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Pictured: (l-r) Charlie Georgiou, Ace Green, Huda Mustafa, Jeremiah Brown, Isabelle ‘Belle-A’ Walker, Olandria Carthen, Nicolas ‘Nic’ Vansteenberghe, Cierra Ortega, Michelle ‘Chelley’ BissaintheCredit: Getty
 

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Ariana Madix hosts Love Island USA’s season 8Credit: Getty
The change would be a stark contrast to seasons past, which has a cast full of physically fit models and influencers.

Fresh off of Love Island USA’s incredible success of season 7, producers are gearing up to top the drama when season 8 hits Peacock in the summer of 2026.

While it’s still months away, the casting process has already begun and it may result in some major changes with how the show looks moving forward.

“They are really emphasizing this time that they want to find more wholesome people to go on the show,” an insider exclusively told The U.S. Sun.

“They’re looking outside of the typical large cities and focusing on suburbs too. Not to say that they will all be wholesome, surely that won’t be the case.

“But they want people who are very green to TV. Not a lot of knowledge of the show or how it works.

“I think they’re basically trying to avoid influencers just out there looking for their 15 seconds.

“But they did emphasize they wanted anyone applying to show their full, big personalities,” the source explained.

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Ariana Madix poses with the cast of Love Island as they show off their bikini bodiesCredit: Getty
 

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(l-r) Cierra Ortega, Amaya Espinal, Huda Mustafa, Huda Mustafa, Olandria Carthen, Hannah Fields, Michelle “Chelley” Bissainthe, and Iris KendallCredit: Getty
The casting producers “prioritized confidence above all else,” the insider claimed, and people who embodied that trait were chosen over others who didn’t, despite their body shape or size.

“They prioritize confidence above all else. Girls who didn’t appear confident are cut on the spot, even if they are physically stunning.

“The casting directors had people of all different backgrounds and body shapes and sizes, though, I’ll give them that.

“They seem to want to deliver a type of cast they’ve never tried out before,” they added.

The show is no stranger to criticisms that it has only cast thinner bodies in the past.

“Can we talk about how the USA version of Love Island has notably less body diversity than the others??” a viewer asked during last season.

“The way this show would be 100X more interesting if they chose people who weren’t stick-thin wannabe models,” a second fired off.

“When are we finally gonna get different bodies on this show?” a third asked.

While one more firmly stated: “This show has a huge problem with showcasing different kinds of beauty and sizes.”

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Love Island USA season 7 aired on Peacock this past summer and created several big stars, including Huda Mustafa, Chelley Bissainthe, Kordell Beckham, and Hannah Wright.

Host Ariana Madix once again hosted the drama-filled reunion and is expected to return when season 8 airs on the NBC streamer next year.

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Pictured: (l-r) Zak Srakaew, Olandria Carthen, Andreina Santos, Iris Kendall, Zac Woodworth, Elan Bibas, JD Dodard on Love IslandCredit: Getty
 

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Ariana Madix shows off her amazing figure as she hosts Love IslandCredit: Getty