Love Island's Bria And Andy On Connecting With Their Villa Exes And More - Exclusive Interview
Pretty much all of us know what it's like to find ourselves in a sticky romantic situation — and if you're one of the lucky ones who hasn't felt their stomach drop into their feet when love is on the line, take this as your sign to thank the universe for your good fortune. When love triangles and potential heartbreak are on the chopping block, it's difficult to know how to react, let alone predict what's going to come next. Put a camera crew in front of you — and a villa filled to the brim with gorgeous singles — and what you've found is a recipe for drama.
This is the situation that "Love Island" USA Season 4 stars Andy Voyen and Bria Bryant found themselves in. In the bottom four, Andy and Bria realized that there was a distinct possibility that they'd be sent home, despite their connections with Mady McLanahan and Timmy Pandolfi, respectively. What transpired was a brutal letdown that — at least for Andy's part — was unexpected, and amid their exodus from the show, we sat down with the eliminated duo for an interview.
Of course, we had to get into the nitty-gritty. What happened between Andy and Mady, and will they ever connect outside of the villa? How does Bria really feel about her fellow female "Love Island" stars, after feelings about Bria's love triangle were made crystal clear? Is Bria's brother, Chazz Bryant, going to continue on his journey to find love in the villa, even though his sister was rejected from the pack? What's next for these two stars, now that they have significant platforms? The pair didn't hold back their feelings about "Love Island," the drama in front of and behind the camera, and what's up next for them.
The duo had mixed feelings about being in the bottom four
Let's start with the obvious — the elimination. What it was like for you both to find yourselves in the bottom four?
Bria Bryant: It's no secret I was in a little love triangle situation, so I know that many people in the villa, or a few people in the villa, were not too happy about it. I was not super surprised to find myself in the bottom, because [Timmy Pandolfi] did choose to be with Zeta [Morrison], so it wasn't too surprising. I felt like, "Oh, cr*p. I really hope that I get to stay tonight." But I knew that also my relationship with some of the other girls ... I felt like if it was their choice, there's a chance I might not be here tonight.
Andy Voyen: Yeah. For myself, I was a little surprised to be in the bottom two couples. I felt like Mady [McLanahan] and I were hitting our stride with growing our relationship and where we were going. To hear [that] Courtney [Boerner] and Bryce [Fins] or even Sereniti [Springs] and Chazz [Bryant], who were going through a little bit of some drama when all this was going down ... I was a little surprised to be in the bottom two.
I did know going against Timmy that Timmy and Zeta had a very strong relationship since day one, and I know that they were, at the time, starting to rekindle that a little bit. I did go into that feeling that Timmy probably was going to be chosen over me solely because of Timmy and Zeta. I was a little shocked being in the bottom two couples though.
Andy took risks in the villa. Did they pay off?
How did it feel knowing that your fate was in the hands of the other islanders?
Andy: I am okay with it being in their hands. They've been with us in the villa and seen our connections. To put the decision in their hands is not ideal, and I also knew, going against Timmy [Pandolfi], I didn't stand the best chance. I had great connections with all the guys, so I have no regrets about my time on "Love Island."
Bria: Like Andy said, it's obvious, but it's [not] ideal, for it to be in their hands. It makes sense. They know — they've seen the inside relationships that we made and the connections we made, so it makes sense. But I also think there's a con to it where some of the decisions could be biased. They go for whoever they're closer friends with or whoever they think are their friends ... They'll save the guy that their friend wants. They'll do things like that, so there's pros and cons to it.
Well, with a show like "Love Island," time isn't really on your side. I would imagine — correct me if I'm wrong — so much of the decision-making comes down to what happened on that day, specifically.
Andy: Yeah, [with] time on "Love Island," one day in there feels like a week in real life. I'm not going to lie. I guess that's why, initially, I went from Courtney [Boerner] and showed interest right away in Mady [McLanahan] when she got there. I knew time was super short in there, so I was okay being vulnerable [and] putting myself out there. Then I took the risk on Sydney [Paight]. Then I went back to Mady, [and] I was super excited that I did that, knowing that time is super short within the villa, so a day in there feels like a week in real life.
The duo dish about host Sarah Hyland
Talking about the girls, Bria, Deb [Chubb] made a point of saying that they saved the girl who deserves a fair shot at love. What's your reaction to that?
