Ariana Madix Reveals She Had ‘A Lot Of Fun’ Hosting The ‘Love Island USA’ Reunion With Andy Cohen

The “Love Island USA” season 7 reunion premieres tonight on Peacock, and Ariana Madix is ready for it all.

The former “Vanderpump Rules” star just finished hosting her second season of the popular reality dating show, and hosted her second reunion shortly after. Also joining her on stage, in addition to the fan-favorite islanders, is Bravo head honcho Andy Cohen.

In a new interview, Madix opened up about what it was like working with Cohen in a different capacity and also shared how she felt now that she’s a host, rather than a regular cast member, being grilled with tough questions.

Madix And Cohen Made The Dream Team During The ‘Love Island’ Reunion

The season 7 “Love Island” reunion isn’t the first time Madix and Cohen have worked together. Over the years, Cohen has hosted several “Vanderpump Rules” reunions, while also interacting with Madix on episodes of “Watch What Happens Live.”

Although they were familiar with each other in that regard, Madix told PEOPLE that working alongside him on “Love Island” as hosts was something entirely different. She said, “I feel like throughout the day I learned a lot from him and his ability to take charge.”

And Madix wasn’t only referring to Cohen gathering the islanders sitting on the reunion couches. “… take charge just of what was going on. And I learned a little bit like, ‘Oh, I’m allowed to do that,’ which is great,” she said before admitting, “We had a lot of fun together.”

Madix Felt Different This Time

Madix also reflected on her past reunions, explaining that putting the islanders in the hot seat sometimes makes her “feel bad,” as she’s been there herself. However, the veteran reality star does see a positive in the tough questions.

According to her, asking the cast difficult questions gives them the opportunity to take ownership of their behavior and offer clarity to the audience.

She also explained that the most challenging questions are questions the audience also wants to know. “So it’s their moment, their opportunity to explain how they feel, how they felt in the moment. So it’s a tough question and it’s a hard subject sometimes, but it is something that allows them to express more deeply how they feel,” she said.

Cohen Praises Madix For Her Work On The ‘Love Island’ Reunion

While discussing the “Love Island” season 7 reunion on his radio show, “Andy Cohen Live,” Cohen echoed Madix’s statements and also praised her work ethic, saying spending time with her was “really fun.”

“And we really found a great rhythm. And again, I’ve never co-hosted anything except New Year’s Eve with Anderson. But we got into a really good rhythm and I just loved working with her,” he continued.

The “Real Housewives” EP also called the program “well-produced,” explaining that the producers and crew members executed the challenging task flawlessly.

“And there weren’t 30 people out there at once, which would be really challenging. But you really saw and heard from everybody, I think. And everybody looked so good. It was so surreal for me to see them all ’cause I was just a fan,” he said.

The Reunion Teases Much Drama

Peacock released an official sneak peek of the “Love Island” season 7 reunion late last week, showcasing never-before-seen moments from the show and even more explosive confrontations.

Eliminated cast members, such as Charlie Georgiou and Hannah Fields, seem eager to get to the bottom of why their fellow islanders voted them off the villa. But that’s not where the drama stops.

Ace Greene and Jeremiah Brown seemingly come head-to-head, while Chelley Bissainthe and Olandria Carthen call out Huda Mustafa for insinuating they bullied her on the show.

Online, users immediately began sharing their unfiltered thoughts about the trailer, with several expressing their excitement about the drama that’s sure to unfold.

Madix Told The Cast To Mute Social Media After The Show

With that, it’s no surprise that Madix issued a word of advice to the islanders’ families before they left the show, urging them to take precautions to lock down their social media accounts.

“I also think the people running their social media pages need to be on top of blocking, deleting, and setting limits on words etc. on their pages,” she said, according to a previous report by The Blast. “They shouldn’t see any of that when they get their phones back.”