Love Island Fans, Meet Your New Host! Comedian Arielle Vandenberg to Preside Over U.S. Version

Aurelie Corinthios

Islanders, gather around!

On Thursday, CBS announced that actress and comedian Arielle Vandenberg will host the highly anticipated U.S. version of Love Island, which debuts with a special 90-minute premiere on July 9. New one-hour episodes will continue every weeknight through Aug. 7.

“As a huge fan of the show, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be hosting Love Island this summer,” says Vandenberg, 32. “I’m here for it all… the love, the relationships, the re-coupling… bring it on. I feel so honored to be at the head of the table watching it all go down!”

Arielle Vandenberg | CBS
Arielle Vandenberg | CBS

Vandenberg’s past TV credits include How I Met Your Mother, Greek and Bones, among others. The comedian also shares her content daily with millions of followers across her social channels, including Instagram, Twitter and her former weekly Snapchat interview series, Snap Hangs.

CBS secured the rights to the hit British reality dating series last summer. Love Island, now a cultural phenomenon, begins with a group of single “Islanders,” who come together in a stunning villa where their every move is monitored, Big Brother-style. (The U.S. version will be shot in Fiji, while the British version is shot in Mallorca.) Every few days the Islanders must couple up (sharing beds!), and those who fail to find a partner to couple up with risk being dumped from the island.

Challenges abound with new Islander arrivals and dramatic twists as friendships and relationships form. In addition to choosing their partners wisely, Islanders must also win the hearts of viewers, who have the opportunity to shape events on screen and ultimately crown one lucky couple the winner who will then have the chance to walk away with both love and the cash prize. The show airs five nights a week, so you’re following the action more or less live.

The British version, hosted by Caroline Flack, premiered in 2015 and was itself a reboot of Celebrity Love Island, which ran from 2005-06. Season 5 of the British Love Island is currently airing and the first five episodes will become available on Hulu on Saturday, with five more dropping each Saturday.

Love Island premieres July 9 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. All four seasons of the British Love Island are available on Hulu.