Leah Kateb nonetheless has no scarcity of one-liners. It’s a freezing December afternoon in New York Metropolis, and Leah has been firing off quote-worthy sound bites since she arrived at StyleCaster’s cowl shoot early within the morning. “We love her. She’s cunty,” she says to explain a latex costume with an inflatable breastplate. “Bent over. Interval,” she proclaims when the photographer demonstrates a brand new pose. “Leah’s ft without spending a dime? What sort of shoot is that this?” she asks when a crew member suggests she kick off her footwear for just a few pictures.
“Once I had my first interview after the present, they have been like, ‘Can we are saying your viral sound?’” Leah recollects on a Zoom a month later. “I stated, ‘My viral sound? What are we speaking about?’ They performed it, and I used to be like, ‘When the hell did I say that?’”
Leah takes the decision from the yard of her mother and father’ home in Calabasas, Calif., the place she lately moved after leaving her condominium in Los Angeles. Her boyfriend, Miguel Harichi, whom she met and got here in second place with on Love Island USA Season 6, is off to the aspect getting issues sorted after formally transferring to Los Angeles in November. “She’s good along with her phrases,” Miguel pops in, increasing on Leah’s quotability. “If there was a digital camera nonetheless on us proper now, there’d be much more viral sounds.”
Leah and Miguel have been residing their lives off digital camera since Love Island completed filming final July. Three weeks after the finale, Miguel visited Leah in Los Angeles for the primary time, and the 2 have been by one another’s aspect ever since—apart from a brief London journey Miguel made in November to say goodbye to his household and pack up his belongings for his official transfer to the US.
Whereas Leah and Miguel have been just about residing collectively since they left Fiji, they haven’t technically moved in collectively but. Miguel is presently staying in a rental as he and Leah search for land to construct their dream home in Calabasas close to her household. “It’s at all times been my dream to have a barn so I can absorb foster animals,” she says. “Miguel will get to choose one animal. He needs a cow. I need fainting goats.”
A yr in the past, Leah’s life appeared very completely different. She was single and in faculty when a casting director reached out to her on social media to ask her to hitch Love Island USA’s Season 6 forged. She had by no means seen an episode of Love Island and didn’t know something about actuality TV, however she wasn’t about to move up a complimentary journey to Fiji. “I used to be like, ‘A trip? Free? Males? Why not?’ Then I acquired there and it was the other of what I assumed,” she says. “I went in fairly silly and naive.”
I don’t take pleasure in drama. Drama enjoys me.
In a short time, Leah turned central to the drama on Love Island. And whereas she was by far the most well-liked contestant on Season 6—incomes the nickname the “Individuals’s Princess” and turning into the primary islander to succeed in 1 million followers on Instagram—one thing didn’t sit proper with Leah as soon as the cameras went down and he or she returned residence.
“I felt like every slight remark [after Love Island] was somebody making an attempt to prod the bear,” she says. “Even on the island, I didn’t need to struggle. I don’t like arguing with individuals. I don’t take pleasure in drama. Drama enjoys me.”
It wasn’t till she settled again in the true world that she was capable of absolutely course of why she went so viral on Love Island. “You’re irritable as a result of there are producers on the bottom they usually say and do issues to make you irritable, so you’ll be able to have the viral moments,” she says. “Now that I’ve come out, I notice lots of these bizarre conditions they put me by way of have been as a result of they acquired their finest moments once I was irritated, upset, or agitated. I get it. Nobody needs to observe a TV present of happiness and peace. They need drama. However on the identical time, I’m like, ‘Rattling, how a lot would you like out of me?’”
After the Season 6 reunion, Leah went viral once more for a TikTok remark seemingly saying that she’d reduce ties with the franchise. “I’m exhausted mentally bodily and spiritually from this whole expertise. I’m drained. I informed them I’m DONE after reunion,” she wrote on the time. Quick-forward half a yr later, and Leah now clarifies that her remark was directed towards the producers she’d labored with, not the present as an entire.
And whereas Leah confirms that she would by no means seem on Love Island as a contestant once more—even when she was single—sufficient time has handed that she would return to Fiji in a unique capability. “Beforehand, I used to be like, ‘I’d not return for something,’” she says. “However then, once I’m eager about it, I’m like, ‘Properly, I’m not going to be the one within the fucking challenges.’ I simply have somebody in my ear telling me what the hell to say, which I’d a lot desire.”
What motivates her most to think about a return to TV? Her followers and supporters. “Daily I get messages the place they’re like, ‘We’d like you again on our TV screens.’” she says. “You’ll not see Leah on the lookout for love ever once more on tv. However relaxation assured, I shall be again on TV a method or one other.”
