Amaya almost immediately became a fan favorite due to her vibrant personality, singing, one-liners and metaphors. Despite providing some of the most viral moments of the season, she had a string of failed connections, even through the Casa Amor stage of the competition.

However, in one of the biggest moments of the season, Bryan stood up for her amid several other Islanders coming for her during a mailbox challenge. It changed the trajectory of the competition, their relationship, and firmly made them the ones to beat.

In the post-finale cast interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, the duo spoke to us about their win, how they both felt during that “Standing on Business” challenge, a scene with Amaya and Ace Greene that may not have been included in the season, what their immediate plans are now and much more.

The interview below has been edited and condensed for clarity. You can view the full video above.

How does it feel in these initial days since becoming the winners, especially since you’ve both made history by becoming the first Latino couple to win? What are your initial post-villa feelings?

Bryan: It’s honestly been unreal. We can’t even put into words how grateful we are, and being the first Latino couple is so crazy. We didn’t know that until they told us after they announced the winner. We were like, “Oh s**t.” That’s history made. And especially in a time like this, it’s perfect.

Amaya: It’s very powerful. And coming from us being the first kids here, my parents were born in DR. It feels just amazing that we made history.

Amaya, I want to talk about the moment when it was clear that you were America’s favorite through the polls. Was it a surprise for you to be voted that high by America?

Amaya: It was honestly a good surprise. I know, like the first votes, the way that the guys were ranking me was just out of projection. But to see that there’s so much support and that there’s so many people that actually see me for who I am and understand me — it was such an empowering feeling. I’m like, you know what? Let me keep on being myself because this is just a testimony to never change who you are. And when you’re being genuine, there’s no poker face mask that falls.

This is something that fans had pointed out — do you think that some of the energy, especially with the men in the villa, shifted a bit once they realized how much America clearly favored you?

Amaya: I would have to say yes, especially me personally experiencing it and just seeing it. And I’m really big on energy. Energy don’t lie, especially if somebody’s acting one way one moment and a different way the other moment. So it’s like, OK, you went from A to Z real f**king quick, and I wonder why.

In the “Standing on Business” challenge, you were up there like slaying dragons. So many people were coming at you. Did you feel like you had any issues with them before this, and did you feel any type of way about anyone not standing up for you until Bryan intervened?

Amaya: To be honest with you, I really was shocked by it because I would always ask certain individuals if they ever had a problem, if there’s any miscommunication, we could honestly speak it out. But unfortunately, they waited for that particular moment to stand on business, I guess. That’s not standing on business to me, but whatever. But I knew that the girls were going to check up on me afterwards, especially when I walked away, and Cierra and Huda did come to make sure I was OK. But to be honest, Bryan’s voice was all I needed. It was definitely powerful, and it really made our connection have a big shift.

Bryan, what was it like for you in that moment to stand up for Amaya? It happened organically and naturally, despite not having much of a connection before that.

Bryan: Yeah. At that point, we were just friends, and it was just natural. Just like you said, she was up there with three people pretty much going at her, and it just felt natural as they were coming kind of not understanding our culture and how we talk. And I just felt like I really needed to intervene and let them know that’s how we talk and our culture.

I know things are fine between you and Ace right now. I talked to Ace a few days ago about this, and fans have had questions about the last dinner before Ace and Chelley were eliminated. You gave Ace an apology. A lot of fans have wondered if you think you were also owed an apology in how all of that played out. Objectively, on both sides, there were communication issues and differences. Things are good now, but how are you processing that part of your villa experience?

Amaya: To be honest, it’s been something that I’m still digesting because it was very impactful. I am glad that we’re both in a better place now, and we could call what we have a great friendship. And I always am an advocate for being the bigger person, whether or not you receive an apology back. I know when I want to say sorry, and I feel like the way I raised my voice and everything like that wasn’t a go-to. But yeah, I’m just glad that I was able to say my piece, and there was a moment where we did call it a truce that people didn’t see. It was not captured. Way prior to the family’s dinner, we had a conversation between me and him. I think it was in front of Nic and Cierra at the time, but we called a truce. That apology that happened during the family dinner was just like a second round.

I’ve seen what you both have said you want to do with the prize money. Bryan, mental health awareness is something you want to bring attention to. Why is that an important cause for you to advocate for now that you’re going to have this platform?

Bryan: Yeah, it’s extremely important to me. I opened up to Amaya about it. Growing up, I struggled really bad with anxiety, and I grew up really not knowing how to handle it, and a lot of just mental battles within myself. And I want kids to know how to face those emotions and really deal with them and just be in a better head place. Just because mental health is everything. And my mom struggles with anxiety, and we’re dealing with that day by day, and it’s something that hits home really.

