment about certain Islanders, they have the opportunity to voice it. So, if someone thought they were playing a strategic game and they find out they’re in the bottom, they’ll realize, ‘Oh, wait.’”
Season 8 has experienced its share of voting issues, as users encountered glitches and received a “network error” message earlier this month when trying to access the Love Island app.
“Vote tonight to decide which Islanders the new Bombshells — Sol, Jen, and Caleb — should couple up with!” read an update from the show’s official Instagram account. “Voting opens at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT and closes at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT. Voting is limited to the U.S. only. Link in our bio.”
After voting concluded, Love Island USA shared an update on Instagram regarding the issues, stating, “We apologize for any inconveniences related to voting registration. Our team is working diligently to resolve it. Stay tuned for more updates.”
Another clarification came after the app experienced a crash.
“Your overwhelming support for America’s first vote caused the app to crash. However, we are extending the voting deadline until 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT on Wednesday, June 10!” read the latest update.
New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.
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