The Islanders aren’t the only ones to have found love thanks to hit reality series Love Island, with host Sophie Monk’s time on the show also leading her to husband Joshua Gross.
“We met on a plane on the way back from Love Island,” Sophie tells TV WEEK. “Love Island brought me love. If I hadn’t flown to Spain to film I wouldn’t have met him. That’s pretty cool.”
When filming for the latest season wrapped, the couple celebrated their eight-year anniversary in Fiji, with Joshua joining Sophie, 46, on her work adventures after stepping back from his own career in neurosurgical robotics to support hers.
“I’m definitely co-dependent,” Sophie admits. “He comes everywhere with me, but I love it. I don’t care if it’s wrong or right. He’s my best friend.
“I’ve travelled and gone to nice places and it can make you sad because you’re alone, so I’m so grateful I get to do it with him.”
Fiji is also where Sophie filmed the new season of Love Island, which was shot in the USA Love Island villa rather than its usual Spanish location.
“Fiji is so lovely,” she says. “I’m pretty spoilt. A lot of people film TV shows in the middle of nowhere, and I get to go to paradise because the show is Love Island.
“All the Islanders walked in starry-eyed with the villa,” Sophie adds. “I don’t know if it was the villa being in Fiji, or that it was the USA villa, but they all just clicked in a certain way. It’s the best reality TV I’ve seen.”
Love Island USA host Ariana Madix handed over the keys after filming the US season, earning plenty of love from Sophie, who says she’s a fan.
“I think she’s awesome – I love her so much,” Sophie gushes. “I feel a bond. We all [the international Love Island hosts] follow each other, which is nice. I’m protective of them because I love the brand so much.”
Sophie is just as protective of the Islanders, particularly when their search for romance inevitably ends in heartbreak.
“I feel it’s my job to nurture them and be there for them,” Sophie explains. “I think with Love Island you see the bathing suits and think it’s just a shallow reality show about appearances. But, psychologically, it’s fascinating. It’s all so primal.
“It’s escapist viewing, but it’s real heartbreak. You can’t go on this show thinking, ‘I just want to be famous,’ because you’ll either get voted out or sucked in. You can’t not put your heart into it.”
And, with the Islanders facing the pressures of public scrutiny, Sophie, who’s spent 25 years in the entertainment industry, knows exactly what it’s like to have your life played out in the headlines.
“I used to get bullied by the media,” says the former Bachelorette star.
“Now it feels like the opposite. I’ve had it forever and learnt how to deal with it. You really can’t teach someone how to deal with it all anyway.
“Touch wood, I get no bad comments this season!”
Love Island premieres Monday to Thursday at 10am on 9Now and 8.30pm on the Nine Network.
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