Just got a text! New islanders will be arriving at the villa tonight!
Season 8 of Peacock’s hit reality TV series “Love Island USA” premieres tonight, June 2, with one Floridian in the cast. But before the show has even begun, rumors are already swirling online about the islanders.
There were originally 12 islanders in the initial cast, but Vasana Montgomery, a salon owner from Oregon, was already removed from the show.
On Friday, May 29, just one day after the cast announcement, Montgomery was removed from the cast after video clips of her using a racial slur were circulating online.
On June 1, there were rumors on social media that Floridian Gabriel Vasconcelos had been removed from the cast. As of June 2, there is no confirmation of this from the show or the network, and the show’s app still lists him as an islander.
Some fans on Reddit theorized that the producers might have taken Vasconcelos out of the initial cast and will bring him in as a “bombshell,” since the men outnumber the women in the initial cast after Montgomery’s exit.
Here’s how to watch the premiere of “Love Island USA” Season 8, what we know about Floridian islander Gabriel Vasconcelos and how to vote on the show.
Does ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 start tonight? When to watch the premiere
The eighth season of “Love Island USA” will premiere Tuesday, June 2, at 9 p.m. ET.
Watch ‘Love Island USA’ on Peacock
New episodes will air on Bravo and Peacock every night except Wednesdays.
Is ‘Love Island USA’ on every day? See premiere week schedule
New episodes of “Love Island USA” will drop daily, except on Saturday, throughout premiere week. After premiere week, new episodes will drop daily, except on Wednesdays.
“Love Island Aftersun,” the show’s companion talk show, will air weekly episodes on Saturdays. On May 11, Peacock announced that Floridian influencer and red carpet host Tefi Pessoa will co-host “Love Island Aftersun” with “Summer House” star Ciara Miller.
All episodes will drop on Peacock at 9 p.m. ET. Here’s the “Love Island USA” season 8 premiere week airing schedule:
‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 cast has 1 Florida man. Who is Gabriel Vasconcelos?
Gabriel Vasconcelos is a 26-year-old model who was born in Brazil but has his hometown listed as Miami, Florida.
Leading up to the premiere, there have been rumors on social media that Vasconcelos was removed from the cast or will be introduced as a bombshell.
As of June 2, there is no confirmation from any officials at the show or network and the “Love Island USA” app says that Vasconcelos entered the villa on day one.
Some fans on Reddit theorized the producers might have taken Vasconcelos out of the initial cast and will bring him in as a “bombshell,” since the men outnumber the women after Montgomery’s exit. Fans will have to wait until tonight’s premiere airs to see if that is true.
See ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8 cast
There were originally 12 islanders in the initial cast, but Vasana Montgomery, a salon owner from Oregon, was already removed from the show.
One day after the cast announcement, video clips of Montgomery using a racial slur began circulating online, and Montgomery was removed from the cast on May 29. Montgomery is no longer listed as an islander on the “Love Island USA” app.
Below are the other islanders who are in the original cast, including Vasconcelos.
Here are the 11 islanders who will be the first in the villa, including one Floridian:
How can I vote on ‘Love Island USA’?
To vote for your favorite islanders or couples on “Love Island USA,” you must download the official “Love Island USA” app.
Viewer votes influence which islanders couple up, who remains in the villa and who will go home single or heartbroken throughout the season. You can cast live votes while new episodes are airing.
Where is the ‘Love Island USA’ villa located? Is it filmed in real time?
The villa for the most recent seasons of “Love Island USA” is in the Mamanuca Islands of Fiji.
While “Love Island USA” is not a live show, it is filmed in real time and delayed by a day or two before airing.
How does ‘Love Island’ work?
On “Love Island,” a group of single men and women, called “islanders,” couple up from week to week and live in a big villa together all summer. In the first episode of each season, each of the women in the villa chooses a man to couple up with, based only on a brief first impression.
Each islander sleeps in a bed with the person they’re coupled up with every night, in the same room as the other couples. There’s a massive bedroom with beds lining each wall. There are surveillance cameras in the bedroom and throughout the villa.
Viewers watch the islanders spend their days lounging by the pool, talking amongst themselves and sometimes participating in challenges that can win them opportunities for alone time with the person they’re coupled up with.
There are “recoupling” ceremonies in which the men and women take turns choosing to either stay with the person they are coupled up with or choose someone else. Since the initial coupling is up to the women, the men usually get the upper hand in the first recoupling ceremony. Any islanders who are single after the recoupling leave the villa.
Viewers also get a chance to vote for their favorite and least favorite islanders and couples from week to week, giving them a say in who’s eliminated from the villa.
The winner of each season is the couple that gets the most viewer votes as the favorite couple in the villa.
During the finale, both people in the winning couple are given envelopes. One envelope has the $100,000 prize, and the other is empty. The person who gets the prize money can choose to keep it for themselves or split it with their partner.
Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: ‘Love Island USA’ starts tonight. Who is Gabriel Vasconcelos?
Reporting by Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
