Leah Kateb Says ‘Love Island’ Producers Tried to Get in Her Head About Miguel ‘Every Day’

Two years after Love Island USA season 6, Leah Kateb is still adjusting to just how much one summer in Fiji changed her life. She went into the villa expecting to come home and pick back up with school and medical device sales. Instead, she came out to millions of people suddenly invested in what she did next.

On Not Skinny But Not Fat, Kateb catches up with Amanda Hirsch about what that shift was actually like, the assumptions people made about her along the way, and the relationships fans still have plenty of opinions about.

Below are the highlights from the conversation, adapted from the episode. 

Leah Kateb’s Life After ‘Love Island’ Looks Nothing Like She Expected

Did you really think ‘Love Island’ was just going to be a free trip to Fiji?

“Yeah, totally. I thought I was going to come back home, like, normal. All is well. I can just continue on with my days. I was like, it’s a free trip to Fiji. And I hadn’t gotten on a plane in like four years. I was just doing school and work. I was doing medical device sales, and I was in school for public health…I thought I was going back though. I thought I was going back to my normal—I thought I was going to my classes.”

How did you handle everyone wanting a piece of you after ‘Love Island’?

“It was overwhelming, but I also was someone that—and I am still to this day, like, I will never take a brand deal or something like that just for money. It’s just not the type of person I am. I understand my platform and I also understand that what I’m promoting, people are seeing it. So I really don’t promote anything unless it’s something that I personally love and use. I’ve said no to a lot of sh*t. But I just don’t care. I feel like my morals are always above a lot of that.”

There was an assumption online that you grew up extremely wealthy. Is that true?

“I didn’t. That’s another thing. I did not…My parents both moved here when they were in their 20s and they didn’t even speak English. They worked really hard to get to where they’re at. Like my parents didn’t grow up rich. My dad is a CFO and my mom is a microbiologist and she owns her own business. They had to learn English; they were both dishwashers when they got here…

…I’ve had a job since I was literally 15. I’ve been working. I was in an apartment, like I paid for that. I did not have any of the stuff that I have today.”

Is Miguel really your first serious boyfriend?

“I really would say that this is technically my first real relationship, to be honest. I’ve had relationships—situationships, we shall call it. It was never really boyfriend-girlfriend. Maybe I thought I was his girlfriend. He definitely did not think…[Miguel] has never had a girlfriend, so I’m his first. I feel like we’re just so similar and we’re both really chill people…I feel like we’re both very go with the flow type of people and I think we really just mesh very well.”

Do you want to marry Miguel?

“I do want to get married. I’m just not someone that’s like—I don’t want a date or something. And also I’m like, I just feel like—you know that saying when it’s like, you tell God your plans and he laughs? It’s like that type of thing. So, I’m like, let things happen as they should. I’m not someone that’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, if we’re not married by this date, then we’re done.’ He knows when I want to get married, though. There’s not a date. I think ideally 30 is probably my latest because I want to have kids too…

…I feel like we’re already married. We have a house together. We basically have kids already. We already have our lives together. I feel married. I love it though. I’ve always been such a lover girl, so my heart is really happy. I am such a ‘my man, my man type’ of person.”

People are somehow still shipping you with Rob. What do you make of that now?

“I think it’s so crazy that people hold on to these moments so deeply, that it’s like, guys, this was two years ago…it was like a f*cking week…I’ll still see edits of us and this and that. And some people are like, ‘You should leave Miguel.’ And I’m like, guys, guys, we’re losing the f*cking plot here…I don’t think [Rob is] a bad person. I don’t hate anyone. And I actually am really happy for him and proud from afar.” 

Were producers actually trying to interfere with you and Miguel? 

“Actively. Like every day. They would be saying, like, ‘Miguel doesn’t see things with you outside of the villa, but this guy said he does.’ And I’m like, b*itch. Little do they know, that actually worked on me better. I was like, now I need to make him see something when we’re outside of the villa…I really didn’t give a f*ck, to be quite honest. I was just kind of doing my own thing. Even if he didn’t want to be with me out there, I’m not going to beg him. I was just like, see where it goes.” 

Want the rest? Listen to the full episode of Not Skinny But Not Fat, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Read Next:

• A ‘Love Island’ Star Spilled the Behind-the-Scenes Secrets Producers Don’t Show You
• Kenzie Annis Played ‘Love Island USA’ Like the Men and Somehow Became the Problem
• Before ‘Love Island,’ Huda Mustafa Thought Becoming a Mom Had Ruined Her Life