Nic and Olandria on What the ‘Love Island’ Cameras Missed

Summary

Modern Love Podcast

Episode: Nic and Olandria on What the ‘Love Island’ Cameras Missed
Host: Anna Martin
Guests: Alandria Carthen & Nick Van Steenberg (from Love Island USA, Season 7)
Date: August 27, 2025

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Overview

This episode of Modern Love dives into the post–Love Island USA experience of Alandria Carthen and Nick Van Steenberg, widely celebrated (and debated) as the season’s “slow burn,” “friends-to-lovers” couple. Host Anna Martin explores what was real and what was lost in the edit, how the pair navigated behind-the-scenes pressures, and what it’s like to try to keep love alive after leaving the villa—and coming under the scrutiny of a passionate TV audience.

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Key Discussion Points And Insights

1. "The Edit" vs. Reality: What You Didn’t See

• Editing & Perception: Alandria expresses strong frustration at how the show’s editing painted her as “desperate” for Taylor’s affection, omitting his reciprocation and misrepresenting their dynamic (13:02).
  • “Do you think I would really put all this effort into a man that’s not putting in an effort for me? I know I’m confident, and I’ve been trying to clear that up… I am not delusional, guys.” – Alandria (09:11)
• Fan Reactions: Anna details the polarized fandom: some accused their romance of being strategic, while the “Nicolandria Army” passionately supported its authenticity (02:00).
• Taylor’s Real Character: Both defend Taylor from viewer backlash, explaining that the show didn’t capture his attentiveness and effort (11:35).

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2. Personal Backstories & Motivations

• Alandria’s “Overhealed” Approach: After a formative and overly forgiving relationship, Alandria entered Love Island vowing to give grace and second chances, even if it made her more open to heartbreak (05:11).
  • “After I just done away with that situation, I was like, you know what? The first red flag I see, I’m out. Like, I cannot… So when I was asked to come onto the show, I was like... We’re gonna believe in second chances.” – Alandria (05:08)
• Nick’s Restless Transience: Post-breakup, Nick prioritized travel and independence, only agreeing to the show as a potential chance to find connection—admitting he wasn’t actually ready for real commitment at first (07:14).

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3. Friendships and Romantic Twists Inside the Villa

• Triangles, Squares & “Soul Ties”:
  • Nick describes his season as a “Bermuda Triangle” between Ciara and Bella, revealing the emotional labor and internal struggle, rather than a fun “player” situation (21:08).
  • Iconic kisses—especially the one in the “Soul Ties” area—sparked massive fan investment, even though both initially denied romantic connection due to guilt about others’ feelings (24:53).
    • “In that moment in time, I did feel something… I didn’t allow myself to truly feel what I wanted to feel when it came to Nick and admitted to him… I felt terrible for Sierra and Taylor.” – Alandria (25:23)
    • “You watch that playback, it’s like—how are you going to tell me you didn’t feel [anything]?… I’m looking at myself, telling myself, ‘You literally zoned out for a moment.’” – Nick (28:13)
• Building Gradually: Their connection was a “slow burn,” developing from mutual support and friendship as each navigated drama with others (29:22).
  • “If you tell a rom com writer to go write a rom com, you’re gonna write a story about Nickelandria.” – Nick (29:41)

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4. Dealing With the Public: Fame, Pressure, & Privacy

• The Parasocial Tsunami: Nick and Alandria discuss the strain of parasocial relationships (fans’ intense investment in their romance), and how it adds pressure to perform love for strangers (30:34).
  • “In reality, we’ve been together for a few weeks… There’s so much pressure for us to get married and have kids. But this is our real life relationship.” – Nick (31:07)
• Boundaries After the Show: Now they’re prioritizing privacy, real-world pace, and tuning out fans’ expectations around public displays of affection or accelerating their commitment (31:57).
  • “We don’t need to be sharing our relationship anymore, to that extent… The true supporters will realize that.” – Nick (31:57)

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5. Defining the Relationship (DTR)

• Labels & Modern Dating: Deliberately label-free, they say they’re “dating” but not “boyfriend/girlfriend”—highlighting both the fleeting time since the show and the lessons of moving at their own pace (32:24).
  • “We’re not girlfriend boyfriend yet, but it’s like this thing we’ve been building over time… Like, whether or not you want to call that girlfriend or boyfriend, I call that, like, a strong relationship.” – Nick (32:31)
  • “In the real world, Love Island aside, I don’t decide to be someone’s girlfriend within the two or three weeks. Like, come on, guys.” – Alandria (34:20)

