If you were dying to book a flight to Fiji after season 6 of Love Island USA, you’re not alone. The Peacock original’s breakout season was a historic success, finally allowing the North American spinoff to enter the chat, and in no small part thanks to Australian transplant Olivia Walker. Quickly mastering the art of being a bombshell, Liv’s ultimate gravitation toward girlhood (paired her with an allergy for bullshit) built an online fandom bigger than just the show.
“That whole thing feels like a fever dream,” Liv tells me, reflecting on some of her spicier moments in the Villa. Romantic love didn’t fly onto the tropical island for Liv last summer, but what a difference a year makes. Liv is now laugh/loving the American influencer dream in LA. I caught up with the reality star on girl code and filming her new show, Life Beyond The Villa (“It’s going to be a good summer,” she hints), and that rumored friendship breakup.
Betches: So, last season on Love Island, you didn’t find your love match, but you still made a lot of meaningful connections — especially riding for your girlfriends. When it comes to girl code, what’s your number one rule for being a good girlfriend?
Liv: I’m very grateful and I have a lot of friends that are also ride-or-die friends, and in saying that, it doesn’t mean that we always have to accept each other’s rights and wrongs. But I am someone who really appreciates someone being straight up and honest.
Same.
So, I feel like a girl code: they don’t want to bullshit with you. They’re just going to tell you how it is because I feel like that’s better than beating around the bush and seeing you kind of get hurt.
I totally relate to that as I get older and see my friends enter different kinds of relationships. Where do you draw the line between sticking up for your girlfriend and feeling like maybe I’m overstepping into someone else’s relationship?
I feel like that’s such a tricky line, and like I’m still trying to write that out as well. Correct me if I’m wrong, but no one really has it down pat. I’ve learned that sometimes people need to fight their own battles, but at least if you’re not vocally there, you could still show in other aspects that you’re there for someone. So, it is kind of a fine line, but I feel like using your intuition…like it’s better to be there and be wrong and maybe overstep a tiny bit than not be there at all.
What’s your best advice for the girls who are hearing about their friend’s horrible boyfriend all the time?
I’m no therapist or expert. My word’s not gospel at all. But I believe if someone can vent to you a lot, they feel comfortable with you, and that’s a beautiful thing.
I’m that hard truth friend. I’ll be like, “Hey, I don’t think this is working. I don’t think it’s the right time.” But I’m also not going to keep telling you. I feel like people need to work out things on their own. Just saying it once, being there, maybe pointing out the signs, but definitely don’t beat around the bush.
At the top of the trailer for Beyond The Villa, Miguel says, “Besties Liv and Kaylor are fighting.” So, I’m sure you can’t tell me everything quite yet, but overall, are you still as confident in your relationship with Kaylor as when you guys left the Villa?
I feel like the beautiful thing about this show is that we get to see friendships as a whole. You might have to wait until July to see how it plays out. But you get to see our real lives and see what we go through.
With a year to reflect, do you have any final thoughts on backseat gate?
Oh my God. The backseat gate.
Yeah, that.
We both learned and grew from the experience, and I think that’s what the beautiful thing about Love Island is. They say that you come out with three things and that’s a relationship, personal growth, and friendship. I got two of them, so I’m very grateful for that opportunity. But yeah. We go through experiences, learn from them, laugh, grow closer.
With you all moving to LA, did you see that as an opportunity to grow with other girls in the group, like PPG, and how is that going?
I feel like the new show was a great opportunity to dive deeper into friendships with other people that you might not have been able to see, just with how the show was built before. So, that’s something that I’m excited for the audience to dive into. Different relationships and different friendships evolve and get stronger.
Speaking of relationships evolving, a lot of your friends are in strong romantic relationships that they formed either during the show or now after the show, like Kaylor and her new boyfriend. I’m sure all of these relationships have their different strengths, but I’m curious if any one of these couples is your ultimate couple goals?
They’re all so strong, but they’re also so different and unique in their own way. I’m riding for all of them; there’s no one in particular. I’m closer to JaNa and Kenny in terms of relationships because I’m good friends with both of the parties in that.
What’s the status of your love life one year after Love Island?
Coming out of Love Island, moving to America, and just trying to work out what career path I want to go down. I’m like I need to work on myself, so at the moment, I’m just living life, focusing on my career.
Would you ever consider going back to Love Island for round two?
I’m very grateful Love Island gave me so many opportunities, and I had such an amazing time there. I cannot fault it at all. I would never say no to anything. I feel like going back, I kind of maybe understand a bit more, so it might take away the spark of the new feeling. But I would never say never.
