With the release of Love Island season six, the already popular reality dating show has been the center of attention like never before. Season six features all the right amounts of affectionate connections and exciting drama, while projecting the islanders strong personalities that keep viewers entertained and wanting more.
So how does the life of the islanders play out when they return back from their Fiji villa getaway? The amount of support shown by loyal fans has forever changed the lives of everyone on this season of Love Island, some more than others. Leah Kateb, specifically, has emerged as one of the most admired islanders and continues to prove why she is a fan favorite from the show.
Leah is notably the most popular islander both in and out of the villa. Going from a 49.6k following on Instagram before her Love Island debut to a whopping 2.9 million after, undeniably shows she gained the largest fan base compared to the other islanders.
Leah’s large following can be attributed to her strong and relatable personality. From her first day in the villa, Leah made an impression on viewers. She projects herself as a dominant female character with threatening energy who knows how to deal with any problems in the villa.
Love Island fans are also familiar with the PPG, or The Powerpuff Girls. This is the name Leah, Serena, and JaNa have given themselves since their trio began to form. These girls and their couples were the top three in the finals.
The social media presence of the PPG girls has added to their popularity and relevance outside of the villa. By posting on TikTok and Instagram with each other and broadcasting their friendship and relationships outside of the villa, they are giving fans content they cannot look away from.
Social media’s infatuation with Leah has led to the creation of many fan edits and trending audios of iconic snippets of dialogue from Leah during her time in the Fiji villa.
Additionally, Leah has posted a number of Get Ready With Me’s, reaching millions of viewers with these videos. The products she uses are being glorified and sold out in stores everywhere as people are infatuated with the idea of being like her.
Leah has also been in interviews, collaborations, and most popularly her feature on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alexandra Cooper. In this podcast episode she shared her perspective on her Love Island experience and the drama with her fellow islanders. The public’s response to this interview showed how loyal Leah’s fans are as they validated her words and resonated with what she said.
Leah’s maturity is another factor that has shown the public she had the ability to be level headed and not blatantly say mean things about the islanders–But Leah does know how to throw shade and has no problem sticking up for herself or the other PPG members.
Leah was also able to connect with her audience through her failed connections in the villa. Her first connection, and most notable one, was with Robert Rausch, a returning season 5 islander. Their connection, although fleeting, immediately grabbed the attention of watchers. Following her unsuccessful connection with Rob, Leah remained unbothered and allowed Connor Newsum to pursue her. This was another short lived connection as Leah struggled to reciprocate Connor’s feelings and he was ultimately dumped from the villa.
However, when hot new bombshell Miguel Harichi arrived in Fiji, Leah was smitten. Although Leah and Miguel were not drawn together initially, they were able to get to know each other better and build a connection.. Even when their connection was challenged, Leah and Miguel managed to work things out, becoming the runners-up in the season finale.
Ultimately Leah is the most famous islander to come from this season of Love Island USA. Her fame is due to her unmatched sense of humor, strong attitude, and her ability to make and maintain relationships with islanders outside of the villa. It may sound cliche but Leah has become a role model for viewers across the world and has shown people how to be a secure and unbothered woman that knows her worth.