Amaya, you’ve gotten so many shoutouts from so many brands over the course of the month. A lot of people keep saying on Twitter that they knew Amaya was in it for love because no one managed your social media. And you’ve gained millions of followers — I think you’re at least close to 3M on Instagram, which is wild with no new posts. Is this something you thought about going in [having handlers]? Did that even cross your mind before going in the villa?

Amaya: Honestly, no, because first of all, I had no idea that this was going to blow up the way it did, and neither was that my priority at the time. As long as I made sure my mom and dad knew I wasn’t kidnapped in any sort of manner, and I was safe, it really did not cross my mind. But I also want to let our extended family know — our supporters — know that I definitely do want to engage with them. So I hope that they don’t take the lack of posting or lack of engagement right now — that does not equalize me not being grateful or anything like that. I’m just, once again, trying to digest and get accustomed to everything that’s going on because we literally just came here two days ago. And right now I’ve just been calling my mom and my dad, but I have so much love. We have so much love to be given back to the extended family, so they’ll definitely be seeing me engaging with them more.

What’s next for y’all? It’s only been a few days, but where do things go from here? You became exclusive and closed-off going into the finale. What do the next few months look like for you both, solo as well as together and in the relationship?

Bryan: So together, we want to just keep taking the right steps. We took all the right steps in the villa, and now, on the outside, we want to tackle the outside world. Keep taking those steps and really spending quality time with each other, and our families get to meet and have our first real date on the outside, and stuff like that. And then individually, I’m just blessed to be in this position and open to a bunch of opportunities that are to come.

Amaya: Basically, everything he said. Very excited to spend quality time with him and do cute couple things — whether it’s a date night or just falling asleep to a Netflix show. And individually, just like he said, being open to any pathways that resonate with my character that I want to stand for.

Love Island USA Season 7 is now streaming in full on Peacock. The reunion special for the season airs next month.
The post ‘Love Island USA’ Winners Amaya And Bryan On Making History, Unseen Ace Scene And Islanders’ Reactions To Her Being America’s Favorite appeared first on Blavity.



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In a season faced by challenges (including two Islanders being removed from the villa), incredibly shocking eliminations, and some format tweaks the show hasn’t seen before, the finale was highly anticipated by fans as the final four couples waited to find out which of them won the reality dating competition.

Spoilers ahead:

The winners of ‘Love Island USA’ Season 7 are…

Photo: Ben Symons/Peacock

Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales

Amaya, one of the first bombshells to enter the villa, and Bryan, who entered during the Casa Amor stage of the competition, coupled together later in the game but quickly won over fans. Amaya was arguably the fan-favorite of the season in her own right and was heavily speculated to win the competition once she found a perfect match in a partner.

As is per Love Island tradition, the two received envelopes, and one containing $0 and one containing $100,000. The person who received the money envelope could decide whether to keep the money to themselves and split it.

Here are the runners-up, 3rd and 4th place couples of ‘Love Island’ Season 7

Runners-Up/2nd Place: Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe

3rd Place: Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley

4th Place: Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia

A reunion special for ‘Love Island’ Season 7 has also been announced

A Season 7 reunion episode was also confirmed for the season at the end of the finale. The reunion special will air on Aug. 25 at 9 p.m. on Peacock, hosted by both Ariana Madix and Andy Cohen. Per Peacock, “the reunion special will feature this season’s winners, fan-favorite couples, and this year’s bombshells for an up-close and personal look back at their experience in the Villa.”

Season 7 has ranked as the No. 1 streaming reality title for five weeks since its premiere, making this the “biggest season yet.” Over 40 percent of the audience for Season 7 are new viewers. Per Peacock, the show also had 130 million social interactions across Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube, “making it the most talked about entertainment series across all of television this summer.” 

In additional Love Island news, the Peacock global spinoff Love Island Games is also officially bowing in September on the streamer. The docuseries spinoff following the Season 6 Love Island USA cast, Love Island: Beyond the Villa, also premiered Sunday on Peacock.
The post Who Won ‘Love Island USA’ Season 7? Fan-Favorites Take Prize As Reunion Special Set appeared first on Blavity.



