Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales crowned winners of Love Island USA Season 7

Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales have emerged as the new winners of Love Island USA Season 7, concluding a summer packed with dramatic breakups and unexpected exits.

The couple, who formed a romantic connection later in the competition, were chosen by a public vote in Sunday's finale on the Peacock reality series, which has been a chart-topping hit since its premiere on June 3.

Set in a luxurious villa in Fiji, the series brings together a group of singles hoping to find love in a secluded and constantly surveilled environment.

According to AP News, Espinal, a Dominican from New York City, and Arenales, of Puerto Rican and Guatemalan descent, developed a close bond over their shared Latino culture and traditions. Their connection, which began during Casa Amor, deepened into one of the strongest partnerships in the villa.

During the final speeches before the winners were announced, Arenales told Espinal, "I often said how much I wanted to provide that safe place here for you, but little did I know that you would do that for me, too. You said I was the water to your fire, but you are my peace to this madness."

As is tradition on the show, each winner picked an envelope, one containing $100,000 (Sh12.9 million) and the other empty. Arenales selected the prize envelope and chose to split the winnings evenly with Espinal.

Olandria Carthen and Nicolas Vansteenberghe finished in second place, while Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley, who ended their relationship in a tense and emotional breakup during the finale, came third. Iris Kendall and Jose “Pepe” Garcia-Gonzalez were in fourth place.

According to AP News, host Ariana Madix revealed that the full cast of Season 7 will unite for a special in New York, set to premiere on Peacock on August 25. The U.S. edition of Love Island, adapted from the U.K. format, has become a breakout success and now ranks as Peacock’s most-watched entertainment series on mobile platforms, according to NBCUniversal.

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Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley came in third place (Photo: Ben Symons/Peacock via AP)

A new spin-off, Love Island: Beyond the Villa, also premiered on Sunday. It follows key cast members from Season 6 as they navigate fame, relationships, and life in Los Angeles.

This season was not without controversy. Two contestants, Cierra Ortega and Yulissa Escobar, left the villa after old social media posts resurfaced in which they used racial slurs. Ortega had been in one of the season’s most stable couples with Vansteenberghe but departed a week before the finale. She later issued a nearly five-minute apology on TikTok addressing the resurfaced content.

In the finale, each of the remaining four couples went on a romantic date, according to AP News. For Espinal and Arenales, their outing was especially heartfelt. The couple received a personalised photo book that included childhood pictures as well as moments from their time in the villa.

Espinal opened up emotionally, telling Arenales, "With you, I don’t ever cry out of sadness. Every time I feel like a heightened emotion with you, it’s always just like happy tears." Their date ended with the couple capturing a photo together to mark their final memory on the show. The two then decided to become exclusive, with a promise to focus solely on each other after leaving the villa. Espinal expressed her joy, saying, "I feel like I’m a Dominican Cinderella when I’m with you, and I finally found my perfect glass slipper."

Iris Kendall and Jose “Pepe” Garcia-Gonzalez were in fourth place (Photo: Ben Symons/Peacock)

Earlier in the week, the elimination of Ace Greene and Chelley Bissainthe narrowed down the finalists. Interestingly, Greene and Bissainthe had been one of the most consistent couples throughout the show.

Love Island USA typically begins with five men and five women who pair up based on initial attraction. New contestants, dubbed “bombshells,” are introduced throughout the season to shake up dynamics and create new romantic tension. Eliminations happen either through public voting or decisions made by fellow islanders.

Contestants compete in various challenges and games, including heart rate tests, kissing contests, and compatibility tasks, all aimed at stirring drama and romance. Halfway through the season, the show introduces the Casa Amor twist, where established couples are separated and tempted by new singles, testing their loyalty and emotional bonds.

Espinal joined the villa early on as a bombshell and quickly became one of the most memorable personalities of the season. She had several brief relationships, including with Ace Greene, Austin Shepard, and Zak Srakaew, but none of them lasted. Still, she stood out for her confidence and humour.

One moment, in particular, went viral: "I never said I was perfect. 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," she sang in the makeup room, a clip that inspired memes and even a Google pop-up when her nickname, “Amaya Papaya,” is searched.

Critics among her earlier partners felt she was too affectionate too quickly, but that perception changed when she met Arenales during Casa Amor. He defended her expressive nature by explaining, "Coming from a Hispanic household, calling someone babe, mi amor, mi vida, that’s just how we talk." From then on, their relationship grew stronger.

During their final date, Arenales told Espinal, "Every time I talk to you, like, my energy is up. I’m walking out smiling. That’s what I want in my life." Espinal felt seen and accepted by Arenales in a way that her previous connections lacked.

She said he allowed her to express emotions freely and that, for the first time, she didn’t have to tone down her love. In her words, every step she took led her to "find my personal prince charming."

Arenales ended his final speech by calling her, "mi diabla, mi alma, y mi loquita," which translates to "my devil, my soul, and my madness."