Written by Heidi K. Schoderbek
That’s a wrap! Love Island USA’s Season 7 run has officially come to an end. After a jam-packed final week filled with eliminations, awkward moments, and visits to the villa’s infamous Hideaway, America crowned islanders Amaya and Bryan the winners of this season’s $100k prize.
With the dust still settling from Episode 30’s re-coupling, the islanders woke up to find out that they were all now parents of fake babies! The challenge tested each couple’s parenting capabilities— and let’s just say that some of the islanders should not be left alone with real babies any time soon. To viewers’ surprise, Clarke and Taylor won the challenge and managed to keep “Aaliyah” from crying all day long.
Although Amaya and Bryan finished in the bottom two of the fake baby challenge, the new couple was later sent to the villa’s Hideaway, equipped with a private bedroom, a hot tub, and no fake crying babies in sight—perfect for the coveted alone time that islanders have been dying for all season long.
In Episode 32, America’s votes were revealed— and unfortunately, Clarke and Taylor’s stellar parenting skills weren’t enough to save them. The couple was dumped from the island, just hours after Taylor performed a full choreographed dance with the other boys to ask Clarke to be exclusive with him. On the bright side, at least they avoided a classic post-elimination “What are we?” conversation.
Episode 33 brought back the Hideaway for another round of romance after the islanders finished a messy game of “Viva Las Villa.” Fan favorites Chelley and Ace finally got their Hideaway moment and “closed off” their relationship — something fans have been waiting for since the couple first became a pair in Episode 14. Ace, what took you so long?
Then came the long-awaited Family Day, where the islanders were surprised with their loved ones. The good vibes in the villa were quickly cut short when it was revealed that one couple would be going. In a shocking elimination, Ace and Chelley received the fewest votes, and were sent packing, just shy of becoming finalists. Social media erupted the night of the elimination, with fans shocked by the results of the vote.
Many fans were expecting Huda and Chris to be dumped from the villa after the couple had several heated arguments leading up to the elimination— and honestly, it’s been exhausting trying to keep up with them. First came their breakdown during the elimination, then Chris got the ick when Huda said she was uncomfortable kissing him in front of the other islanders— but apparently had no problem hooking up under the covers while the other islanders slept a few feet away. Despite the couple’s incompatibility, they were saved by the votes of Huda’s ride or die fans, who are now called the “Hudrats.”
In the season finale, the final four couples were as follows:
- Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales
- Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia
- Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe
- Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley
In true Love Island fashion, the finale brought romance, drama, and one historic breakup. Huda and Chris made Love Island history when the two called it quits during their final candle-lit date, fueling fans’ frustrations over how the two even made it to the finale in the first place. The awkward date made for some now-viral moments when a singer came to serenade the two mid-breakup. Huda added fuel to the fire when she asked Chris if he was going to carry her out of the pool of water their dinner table was located in, to which Chris said, “I’m not gonna carry you,”—not awkward or embarrassing at all!
Meanwhile, the other islanders enjoyed swoon-worthy dates— sailboat rides, walks on the beach, memory books filled with baby pictures— and finally, America’s long-awaited decision.
The winners? Amaya and Bryan, of course! Cue the fireworks and Ella Eyre’s “I Came Here for Love!”
Trailing behind them:
- Olandria and Nic in second
- Huda and Chris (somehow) in third
- Iris and Pepe in fourth
While fans were thrilled with Amaya and Bryan’s win, viewers are being candid online about the things they didn’t enjoy about the show’s 7th season. Huda has been under fire throughout this season for her controversial behavior, and has caused more division in the fan base than any islander. Some fans of the fitness influencer claim she was misunderstood and bullied by her fellow islanders, while others call her behavior “borderline abusive,” toxic, and controlling.
Huda’s critics are dying for the other islanders to see some of the shady things Huda said behind their backs— and honestly, they deserve to know! During Amaya’s recent interview on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, the podcaster shared some of the words Huda said after Amaya made her bombshell entrance into the villa and kissed Jeremiah (Huda’s previous partner) during a challenge. Cooper said, “We saw her venting about you to the other girls, saying ‘that b**** is f****** messy.’ Did you see that?” Amaya’s reaction made it clear that she had, in fact, not seen that clip—yikes!
Although viewers are divided on that front, the majority can agree on one thing: Amaya and Bryan were the clear winners of this season. Amaya charmed fans from the moment she entered the villa and stayed unapologetically herself throughout every twist and turn. She played the game with heart, humor, and authenticity— and in the end, it paid off big time.
The Love Island USA Season 7 Reunion will air Monday, August 25th at 9 PM EST on Peacock.