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6. After the Reunion: Choosing Privacy, Handling Hate

• Reunion Aftermath: Having re-watched the season and survived the reunion, both are done defending their romance and plan to limit what they share publicly, especially as viewers pick apart both their connection and each other as individuals (37:57, 39:22).
  • “At first, I was so open… But I don’t know, here lately, it’s just been insanely intense. So I kind of just want to keep it private…” – Alandria (37:57)
  • “We were so open in the villa. It’s kind of nice to finally dictate how much privacy we want to have… The decision right now is: keep things private.” – Nick (39:22)

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7. Friendships & Support Networks

• Loyalty and Betrayal: Alandria opens up about her disappointment with former villa friend Huda, who she says didn’t stand up for her when faced with racist online hate during the show’s airing (40:32).
  • “Me, even having to ask her to speak out towards the racist fans… It’s something you should have automatically did if you truly cared about me.” – Alandria (40:47)
• Support Systems: Both explain how friendships inside and outside the villa became lifelines for surviving scrutiny and hate—from Nick and Alandria relying on each other, to Alandria’s lasting bond with fellow contestant Shelly (42:38).
  • “Just, you know, keeping the screen time limited, and, you know, calling her, seeing where her head’s at, still checking up on each other as if we’re in the villa.” – Nick (43:17)

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8. Emotional Growth: Communication Skills Learned

• Being More Open: Love Island forced both to have frank, vulnerable conversations about their feelings—something they say they’ve brought into real life (44:44).
  • “It kind of for you into those uncomfortable positions to have those conversations. So I became more confident in having those conversations…” – Alandria (44:44)
  • “As men, it’s hard for us, but that whole Love Island experience made it a bit easier. So I still try to pull Landry for, you know, chats.” – Nick (45:15)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• (03:03) Nick: "In the real world... relationships are so hard... when you have this like story ending, you know, grand finale of coming back to each other after all of this, you know, BS... people resonate with the hardships."
• (04:37) Anna: "Why did you both think you were single?"
  (After a long silence, both laugh and bond over the awkward vulnerability.)
• (15:18) Anna: “I thought I was doing it right. I just want to find love so bad.” (Describing Alandria’s emotional moment to camera, the first time viewers saw her vulnerability on TV.)
• (29:41) Nick: "If you tell a rom com writer to go write a rom com, you're gonna write a story about Nickelandria."
• (31:07) Nick: "In reality, we've been together for a few weeks... There's so much pressure for us to get married and have kids. But this is our real life relationship."
• (34:20) Alandria: "In the real world, Love island aside, I don't decide to be someone's girlfriend within the two or three weeks. Like, come on, guys."
• (39:22) Nick: "Now, the decision between Alandria and I is keep things private."
• (44:44) Alandria: "Being in the villa, you had no choice. Pretty much all of your chats were centered around your true feelings… I became more confident in having those conversations."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:00: Introduction to the “Nickelandria Army” and fan presence
• 05:08: Alandria explains “overhealing” post-breakup
• 09:11–13:32: Alandria defends her efforts with Taylor; both dispute how editing depicted them
• 21:08: Nick describes the “Bermuda Triangle” of his villa relationships
• 24:53–28:13: Soul Ties kiss—both admit to feeling something beyond friendship
• 29:22–31:57: Defining the friends-to-lovers arc & dealing with audience pressure
• 37:57–39:22: Decision to prioritize privacy after the reunion, addressing fan backlash
• 40:47: Alandria candidly addresses feeling let down by a friend amid racist hate
• 44:44–45:34: Takeaways about emotional communication learned from the experience

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Episode Tone and Closing

The episode strikes a vulnerable, lively, and occasionally exasperated tone. Both Nick and Alandria are candid not only about their feelings for each other but about the costs of fame and the distortions of reality TV. They balance humor and introspection, pushing back against public misperceptions while refusing to let those voices dictate the pace or shape of their relationship.

