‘Love Island USA' Narrator Iain Stirling Apologizes for Joke
'I genuinely thought people would appreciate the nod to him, because we very rarely talk about it, but if you think about it, it's an unwritten rule that I never really joke about the islanders once they've gone,' Iain explained to E! News. 'I'll maybe do a joke as they're leaving. So it's a big deal.'
The joke in question happened after Jeremiah had been dumped, when Olandria and Nic were on a date and given a second chance to re-enter the Villa as a couple. In his voiceover, Iain joked that Jeremiah would be acting as their waiter, which was a blow to fans who had been holding out hope that Jeremiah would also be brought back in a Casa Amor twist.
'It was a genuine statement of love that I mentioned Jeremiah after he'd already left the show,' he said. 'I thought people would be, 'Oh, that's funny.' He was such an intrinsic part of the show. Some people did take it as such, and then some people sadly didn't, and I apologize to those people.'
Iain writes and records his Love Island narration daily, pulling double duty on both the UK and USA versions. '[From] 12 in the afternoon 'til about six at night, I record the UK one,' he told E! News. 'Then I do my dad duties, spend time with my wife, bit of dinner, bath times, bedtimes, that sort of drill.' Once his two kids are asleep, it's back to work on Love Island USA from around 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 in the morning.
The grueling schedule might sound like the hardest part of the job, but Iain says the real challenge is writing fresh material as you get deeper into the season. 'The writing is 90 percent of the time,' he said. 'When you're thinking about something funny to say about Nic and Cierra, who are having their 55th chat of the series, that's when it gets tricky.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cosmopolitan
2 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Dylan Efron Reveals How He Spent ‘The Traitors' Prize Money
Dylan Efron, champion of The Traitors season 3, gets a bit nervous on dates. And while that was abundantly clear during his dinner on the latest episode of Blind Date (his constant anxious giggling was a huge tell), Dylan still managed to hold his own. After playing a blindfolded guessing game, he wined and dined Cosmopolitan's editor-in-chief Willa Bennett, and they had quite a time. What better way to spend a first date than by diving into vintage Cosmo issues from the archives and reflecting on Dylan's iconic Traitors run? Dylan Efron stans (who deserve a fandom name! Maybe Efronators? Or Miss Understood Minons?) finished The Traitors with one major takeaway: This man was born for reality television. And while no new project has been announced quite yet, during Blind Date, Dylan shared exactly what he wants his next onscreen chapter to look like. (I pray we see him on Love Island USA or popping on Summer House soon…) He also revealed the wise way he spent his Traitors winnings, and why, for him, getting recognized at a urinal was even more embarrassing than it already sounds. I'd say Dylan has definitely earned himself a second date. Check out the full episode and see why for yourself.
Elle
2 hours ago
- Elle
Why Amaya Is the MVP of 'Love Island USA' This Season
Spoilers below. Season seven of Love Island USA has been rocky as feuds and halfhearted connections run amok in the villa. But there's a bright spot, and her name is Amaya Espinal. Endearingly known by fans as 'Amaya Papaya,' the 25-year-old cardiac nurse from New York City entered the show as a bombshell in episode 4. In the subsequent weeks, she explored romances with different islanders—namely Ace Greene, Austin Shepard, and Zak Srakaew—emerging as a fan favorite for her fervor, humor, and unabashed candor. Recently, viewers online rallied around Espinal after tensions came to a head in the July 1 episode. During a game called 'Stand on Business,' Greene, Shepard, and Srakaew lambasted Espina, accusing her of being too emotional and trying to move too fast. While Greene recalled her proclivity for calling him 'babe' early on, Shepard and Srakaew aired out similar grievances. 'When we speak, obviously, I let you be passionate with me. I let you kiss me. I let you touch me,' Srakaew said, as if he had done her a favor. 'Sometimes I feel like I have to take a step back.' Fellow islander Bryan Arenales was the only guy who spoke up for Espinal, offering insight from a cultural standpoint. 