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Season three of Netflix’s global phenomenon Squid Game premiered on June 27, 2025, delivering a harrowing and emotionally charged conclusion to Seong Gi-hun’s journey. Lee Jung-jae reprised his role as the morally conflicted Player 456, culminating in a finale that left fans both stunned and speculating about the franchise’s future. In the climactic final game, Gi-hun sacrifices himself to ensure the survival of Jun-hee’s newborn daughter, who is ultimately declared the winner. This poignant ending underscores themes of hope and the importance of safeguarding future generations.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk emphasized that the baby’s victory symbolizes a commitment to leaving a better world for those to come, in conversation with Tudum. Besides the poignant conclusion to Squid Game season three eliciting strong emotions, it’s also raising excitement by hinting at expanding the franchise beyond South Korea. In a surprising cameo, Cate Blanchett appears as an American recruiter playing ddakji in a Los Angeles alley, suggesting the inception of a U.S.-based iteration of the games, per Decider. Here’s everything we know about the future of Squid Game!

Where was ‘Squid Game’ filmed?

Squid Game was primarily filmed in South Korea, with many of the show’s intense and visually striking scenes shot on soundstages and large-scale sets created by the production team. One of the key filming locations is Daejeon, a central South Korean city where iconic moments – such as the glass bridge and Red Light, Green Light games – were brought to life. Scenes meant to resemble a remote island were filmed on Seongapdo Island and later digitally enhanced for a more isolated, cinematic feel.

In a recent interview with Marie Claire, set designer Chae Kyoung-sun shared insights into the symbolism behind the design of the games in Squid Game.“The maze-like staircase, the Hide-and-Seek game, and everything in general reflect how everything comes full circle and repeats infinitely – much like the cycle of life and death,” Kyoung-sun explained. “As for the pillars, the structures in the shapes of circles, triangles, and squares represent the core elements of Squid Game. I included staircases within these shapes to suggest that we are trapped inside them,” she continued.

Just how popular is the Netflix original series in America?

The show isn’t just widely popular in America – Squid Game became a massive cultural phenomenon. In September 2021, it broke records as the most-watched Netflix series at launch, drawing in 142 million viewers globally within its first 28 days. It remains one of the platform’s most-watched shows of all time. The series went on to earn critical acclaim, receiving nominations and winning major awards at the Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Golden Globes and more.

Reflecting on the show’s viral success, actor Lee Jung-jae shared with a Korean media outlet in 2021, “I lurk on social media. I can feel the popularity. I’ve been seeing lots of people upload photos.” He went on to mention how some of his castmates were excited to take pictures with him during the peak of the show’s fame in 2021.

Over the last several years, Squid Game has become a cultural touchstone that encouraged American audiences to reflect on issues such as capitalism, class disparity, and the gig economy. Its massive success demonstrated that international content – particularly Korean dramas – could not only find global audiences but also shape mainstream pop culture. This paved the way for more non-English language series to break through on a global scale.

Is ‘Squid Game USA’ confirmed?

A report from Deadline revealed that David Fincher has been developing a U.S. version of “Squid Game” for several years, with Dennis Kelly attached as the screenwriter. While not officially confirmed, Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk expressed openness to a spinoff in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, stating, “I’m not trying to say that I’m going to close the door to spinoffs or sequels altogether – because they say never say never.” That vague but promising statement has given fans a reason to keep their eyes peeled. Given the show’s global success, a U.S. adaptation seems less like a question of if – and more of when.

A U.S. adaptation would likely differ in tone and social commentary. Where the original focused on Korean wealth inequality, class tension and debt culture, a U.S. version might tackle uniquely American issues like student debt, healthcare disparity, racial injustice or the prison-industrial complex.

Beyond a potential U.S. remake, the Squid Game universe has already started to expand. Netflix launched Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality competition series that brought the show’s games (minus the violence) to life, with contestants competing for a real cash prize. The series became a breakout hit, further proving the franchise’s massive appeal. Its success suggests Netflix sees long-term potential in building Squid Game into a multi-format global franchise, similar to hit tv series like The Walking Dead or Stranger Things.

What we know about Cate Blanchett’s role in season three

Towards the end of Squid Game viewers are hit with a shocking revelation that suggests the on-screen world might be expanding. Cate Blanchett makes a surprise appearance in Los Angeles, playing ddakji with a seemingly homeless man. Speaking about her cameo, the director told The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a very short scene, there’s only one line, so we needed someone who had that level of presence and charisma to completely dominate the screen in that instant,” he shared. “And that naturally led me to Cate Blanchett.”

While short, her appearance signals something bigger: the possible recruitment for a U.S.-based version of the game may already be underway. Whether this moment is a teaser for a future spinoff or just an Easter egg remains to be seen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Squid Game based on a true story?

Though not directly based on a true story, writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk drew inspiration from real-life themes in Korean society. While developing the storyline back in 2008, he reflected on his own struggles with financial insecurity and the stark wealth inequality present in South Korea.

Who is number 11 in Squid Game?

She is a former North Korean defector who enters the game in hopes of winning enough money to reunite with the daughter she was forced to leave behind when escaping from North Korea.

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