Memorable Sign-Off:

• Nick (45:37): “We’re going on a hot air balloon and having dinner. I don’t know how or when… Yeah, I’m trying to figure it out right now.”
• Anna (45:51): “Nick, Alandria, what a pleasure. Thanks for talking to me again.”

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Summary

Nickelandria’s journey, as unpacked here, becomes both a mirror for modern dating dilemmas and a parable about boundary-setting in the age of reality TV. The episode underscores: what viewers see is never the whole story; love can grow even under the weirdest scrutiny; and learning to communicate—and say "no" to the outside world—is often the bravest act of all.

Transcript

[Anna Martin]

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[Alandria Carthen]

Indeed.

[Anna Martin]

Indeed.com NYT terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Love now.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

And did you fall in love last love.

[Alandria Carthen]

But stronger than anything.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

You love for the love love and.

[Alandria Carthen]

I love you more than anything there's to love love.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It's interesting to see how things were edited and cut up and versus, like, the people that you know from living in that experience.

[Alandria Carthen]

Like, I know what the reality of everything was. It's gonna be hard to see, like, the narrative that's being pushed, especially when it comes to me. Cause I'm like, ugh, that. That's just not me. Like, you know.

[Anna Martin]

This week I talked to the steamiest couple from the biggest reality show of the summer, Alandria Carthen and Nick Van Steenberg from Love island usa. They told me all about what really happened at the villa, the kinds of stuff we don't get to see. And they also told me what's happening with their relationship now. From the New York Times, I'm Anna Martin. This is Modern Love. Or should I say Modern Love Island. So you two just shot the reunion. I know you can't answer any questions about it. We're going to follow up once it airs. But we're so happy to have you in the studio when you're in New York, you are perhaps two of the biggest stars of the biggest reality show on TV right now, Love island usa. For people who don't know the show, I don't know how they've avoided it, but I'll just sort of lay it out. You met Nevilla. You lived with a bunch of other sexy singles. You competed in challenges. You had no access to the outside world for more than a month. Right. And you spent a lot of this season coupled up with other people. But through a series of dramatic twists and turns, you ended up together. Correct. People could not look away from your story. And I think it's fair to say that it also kind of divided audiences. Right. There were people who were skeptical who said, you know, this is a relationship that was Formed so they didn't want to get kicked off the show. And then there are other people, the Nicolandria army, who believe your connection is so genuine and so aspirational that they've made three hour fan edits of your most romantic moments on YouTube. You've seen them?

[Alandria Carthen]

Yep.

[Anna Martin]

I want to start there. It's like, what do you think it is about your relationship that makes people so obsessed?

[Alandria Carthen]

Well, we won't take this or you.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Want me, I can go really quick. I just think like in the real world, I think relationships are so hard and it's not that fairytale that it is in like movies. And so when you look at our relationship from the TV standpoint, it's like, yeah, we were into each other day one, and then we went through all of these like trials and tribulations, you know, going dating other people, doing, you know, kissing other people, a lot of things with other people. And then when you have this like story ending, you know, grand finale of like coming back to each other after all of this, you know, BS that I think people like resonate with the hardships of their real relationships is like seeing the hardships in our.

[Alandria Carthen]

I feel like a lot of people feel so seen within our story. I don't know, a lot of our supporters are like huge book readers and they love rom com. So it's like, oh my gosh, it's just so beautiful to see it happen in real time. Cause it wasn't scripted, it was all natural. So to see it naturally happen in that way. I don't know, we just captivated the audience in that sense. So I truly feel like the first day I kissed Nick and then he kissed me. The second day, it's like this cat and mouse game and then they see him yearning. Like you don't really see men yearning for women in this day and age. And then with him being a fair skinned male and I'm a dark skinned female, but seeing him seeing me being loved out loud resonated with a lot of people in my community. It's like, oh, this is beautiful. Like dark skinned black woman being yearned for and loved out loud by someone that looks like Nick. It's like, this is beautiful. Like this is like healing the world in a sense because you don't see this often, especially not in real time.

[Anna Martin]

Before you went on Love island, you're single, that's why you're on Love Island. Why did you both think you were single? Long pause.

[Alandria Carthen]

I'm sorry, I was single again.

[Anna Martin]

Feel free to think it's a question.

