It was just two years ago that Ariana Madix’s name was plastered all over the news when her boyfriend was caught cheating on her, all while cameras were rolling for “Vanderpump Rules.”
Since then, she has changed the conversation about herself, thanks to her hosting gig on the hit reality-television show “Love Island USA.”
“It’s just been a lot more fun to be on the end” as the host, Madix said, “rather than to be on the other end of it being about your own life.”
Now, with two seasons of the dating show under her belt, she is back for “Love Island Games,” which brings former contestants together to compete in challenges and potentially get a second (or third, or fourth) shot at love. It began streaming on Peacock this month.
In addition to the “Love Island” franchise, over the past two years Madix, 40, played Roxie Hart in “Chicago” on Broadway, opened a sandwich shop with her friend and “Vanderpump” co-star Katie Maloney, and hosted a “Love Island” reunion with Andy Cohen.
“It does seem maybe that I’m busy constantly,” she said. “When it is really busy, I think, like, ‘Wow, I really wish I had a vacation.’ But then when I’m on a vacation, even if I have a few days off to myself, I start not knowing what to do with myself and I start feeling bad.”
During a phone interview from Fiji, where she was preparing for “Games” to begin filming, she chatted about her love of Korean food, her gym routine, and why she considers “The Holiday” the perfect movie. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
The Gym
Sadly, I’ve learned that cardio does work, so I’ve incorporated that into my gym time, as much as I hate it. I put on loud music in my headphones, or sometimes an audiobook, and I just really zone out. I feel like it’s a really good thing for my brain.
Electronic Dance Music
It makes me feel free. And sometimes it makes me feel like a superhero or a robot or unstoppable or like you can’t defeat me. The term E.D.M. covers so many different kinds of subgenres of that, and I kind of love them all. So depending on the mood, it might be a little bit more melodic and pop and or it’s a little bit more heavy techno.
Do-Not-Disturb Mode
When I can go on do-not-disturb, I think it’s truly the only time that I feel like a real human again. When I think back to when I was a kid and I didn’t have a cellphone, or even when we had our Nokia phones in high school, you weren’t constantly available. People trying to get ahold of me probably hate it, to be honest, but I only do it for a few hours a day. But I maybe want to do it more.
My Sandwich Shop
I am biased, but I’m also right. I’m just really proud of our little shop.
‘Love Island’ Fan Edits
People get really creative. They’ll take one line someone said, and then they’ll put all the cool music behind it. It’s a very fun, cool thing that I think shows how much people love the show. Sometimes they’re really beautiful, like the Nicolandria ones. I was like, “They’re seeing what I’m seeing,” all the little clips of them looking at each other.
Crunchy-Looking Leaves
It might be six feet out of my way, but if it looks really crunchy, I’m going to go step on it. Maybe start from the heel and slowly lower onto it to really get that crunch. I love doing it. It’s been a very satisfying thing for my entire life.
Kimchi Jjigae
I am a slut for two things: kimchi and soup. And this is basically like those two things got married and had a baby. I think we are so blessed in New York and L.A. with amazing Korean food.
Audiobooks
I don’t have a particular genre. I like to bounce around. If I just listened to something that was more nonfiction or autobiographical, the next one might be something like fantastical fiction. It just becomes, for me, difficult to read a physical book. So I’m very grateful for audiobooks because I can still have this literary world be a part of my life.
‘The Holiday’
I would watch it in the summer, but I try, almost as an exercise in restraint, to prevent myself from watching it until after Thanksgiving. I’m obsessed with, like, the fake movie trailers. I have dreams of going to the Cotswolds. And I love the little L.A. inside jokes. Jude Law when he puts glasses on. I just think it’s the perfect movie.
Musicals
I was a theater major in school, I was obsessed with theater as a kid. I always go back to “Hamilton” — I will listen to “Wait for It” four or five times a day.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
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