May that return be her personal actuality present? “Truthfully, the choices are infinite,” Leah teases. “I don’t have a clear-cut imaginative and prescient, however they’re there and we’re them. We’re listening.”
There are two actuality reveals, nonetheless, that followers can rely on Leah by no means doing. “I don’t assume anybody needs to see me on Dancing with the Stars. I’m not a dancer,” she says. “Individuals preserve telling me to go on Traitors. I don’t know what that’s. I’m a granny. I reside beneath a rock. I see clips of it, and I nonetheless don’t perceive it. It looks as if a cesspool of negativity, at the least from what I’ve seen. I don’t need to try this. I can’t think about me sitting at that desk with that many males going nicely.”
Appearing can also be one thing individuals have approached Leah about. “One among my largest profession targets is to be the ultimate lady in a horror film,” she says. “I’m obsessive about these old-school, iconic horror movies—they’re so good. And I actually really feel I may completely channel that tremendous intense, thrilling vibe and produce it to life for everybody to see.”
Again on the Zoom name, Leah and Miguel are debating the date of their anniversary. Presently, it’s Leah’s birthday—August 11—when Miguel requested her to be his girlfriend. “I stunned her on her birthday that I used to be again within the States,” Miguel recollects. “I used to be ignoring her calls, ignoring her texts. She was getting pissed off at me. She was texting Serena [Page], who I had in on it, like, ‘Yo. What’s happening? Miguel, he’s ignoring me. If he doesn’t need to be with me, simply inform me.’ Serena’s messaging me like, ‘She’s getting pissed.’ I acquired Serena to deliver her to this restaurant pretending they’d a dinner deliberate, and I used to be there with a birthday card.”
[Love Island] was the other of what I assumed.
Miguel turns to Leah, “I requested her to be my girlfriend on her birthday. Once I requested you to be my girlfriend that day, I used to be like, ‘Rattling, our anniversary is gonna be a bit humorous.’” Leah responds, “We gotta change it.”
However what are the choices? There’s the day they met when Miguel arrived within the villa. “We must ask somebody what the day was as a result of we didn’t know dates,” Leah says. “Or possibly it could possibly be the day we had our very first kiss.” Miguel interrupts her, “No as a result of I kissed each lady within the villa,” to which Leah clarifies, “Bro! Our first precise kiss!”
Whereas Leah and Miguel can’t come to a consensus on their anniversary (the day they learn their vows within the Season 6 finale is an alternative choice), they agree on one factor: once they stated “I really like you” to one another for the primary time. Although Miguel technically stated “I really like you” to Leah in her birthday card asking her to be his girlfriend (“I assumed he simply didn’t learn it,” Leah affords), the true first time was once they have been within the Hamptons after filming ended.
“We acquired again from this celebration. I used to be kissing her, after which I ended,” Miguel recollects. “This thought that was in my head for a minute was now within the forefront of my thoughts, and I needed to say it. I checked out her, and I used to be like, ‘You understand what? It’s mad.’ She goes, ‘What?’ I am going, ‘I believe I really like you. No, I’m in love with you.’ She was like, ‘Nah, cease. You’re chatting. You’re simply drunk.’ I used to be like, ‘Nah, I’m being severe. You don’t should say it again. I don’t anticipate you to. It is extremely early, however it’s how I really feel. I really like you.’”
Leah didn’t say it again that evening. Quick-forward to a few days later, they usually’re in New York Metropolis when Leah pulls Miguel apart. “I had strep throat and he was taking such excellent care of me, so then I used to be like, ‘No, he was being severe. I believe he does actually love me,’” she says. “So I requested him, ‘Wait, did you imply that while you stated it?’ He was like, ‘In fact. I nonetheless imply it. I’m in love with you.’ And I used to be like, ‘I really like you.’” She cites her previous relationships as the explanation she didn’t say “I really like you” again instantly. “I used to be reluctant to say it straight away due to my luck and previous with males, so I maintain again fairly than give it my all,” she says. “As a result of once I did give my all, it simply ended up being thrown again into my face. So I used to be making an attempt to guard myself.”
Relaxation assured, I shall be again on TV a method or one other.