[Alandria Carthen]

So I've only been in one relationship my entire life. I got into that relationship my freshman year of college, and it was a three year relationship. I've been single for five years. We've broken up in 2020. So honestly, I truly felt like from that situation, at times I felt like I overhealed.

[Anna Martin]

Over healed.

[Alandria Carthen]

Over healed?

[Anna Martin]

You said that on the show. I think literally. What do you mean by that?

[Alandria Carthen]

So in my relationship, considering that it was my first one, I truly found myself being way more forgiving than I should have been. Blinded by, like, the potential of a situation or a person rather than a pattern. Like, that was right in front of me. Like, you know what? You're just not. You know, instead of just seeing it for what it was, I just saw it for what I wanted it to be. And after I just done away with that situation, I was like, you know what? The first red flag I see, I'm out. Like, I cannot. Like, the moment that I forgave somebody so much, I looked up in three years passed me by.

[Anna Martin]

It's like you learned your lesson so much from the hurt that you went through that it was sort of like after that, you were very strict. If there's one red flag, as you say, I'm out.

[Alandria Carthen]

I'm out.

[Anna Martin]

Over heeled. I like that.

[Alandria Carthen]

Over healed, literally. So when I was asked to come onto the show, I was like, you know what, Alandria? We're gonna believe in second chances. We're gonna believe in giving grace, extending grace. Like, you're gonna know the value in that. Which is why me and Taylor's situation dragged off for so long. Cause I didn't want to be that girl anymore. To write people off immediately. It's like, you know what? I'm not coming into this show with that same mindset. I want to be more open. I want to learn the value of second chances and the value of G. Did it kind of get me embarrassed? Yes, but I learned so much from it.

[Anna Martin]

And what about you, Nick? Like, what were you looking for before entering the villa? What was your. Who did you normally go for?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, I think before the villa, I'd been, you know, a year and a half prior. That's when I broke up with my ex. So after that, I just started traveling all the time, like, living out of suitcases. And like, I never was one to, like, at that time in my life, like, I didn't have really a home. So I didn't have, you know, if I could barely take care of myself, like, how am I going to take care of a girl kind of thing. And I was just, you know, having fun and, you know, floating around. And when the show reached out, it was like, okay, this could be, you know, a good opportunity to, like, get a girlfriend. And if that happens, great. If it doesn't happen, then I'll just go back to my old ways. But did you feel.

[Anna Martin]

Can I ask you, like, did you feel. It sounds like you were. Is agnostic the right way to put it? Like, oh, yeah, if I find love, that's great. And if not, back to my suitcase. Did you feel like you were ready to be in a relationship?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Honestly, at that time, I don't know that I would be ready. Looking back on who I was back then. No, but like she said, I've grown through this process, and I've realized that it would be nice to have, like, a person, you know, to. To do life with, because a lot of these times when I was traveling, I'd be doing it alone. And, like, I'm always thinking, like, there's. There could be someone out there who I could be doing this with. And, you know, sharing experience with somebody is, for me more fulfilling than doing those experiences by myself.

[Anna Martin]

I want to now dive into the show itself, Alandra, starting with you. For a lot of this season, as you mentioned, you were trying to make it work with this guy Taylor. He was a cowboy, which is what you said you wanted. Right. And let's just pause on that.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Like, she got one.

[Anna Martin]

She got.

[Alandria Carthen]

Hello. Classic Nick.

[Anna Martin]

Are you a cowboy?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, I went to my first rodeo this weekend.

[Anna Martin]

Okay, well, pause.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It was actually with Taylor at Taylor's house. So, you know, that's an interesting. That's an interesting dynamic. But Taylor and I are best friends, so it's like, I don't know. It's interesting, but Taylor's the one teaching me how to be a cowboy.

[Alandria Carthen]

How to be a cowboy.

[Anna Martin]

There's some deep relationship metaphor here that I'm not, like, you know, like, on it enough to. To make in the moment. But let me just say for. For those who. The. The uninitiated, Taylor's the person you were coupled up with for a lot of the season.

[Alandria Carthen]

Correct.

[Anna Martin]

Who ultimately did not choose you. Opening up the way for you two to. From your relationship. And you guys went to Oklahoma to.

[Alandria Carthen]

I did not.

[Anna Martin]

Okay.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Just.