'One thing I got to add, though, coming from a Hispanic household, calling someone 'babe,' 'mi amor,' 'mi vida,' that's just how we talk,' he said, defending Espinal, who's Dominican-American. 'You're telling her meet you halfway—you got to meet her halfway, too.' Throughout her journey, Espinal has represented the credo that being passionate, vulnerable, and outspoken is OK and, better yet, a superpower. After taking criticism from Greene, Shepard, and Srakaew in front of all the islanders, she tearfully reaffirmed her own worth, saying, 'I'm just not your cup of tea to be drinking, so don't fucking drink it.' Embodying the name of the game, she stood on business. Her self-proclaimed 'sensitive gangster' epithet has become a rallying cry for fans who see parts of themselves in her. She hasn't had the easiest time finding love on the show, but she continues to lead with her heart and seems to have honest intentions—a refreshing foil to this season's contrived tone. Sure, the point of Love Island is to find love, and Espinal hasn't done that yet. But let's be real: The selection of men is slim. And at this point, with so few couples to root for, Espinal is unknowingly making the case to grant single contestants the show's $100,000 prize. With her unfeigned energy, heartfelt reactions, and comical commentary, Espinal has reminded viewers that being genuine is still the most compelling thing to watch. Ahead, look back at some of her funniest and most memorable moments that won over fans. Before things between Espinal and Greene turned sour, the two seemed to enjoy getting to know each other. In one conversation, Greene asked the bombshell if she had been exploring connections, to which she replied, 'I would have to say that this is like a bags of Skittles. There's different flavors, different backgrounds, different connections.' (For what it's worth, according to Peacock's subtitles, Espinal said 'box of Skittles,' but fans are having more fun with the former.) Espinal and Greene's rift started forming after the latter expressed discomfort with pet names. Espinal defended using the word 'babe,' and to no avail, tried to explain that it's just a part of her vernacular. When she blurted out 'babe' yet again, she corrected herself, quipping, 'Oh, sorry…sir.' During a recoupling, Espinal and her castmates were forced to decide which islander to dump. As several people burst into tears, Espinal cut through the sound of muffled cries, shouting, 'No! No, we don't want to do that. We don't want to do that, though!' The moment went viral online, with one TikTok user writing, 'THIS IS CINEMA.' During an 'Aftersun' segment, viewers saw a clip of Espinal singing an impromptu song that became an instant anthem. 'I never said I was perfect,' she improvised. 'I never said I didn't have any flaws. But at least I'm pretty, and at least I'm a little funny. And at least I'm my own best friend.' That wasn't the only wholesome singing moment, either. Can we expect an Amaya Papaya album drop after the season wraps? Despite her lack of romantic connections, Espinal has kept a positive attitude. In a confessional, she hoisted one of her feet up to the camera, declaring, 'My best foot is forward, and right now, we have some gold motherfucking heels on, and gold is my lucky color, so we're hoping for the best.' During 'Stand on Business,' Greene blasted Shepard for being dishonest with Espinal. Shepard, who denied leading her on, then had a heated exchange with Espinal. At one point, he seemed to question her intelligence. 'This was a chance to air stuff out, Amaya. Do you not understand what a chance to air stuff out is? It doesn't seem like you do,' Shepard, a pool boy, said to Espinal, a registered nurse. Fans called out Shepard online, saying his comments exemplified the types of microaggressions that women of color often experience. Espinal stood her ground, and when Shepard insinuated that her reaction was over the top, she fired back, 'You're the one with the neck veins popping out of your neck right now.' And that was the end of that. After reading Shepard's harsh 'Stand on Business' letter, which said she cries too much, Espinal reminded the islanders that she's a 'sensitive gangster.' Refusing to apologize for wearing her heart on her sleeve, she added, 'You know, sometimes I'm not the book that someone should be reading, and that's OK.'
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
'Love Island USA' star Elan's brother is running his Instagram. He told us he's 'not doing this for the clout.'
