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Louise Thomas
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This summer’s most-watched reality series, Love Island USA, is officially over after fan-favorite contestants Serena Page and Kordell Becham were crowned the season six winners on July 21. But while the production crew may have packed up, locked the villa, and left Fiji, the drama has only amped up.
Over the past six weeks, the 2024 islanders left viewers on the edge of their seats (and beds) every night, anxiously watching as the villa erupted in a full-blown emotional war: girls versus boys. The show, one of the many Love Island spinoffs created since the original debuted on the UK’s ITV in 2015, offers twenty-something-year-olds the chance to find love in a controlled environment without any connection to the outside world. Often referred to as a “social experiment” by fans, the reality series warrants over-the-top displays of emotion under tense instruction and heightened pressure – making each 60-minute episode ultra-juicy.
This year, episodes were rife with betrayal, confusion, and manipulation. And of all the controversial characters, one male islander seemed to trigger widespread commentary more than others: Robert Rausch, the snake wrangler.
After being dumped from the island just days before the season finale, Rob didn’t take much time at all before speaking about his experience as the “onion” on the show who coupled up with six girls. As soon as he left Fiji, the 25-year-old from Alabama flew to Los Angeles, joining Alek Cooper on Call Her Daddy to spill his side of the story on situations that made waves online.
From his love triangle with runner-up Leah Kateb and Andrea Carmona, to his friend Aaron Evans’ disrespectful behavior toward his now girlfriend Kaylor Martin and his own insecurities in relationships, Rob opened up to Cooper, answering the questions on fans’ minds.
One unexpected revelation to come from his Call Her Daddy interview was intel on the islander experience – a rule they are required to follow throughout their time on camera. According to Rob, contestants aren’t allowed to write down their personal feelings or thoughts in a journal.
When asked whether he “runs away” from tough situations in the real world, Rob explained that he “has to do that sometimes” because he needs to be alone to process his emotions or he needs to journal.
“I need to be in a room by myself to process my feelings, and journaling helps a lot,” he admitted. “And I couldn’t do either of those things.” Cooper then asked: “Oh, you couldn’t journal?”
“You can’t, no,” Rob said. “Cause ‘Beach Hut’ is your journal.” Beach Hut is the room in which each islander is meant to give a confessional after something big happens or when they’re feeling emotional.
Rob clarified: “Confessional is your journal.”
That said, talking to a camera and writing down one’s thoughts in a private notebook are two very different outlets. “Also, like the amount things I’ve written in my journal that I don’t mean. You just say it to get it out,” he noted.
Elsewhere in the podcast episode, Rob disappointed Cooper when he told her he didn’t see himself and Leah rekindling their romance outside the villa. In fact, he said they’d be really good “friends” before they were anything else.
Leah and Rob coupled in the first episode. They eventually parted ways after multiple climactic points that saw the two go head-to-head in arguments. Of course, fans continued to root for the pair as they squashed their issues and became friends.
Though they both continued to voice their feelings for each other throughout the season, Leah found a best friend and romantic partner in Miguel Harichi. In the final episode, Leah and Miguel were revealed as the season’s runners-up.