[Alandria Carthen]

Just me. Just to be clear.

[Anna Martin]

Just the voice. Okay. Very fun. I will say, you know, as someone watching this, and you've certainly heard this from. From fans, maybe from friends or family, you know, watching you work so hard for this connection was a little bit tough because it seemed like Taylor was just not reciprocating that effort.

[Alandria Carthen]

Exactly.

[Anna Martin]

Looking back now it's a month out from, you know, the show ending. Why do you think you put so much work into that relationship?

[Alandria Carthen]

Because Taylor was reciprocating the energy. It just was edited to where you guys couldn't see that. You know, you think I would really put all this effort into a man? That's not putting in an effort for me. I know I'm confident, and I've been trying to clear that up as much as possible in the media, because I'm like, I am not delusional, guys. I know my words. I am a beautiful woman that has a lot to offer. Taylor was put in the effort. He was a gentleman. The women loved him. He was very attentive, like, attention to detail. He remembered people's tea orders, coffee orders, breakfast. How did I say? Breakfast? Like, he was very with women. And I like with me, when it comes to a guy, it's not more so physical, because physically, Taylor's cute, but it's, like, not someone I would go for. For the outside world. I love the way he treated women. I love that he was very attentive. And when I say I wanted a cowboy, I like the mannerisms of people, of men from the country. I truly feel like when it comes to chivalry, opening doors and things like that, I feel like country men prioritize that when it comes to women. So that's what I meant when I said I wanted a cowboy. Me being from the deep South, I'm from Alabama. That's all I'm used to. You get what I mean? So when I was in the villa, I was like, you know what? I want a man that treats me like a woman, a man that helps me up and down the stairs without me asking. Open doors, sure. But in the villa's, like, there's not.

[Anna Martin]

Really that many doors.

[Alandria Carthen]

Exactly. So, like, in other ways, like, how can you show me that you're a gentleman? And Taylor literally mirrored that perfectly.

[Anna Martin]

I appreciate that.

[Alandria Carthen]

Unfortunately, it was not shown, but that's why I was trying so hard to reciprocate some type of energy back into him, because I was like, you know what? I believe in reciprocation. I don't believe only men should be putting in all this effort. I love showing control of my person. I hear you. I see you. I want to reciprocate this energy back into you, which is why I went as far as, like, making dates for him and cooking for him and things like that. Because I want him to know, like, I'm here with you too. Like, I don't want you to feel like you put in all this effort for nothing. That's why I was going so hard. Really wish y' all got to see on the flip side that he was going just as hard for me too. But unfortunately you guys didn't. But that's. Yeah, that's why I was doing that.

[Anna Martin]

And maybe, and I appreciate you clarifying that and maybe that's why it makes sense that you and Taylor are like, hanging out together to a lot of people.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It doesn't make sense. Yeah, I personally, I haven't seen the show, but I think. What? What?

[Anna Martin]

You haven't seen the show?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

No, but like, what they saw was maybe like a lack of communication. I don't know.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah, I know in like episode like the first, like the first week, he told like, Ace, like, oh, the physical attraction isn't there.

[Anna Martin]

Right.

[Alandria Carthen]

So the viewers are already saying, like, oh, Taylor's just stringing on Landry alone. He's not doing this. She's trying so hard to get him to like her and he's just not doing anything. We all saw Taylor trying. Am I lying?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

No. And that's the unfortunate part is Taylor's receiving all this backlash for, you know, being not a gentleman. But we know like the character of Taylor, who he is. And although maybe like there was some communication lacking, you know, which was. That was, you know, that was a thing. But that, that whole edit is not the embodiment of who Taylor is.

[Anna Martin]

Did Taylor and Andrea's relationship seem one sided to you or. It sounds like no, as an observer to me.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

No. But at the same time, like, I was dealing with my own relationship. So everything that I saw was I would thought was positive.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I don't know. It looked like he was taking care of her and she would do things for him as well. Like she was setting up dates for him. He was setting up the trouble.

[Alandria Carthen]

Which is probably why he chose not to. Which is probably why he remained distant too. Cause he saw like from the outside, Taylor. Taylor was trying. And I was trying with Taylor. So it might have. That's probably why, I mean, for sure took a backseat on it.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

You know, when you see your best friend, you know, doing these great things for this great girl, it's like, I'm not gonna impose on that when I'm dealing with like this Bermuda Triangle of a situation.