Elan Bibas entered the "Love Island USA" villa with a disadvantage: He was added late, as part of a group of hunks sent to stir things up. But he also has an advantage: his younger brother, Tal, who's running his social media while Elan's on the show. I talked to Tal about his experience running Elan's social accounts and the business opportunities that have presented themselves since his brother's time on the huge summer hit for Peacock. (It was the No. 2 most watched original streaming show during its first two weeks, Nielsen said.) Contestants on the show — and if you haven't watched, I must recommend it as great summer fun! — compete to find love, or share part of the $100,000 prize with their partner. Appearing on the show can also be a big business opportunity. Fan favorites from past seasons have gone on to success as influencers with lucrative brand deals or other entertainment appearances. Cast members from last season will reunite for a new show, "Beyond the Villa," starting later this month. As my colleague Callie Ahlgrim observed, the spectre of social media looms large: "The islanders seem hyper-aware of their role as entertainers and competitors, much too preoccupied with how they're being perceived by an invisible audience to be truly honest and vulnerable with each other." Contestants have to give up their phones during their time on the show, which airs five nights a week in near real-time, so some of them have entrusted family or friends to run their social media accounts for that time. Cierra Ortega, an early fan favorite, has her friend MJ Hedderman running her Instagram, who's been delighting fans with her funny perspective and long captions. Business Insider talked to Tal Bibas, 22, who lives in London and has been posting to his older brother Elan's Instagram and TikTok accounts. Elan, 24, grew up in the suburbs of Toronto and now lives in Miami and works in tech. So far, Tal's strategy for managing his brother's Instagram has seemed to work. Elan's followers have gone up from about 3,000 to 63,000 since he first appeared on the show a week and a half ago. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elan Bibas (@ Were you surprised when Elan told you that he was going to be a contestant on "Love Island?" One hundred percent. I think it was a shock to us all. Elan's a very smart guy — it's hard to see that on TV, but he's almost like a nerd. He's always been a super academic guy and always top-of-his-class. He got out of university, did computer science and engineering and entrepreneurship, came out with a job at a consultancy, a tech consultancy, helping them code and advise. He was doing really well with that. I think he hit a ceiling in Toronto and was really craving to move to a new city. Obviously, Miami comes with the beautiful weather, so that's what moved him there. In the past few years, he's just got this virus to want to do these crazy ultramarathons and running. He formed a community of people in Miami doing that kind of stuff, and a lot of them are content creators within the health and wellness niche. He found that that was quite cool, and he's like, You know what? Wow, maybe I should start doing this a bit. So shortly before he got approached to be on the show, he started doing a bit of content around health and wellness, running, self-improvement — things along those lines. I wouldn't say he had any viral posts or anything like that. Then he honestly just got DMed by a casting director, and that's kind of how this whole thing happened. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elan Bibas (@ So the casting team reached out to him. He didn't apply to be on the show? Exactly. Oh, that's interesting. I didn't realize that's how the casting works. In terms of his day job, obviously, it's hard to take a month or two off to go shoot a reality show. What's the status of his job? His work seemed to be quite fine with it. They basically said, "You can definitely take on this opportunity, but take all paid time off first, and then everything after that would be unpaid leave." Knowing your brother, what's your reaction to what's happening on the show? At first, when I saw him on, I was excited, but I had that weird feeling where it's just like, "Oh my God, you never know how the public's going to perceive someone on TV." Honestly, I was quite surprised by how comfortable he seemed. I thought maybe he would sound a bit different or move in a different way. Right now, the way he's acting inside the villa is the exact same way he acts in real life. Cast members build big social followings during the show, which can lead to all sorts of lucrative opportunities. When Elan asked you to manage his socials, was that something very much at the top of your mind? I think Elan is not doing this for the clout or fame. Honestly, that's the last thing on his mind. He loves saying "yes" to opportunities. For him, it's all about going through this, living through this experience, and just having this bucket-list, once-in-a-lifetime experience to be able to say he did this thing. And through that, to form connections, build relationships, and meet a lot of cool people. Elan basically said, "Here's my login details. Do your best to keep things positive and have fun with it. Mostly just let it ride and just see how it goes." I guess I have my own strategy for how I want to manage his Instagram. I don't think he knows exactly that. I definitely see this as not just a business opportunity, but a way to help my brother out. I want to do the most I can to post good content, engage with the audience, and leave him in the best spot for when he comes out to have that seamless transaction of "OK, guys, he's back." And it's kind of that exact brand and audience that he's known for. I was studying a lot of the old contestants and seeing what their experiences were via their social presence, and so I was learning quite a lot from just looking at that. I do have a background also in digital marketing and social media. I worked as an intern at a big influencer-marketing agency in Toronto, so I kind of understand the nuances of how the industry works — I just never thought it would be my brother. It's been an interesting learning curve. Have you been approached by brands or business opportunities for him? How are you fielding these incoming things? I made a separate email account for him for his social accounts. There's a lot of random stuff coming in there. Going through it and figuring out what's legit and what's not takes time. I want to make this process as seamless as possible for Elan so that when he comes out I can say, "Look, I was taking care of everything when you were gone. This is what happened. We've got these brands, these people approaching you for these opportunities," and just go through it with him and see what is the priority right now, what makes the most sense. I wouldn't say there's a long list of brands, but there are talent agencies that want to represent him.
