Love Island narrator Iain Stirling cheers US drama

Iain Stirling, the voice behind Love Island U.K. and Love Island USA, says he has stayed close to the show’s chaos without getting pulled into it—and that last season’s Nicolandria pairing, plus this year’s Kenzie storyline, keeps him watching.

On a summer night, the “Love Island USA” opening number doesn’t just land on a screen—it draws people into a ritual. Iain Stirling’s voice is the one that cues that moment as the show begins, setting the tone for a new season of romance and conflict.

Stirling, the Scottish comedian who narrates both the U.K. and U.S. versions, described how the experience feels both immersive and strangely distant. “It feels like such a privilege, and it’s also sort of outer-worldly,” he told USA TODAY. “I’m sort of out of the bubble of what it is actually like out there.”.

He said he occasionally sees the scale of the phenomenon from the outside. “Every now and again. we’ll get sent a clip of a sports bar showing ‘Love Island’ on all the TV screens and people losing their minds and stuff. ” he said. “It’s a show in itself. how big it is.” That distance. he added. is deliberate: “I’m sort of a bit distant from it. which is also quite nice.”.

Stirling said his daily routine keeps the show contained. “I’m just always in this room with my family on the other side of the door,” he said. “I don’t get caught up in all the madness. I just come in here, write some jokes about some beautiful people, and then go to sleep.”

The U.S. edition has expanded into everything from living rooms to watch parties across America. and Stirling’s narration has become part of the culture around the show. “Since joining as narrator of the U.S. iteration. the Scottish comedian’s cheeky jokes have become just as essential to the American audience as they are to viewers of the U.K. flagship series,” the interview describes.

He also recalled how his presence was received early on. When he was brought in to narrate Love Island USA Season 4. he had been concerned about being accepted overseas. especially in a reality setting where voiceovers aren’t as common. “I was convinced after a couple of weeks people were going to be like. ‘I’m really sorry. man. but no one understands a word you’re saying. ‘” he said. “I didn’t think the Americans would give me the time of day, but everyone has. It’s been great.”.

Those jokes are also woven into small moments that can get overlooked by viewers focused only on the big confrontations. Stirling pointed to the way he teases Kenzie and Corbin’s first difficult conversation on the dock. and the moment when Kayda was dipping apples in what appeared to be ketchup. Collaborating with New York-based comedian Caroline Hanes, he and Hanes build punchy one-liners around the villa’s day-to-day happenings.

“You’re in this sort of world of ‘Love Island,’ so the jokes aren’t necessarily referenced in politics or geopolitics,” he said. “Generally speaking, it’s what’s going on in the villa.”

His workflow mirrors that separation between his life and the living-room spectacle. He said he works on material for the U.S. and U.K. remotely—something he described as the only option that would fit around family time. “There’s no other way it would work. I do the U.K. show in the afternoon, and then I do the American one until three in the morning,” he said.

Stirling said he watches closely when a storyline pulls him in—especially last season. He described getting deeply attached to Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe. a pairing that became a defining twist after the two were dumped from the island and then paired together. Their “ship” name became “Nicolandria.”.

“Last year’s American and U.K. shows were amazing,” Stirling said. “I always loved doing the show, don’t get me wrong, but last year I felt like I was properly in it.”

He didn’t hide how much he invested. “And I became a sort of ‘Nicolandria’ simp for a little bit. That hasn’t happened to me in a few series, so it felt good.”

He later said the pairings made him feel like a viewer again. “They made me feel like a viewer again,” Stirling said.

Nearly a year later. Olandria and Nic have launched successful careers post-show. and Stirling continues to track the ripple effects of their breakout. “Olandria and Nic are two of the breakout stars from Season 7. ” the interview notes. and it ties their popularity to a major twist that shaped the season’s storyline.

For this season, Stirling has been following Kenzie. She was initially coupled up with Zach until he turned his head and decided to explore his connection with bombshell Kayda. Kenzie reacted tearfully to Zach’s decision, telling fellow contestants that he said he didn’t like blondes.

Stirling framed Kenzie as someone who fits a different kind of expectation inside the villa. “I think Kenzie is a great example of all those islanders [who] have always been the good-looking ones. That’s where they sit in society,” he said. He later added, “I think she’s going to find her lane. She’s going to settle into it.”.

After that pivot, Kenzie began getting to know other boys in the villa, including Sean and Gabriel. At the time of publication, she is coupled up with Corbin.

Even so, Stirling said his involvement doesn’t stop at the romance. He also talked about one of the show’s favorite recurring moments: breakfast. Each episode includes islanders waking up and cooking to start the day.

Asked about his ideal villa breakfast, Stirling described a mix of British and U.S. favorites. “In the UK, they’re obsessed with making these iced coffees and they look so legit. I’d like one of the iced coffees. and then I would have waffle. fried egg and some sort of syrup or honey. ” he said. “I think that would be my dream.”.

He added that waffles are harder to find in the U.K. “We don’t get waffles in the UK … they’re not very popular, so when I see the guys on the waffle machine in the morning, I get very jealous,” he said.

For Stirling, the appeal of Love Island USA isn’t just in what happens on-screen—it’s in the way the show keeps producing moments big enough to fuel jokes, and messy enough to make people watch again tomorrow night.

Love Island Iain Stirling Love Island USA Nicolandria Olandria Carthen Nic Vansteenberghe Kenzie Corbin Kayda Sigala