Nestled away in a villa in Fiji, contestants coupled up in an unusual way this season, as the islanders were tasked with playing a matchmaking game where they kissed contestants based on shared compatibility questions. After the icebreaker, the women chose their matches by standing outside their potential mates’s doors, which left some of the men completely single and vulnerable.
After the initial couples were formed, host Ariana Madix introduced a twist by bringing in two “bombshells,” who are contestants that are added randomly to test new connections and stir things up in the villa. The two first bombshells were given the power to steal two men and two women away from their partners for 24 hours.
Among the new bombshells is Kayda Bosse, a 22-year-old model and server from New Hampshire. The New England native is already making waves in the villa.
“I’m a 10 out of 10,” Bosse said as she entered the villa alongside fellow bombshell Gabriel Vasconcelos. “These men are going to fall to their knees for me.”
After arriving, Bosse quickly caught the attention of islanders Zach Georgiou and Bryce Alakai Dettloff. Before the first recoupling, she whisked both men away to a private bungalow outside the villa, where she spent time getting to know each of them. She ultimately chose Georgiou, leaving fellow islander Kenzie Annis single after the season’s first fire pit recoupling.
From their first conversation, Bosse and Georgiou appeared to share a strong connection.
“I like a guy who knows what he wants,” Bosse said of Georgiou during their first date before the pair shared a kiss.
Now, the couple appears to be growing closer, with Bosse turning down advances from other islanders, including Sincere Rhea.
“The conversation just didn’t flow,” Bosse said of Rhea after one of the season’s first challenges.
During episode three, the challenge required contestants to reveal embarrassing experiences and answer personal questions about their dating histories. Based on their answers, fellow islanders decided who would be pushed into the villa’s pool, creating awkward moments and early tensions among the cast.
Although Bosse entered the villa after the original cast, she wasted little time making an impression. In the teaser for an upcoming episode, Bosse is seen cozying up to a new, mysterious bombshell.
While, Bosse is the first New Englander to show up so far on season 8, she isn’t the first local to appear on the show. Past “Love Island” alums from the area include Everett native Bryan Arenales, who won “Love Island USA” last season. Meanwhile, Joel Bierwert, also from Massachusetts, appeared on season 4. Toni Laites, from Connecticut, was the first American bombshell on “Love Island UK” and won with her partner Cacherel Mercer.
Celine Hijazi can be reached at celine.hijazi@globe.com.