Bria: My reaction was, "Hmm?" I didn't make a face at the time, but definitely, on the inside, I was like, "Hmm." Mady [McLanahan] was there an extra week before me, so I think she had extra time for anyone to have whatever connection that she wanted to make. She mentioned that she moves at a slower pace than maybe what was considered normal in the villa.
I had a really quick turnaround. I was trying it out with Timmy [Pandolfi] and then Jeff [Christian Jr.] came in, but I wanted to still see if it was going to work with Timmy first. It didn't. Then I had my day where I felt bad and sad about it, and then the next day I'm like, "Okay, Jeff, where are you at? Let's try to have a connection." I felt like we had an attraction, we had some similarities. My turnaround was really quick and I was able to go at that pace, and I felt like I didn't have the opportunity to continue those connections.
Sarah Hyland made a surprise appearance to guide this elimination. What's going through your head when you're going through this process?
Andy: I was the very first guy to walk out on day one, so to walk down and see Sarah Hyland — first off, super cool, [I was a] big "Modern Family" fan back in the day. She was a phenomenal host, and [we were] chatting back and forth with her and getting to know her a little bit. She is a phenomenal host for "Love Island" and a great representation for everything "Love Island" is.
I love that. Bria, anything to add to that?
Bria: My first impression ... I hadn't met her except for the night that I got eliminated. For me, it was a bittersweet moment meeting her. I was like, "I'm happy to see you. I've always wanted to see you in person." It makes your "Love Island" experience feel super real when you see the host. But I definitely was like, "Oh, s***" in the back of my mind.
Bria reflects on Chazz and her experience with her brother
Bria, specifically, your brother was so sad to see you go. What has that shared experience been like for you? What are you hoping that he's going to accomplish while on the show?
Bria: I hope that he finds a connection, one where it's reciprocated for him. Ultimately, him being there longer than I've been there and staying true to himself and making those right decisions for himself, I'm really proud of him already. I feel like he's already winning, or I feel like I'm already winning, watching him go. I'm still cheering him on. But we have a unique experience now to share together. We already did so much together, but it's like we're close-close now.
Talk about having a wealth of stories to share around the Thanksgiving table this year.
Bria: Seriously, it's going to be some great holidays to come just to share these stories with everyone.
Andy reveals if he'll reconnect with Mady after the show
Andy, you mentioned earlier — and on the show as well — that you didn't see your elimination coming. Tell me about what initially caught your eye with Mady [McLanahan], and in retrospect, what happened there? What went wrong there?
Andy: Mady right away checks all my boxes. Obviously, physical-wise, she's so beautiful, and everything I look for in my past, she kind of was. But then when I got to know her personally — her career, her ambition — she's got a great head on her shoulders. She's super sweet, genuine, [and] family-oriented, all things that check my boxes. I guess why I was considering exploring other options is that I did come on "Love Island” knowing that I don't want to leave with any regrets. I still had a little piece of my mind with Sydney [Paight] of like, "Hey, I need to explore that a little bit to see if it is something." That's why I took the risk with Sydney there.
At the end of the day, it brought me right back to Mady — like this is where I'm meant to be. That was the reason why I felt I should go with Sydney, just to say, "Hey, I don't want to leave with any regrets." That's why I made that decision. But Mady is — I cannot say a single bad thing about that girl.
Are you open to reconnecting with her once the show is over?
Andy: I don't know what the future brings for her. Obviously, I am excited to talk to her again and see where her head's at. Also, knowing the reality of the situation, she's all the way down in Oklahoma and I'm up in Minnesota. I don't know, but I'm not going to close the door off. Once she gets out of the villa, we'll see where everything's at.
What's next for Andy and Bria?
Now that you both have had this experience, what's next?
Bria: I'm really into fashion, so I want to continue my future in fashion — styling or personal shopping, whatever — but definitely incorporating that with my social media, now that it's looking even better than it did before. I definitely want to incorporate my fashion with my social media and do something there.
Andy: I want to get back into the TV world, but now within my profession. Because I'm a realtor, I would love to get on HGTV. I would love to get some sort of real estate, whether it's selling homes or flipping homes, because I also work with a lot of flippers. I would love to get back on TV, but in the real estate world this time.
"Love Island" USA Season 4 drops new episodes Tuesdays through Sundays on NBC's Peacock, with recap episodes releasing on Saturdays.
This interview was edited for clarity.