In a pair days, Leah and Miguel are additionally set to rejoice their first Valentine’s Day. They’ve plans however aren’t sharing them simply but. Within the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, Leah can also be launching her first main marketing campaign with PETA to advertise animal adoption as a option to discover your real love this V-Day. Leah, who has been a vegetarian since she was 10 years previous, additionally shot the marketing campaign along with her canine, Blue (named after the velociraptor in Jurassic World), a husky-cattle-dog combine that she adopted after seeing a photograph of her on a rescue’s Instagram. “My lady killed it. She was a fucking star. She ate me up,” Leah says. “However I’m so happy with her.” Miguel can also be one of many few males Blue has authorized of. “She’s actually protecting of me and usually hates males coming close to me. However I believe she is aware of that I’m good and protected,” she says.
Leah and Miguel realized at completely different moments on Love Island that their relationship was greater than only a showmance. For Miguel, it was when he wrote his vows for her within the finale. “You get an entire day to sit down there and write how you are feeling. With the ability to course of the whole lot we’d gone by way of made me notice I really actually like this lady loads,” he says. “It was actually solidified once I was in London. I’d solely take into consideration her. I’d solely need to discuss to her. We’d be on the cellphone for ages. I wouldn’t even need to go away my home.” He turns to her, “It was instances away from you that made me notice how a lot I actually preferred you.”
For Leah, it was their closing date, when Miguel calmed her down from falling aside of their first second alone. “That is tea. The ultimate date appeared cute from the clips I see on TikTok, however there have been a whole bunch of producers. It was essentially the most non-intimate interplay we had on your entire present,” she says. “They put me on this miniskirt on an ATV. I used to be crying due to how many individuals noticed my ass that day. Miguel was behind me the entire time holding my skirt down as a result of it was so windy. I used to be freaking out as a result of I used to be in a fucking G-string thong and there are all these males roaming round. Like I simply gave these males the present of their life. They acquired the nice factor without spending a dime. I used to be so unhappy, however actually the one good half was that was the one time Miguel and I have been fully alone.”
Whereas Leah hasn’t seen a single episode of her Love Island season (“I lived it. I’ve seen greater than the present has.”), it’s moments like these that make her prepared to suggest Love Island to another person. “I’d inform somebody, ‘Why not?’” she says. “I ended up leaving with a boyfriend, which I assumed I’d by no means do. I’ve gained buddies for all times. What’s the worst that might occur? Simply have enjoyable and fuck round. It’s by no means that severe.”
Sitting within the yard of her mother and father’ home six months after leaving Love Island, Leah lastly feels readjusted to common life. “It took me longer than I anticipated. I truthfully didn’t assume it was gonna take any time to regulate however I simply felt not myself,” she says. Regardless of her conflicted emotions about her expertise, Leah has no regrets. “I wouldn’t have traded it for something,” she says—earlier than trying off to the aspect the place her boyfriend sits just a few ft away. “I acquired the most effective particular person ever out of it, which is Miguel.”
CREDITS:
Photographer: OK McCausland
Artwork Director: Stephanie Cui
Stylist: Marc Eram with A-Body Company
Make-up: Nadia Tayeh with A-Body Company
Hair: Frankie Calire with Opus Magnificence
Images Assistants: Jackson Chihuly, Brandon Rivera
Styling Assistant: Anna Webber
MAKEUP:
Pores and skin prep: U Magnificence Tremendous Hydrator (Amazon
, Nordstrom, Revolve, U Magnificence)
Basis: Make-up by Mario SurrealSkin Luminous Hydrating Basis (Sephora)
Concealer: Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer (Amazon
, Sephora, Ulta, Nordstrom)
Contour: Danessa Myricks Balm Contour (Sephora)
Blush: Huda Magnificence Blush Filter Gentle Glow Liquid Blush in Strawberry Cream (Sephora)
Highlighter: KJH Hyper Shine Lite Pigment in Lite Gold (KJH)
Eyeshadow: Morphe 18CT Matte Necessities Artistry Palette (Amazon
, Ulta)
Lashes: Rokael Magnificence Eyelashes in Damaged Stars (Rokael Magnificence)
Eyeliner: Make-up by Mario Grasp Pigment Professional Eyeliner Pencil in Tremendous Black (Sephora)
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Forehead Wiz (Amazon
, Sephora, Ulta)
Lip liner: Make Up For Ever Artist Shade Pencil Longwear Lip Liner in Infinite Cacao (Sephora)
Lipstick: MAC Cosmetics M·A·Cximal Modern Satin Lipstick in “Fable” and “Gel” (Ulta, Nordstrom)
HAIR:
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray (Amazon
, Sephora, Nordstrom, Walmart, Revolve)
Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil (Amazon
, Sephora, Nordstrom, Walmart, Revolve)
Oribe Superfine Hair Spray (Amazon
, Sephora, Nordstrom, Walmart)