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Her hat’s off to reunion “king” Andy Cohen.
Ariana Madix revealed to Page Six that she took a page out of the Bravo honcho’s book when it came time to moderate her own reunion for “Love Island USA” Season 6, which she described as “very intense.”
When we caught up with the “Vanderpump Rules” star Thursday night in Los Angeles at DirecTV Gets Real with People & Entertainment Weekly, we asked whether she has a “newfound appreciation” for Cohen, who has moderated hundreds of reality show reunions over the years, including 11 for “Vanderpump Rules.”
“Oh, always!” Madix — who hosted Thursday’s event — replied.
“And he gave me the best advice beforehand. He just said, ‘Don’t be afraid to go out there and to be you and put your own stamp on it.’ Obviously, he’s done so many reunions. He’s literally, like, the king of it! So it was really amazing to be able to get some advice from him before doing it.”
But Madix, 39, didn’t just moderate the “Love Island USA” Season 6 reunion, which aired last month; she hosted the barrage of episodes that preceded it.
It was a dream dual role for the former bartender, who told us that “Love Island” is still her favorite show.
But unlike watching the Peacock dating competition series from the comfort of her couch, where she can freely vocalize her opinions on the contestants, Madix admitted that she “absolutely” had to show some restraint while in front of the cameras.
“As host, there is leeway for you to feel how you feel and have a bit of your own opinion, but at the same time, you do have to be as impartial as you can,” she explained.
“It’s tough sometimes because you’re watching all these things happening, and you’re rooting for everyone to find love, and you’re rooting for everyone to be treated properly. But of course, life happens.”
Madix’s career took off after her then-boyfriend Tom Sandoval’s shocking affair with “Vanderpump Rules” alum Rachel “Raquel” Leviss was exposed last March.
Since then, Madix has appeared in a handful of commercials, competed on “Dancing With the Stars,” published a book, starred in the Broadway musical “Chicago” and opened a sandwich shop — in addition to landing the coveted “Love Island” gig.
After her very public heartbreak, the blond beauty picked up the pieces of her life and unexpectedly found love again with New York City-based fitness guru Daniel Wai, who remains both her boyfriend and her personal trainer.
Though Madix has always been fit, she showed off an incredibly chiseled physique while hosting “Love Island USA” Season 6, which was filmed over the course of six weeks in Fiji.
“You truly have to eat correctly. There’s no way around it. I learned that,” Madix told us. “And [Wai] writes my workouts for me.”
“But also, when I was in Fiji,” she made sure to note, “I was in the gym every day because I had nothing else to do.”
Though Madix gushed that things with Wai, 41, are going “great,” she refused to disclose whether he’ll be appearing on “Vanderpump Rules” Season 12.
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