[Anna Martin]

We will get to that. Triangle.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Modern Love. Modern Love Island Episode title. There you go.

[Anna Martin]

I want to just close it. It's like, so you are this edit that you got that made it seem like Taylor was not as attentive. That doesn't feel true to you. And I'm sensing some frustration or sadness. For sure.

[Alandria Carthen]

For sure. Because you get out and you hear these podcasts, like, speaking on my character of who they think I am. I'm like, I am not this desperate girl that's like, oh, Elantra needs to look in the mirror and see who she is. I'm like, I do know who I am. I know who I am. But praise of God. Like, I want to scream it in their face. But at that time, I didn't realize the type of edit that was put out to where El, like, Taylor was uninterested. I'm like, no way you think I would get on national television, you know, coming after this man, trying to get him to see who, like, choose me. Pick me. Like, are you serious?

[Anna Martin]

You know, this is great to hear you say.

[Alandria Carthen]

Even when my mom came, she was like, girl, what the hell is going on with you? I was like, hold on. What the. What the hell?

[Anna Martin]

What have you been seeing?

[Alandria Carthen]

Literally.

[Anna Martin]

That's the strange thing about being so sequestered.

[Alandria Carthen]

I was so caught off guard. Cause she could only, like, tell me so much.

[Anna Martin]

That must have been really destabilizing.

[Alandria Carthen]

Oh, my goodness. I was, like, paralyzed on this. I'm like, what the. If my mom is coming at me. Cause she's very blunt. She gives it to me blunt and uncut. She was like, girl, you need to lock in, like, for real. And that's when I knew. I was like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Like, I feel like a weird edit is getting pushed. And my mom is like, girl, who are you? Like, I know my daughter. Like, you ain't. This ain't you. What's up? You know? So that's when I knew, like, okay, something's up. So when I came out of the villa hearing podcasts, and I'm just this thirsty girl. That's beautiful. That's trying to get this cowboy to see who I am and get him to choose me, I'm like, hey, I'm not this thirsty girl. Y' all think I am at all. And I try to speak to Taylor's character as much as possible. Cause I know he's being a lot of hate, too. The only disconnect between me and Taylor is, like, the communication thing. Like, you should have told me sooner. You know, how you got glass. You got Frosted glass. He was frosted. Like, I see some shadows in there, but I don't know who that is. Like, you know, I see objects moving around, but I can't truly see, like, what's going on. Like, be. You know what I mean? Be honest and just be blunt with me. I was very blunt. Might have been too blunt for America, but I was very blunt. So I was like, give it to me straight whether I hurt. Like, this is hurting my feelings already. So it's just like you being blunt and being honest with me is not gonna hurt my feelings more. I love the clarity. I love just being freed from whatever this is. Just be honest.

[Anna Martin]

Frosted glass. I'm about to use that in my room.

[Alandria Carthen]

Frosted glass.

[Anna Martin]

You know it. There's this one moment that you have, which to me is one of the most emotional moments of the season. You think you're gonna get kicked off the show. You're worried you're gonna get kicked off the show. Then there's this moment where you look directly at the camera. Do you remember what you say?

[Alandria Carthen]

You say, I just want to. I thought I was getting it right. I thought I was doing it right.

[Anna Martin]

I thought I was doing it right. I just want to find love so bad. And your voice is very emotional. It almost kind of cracks in that moment. And I was so moved by it, because I really felt like it was one of the first peeks we had at how tough this had been for you. What was happening in your head at that moment?

[Alandria Carthen]

At that moment, I thought I was being dumped. I was like, you know what? I came here with an open mind, an open heart. I left all of my bad qualities at the door. You know what I mean? And I came into Fiji with an open mind. You know what? I wore my heart on my sleeve. I expressed my emotions to Taylor, and I was very open with my emotions, even on television. So I'm like, this is big for me because I'm not that open when it comes to people or that vulnerable. So the fact that I was giving him second chances and extending grace, and I was like. I thought I was getting it right. Like, you know, this is something I don't usually do in the real world. So I decided to do the opposite here. And I was like, you know, I came here with the right intentions to find love. And here I am being sent home for no reason, you know? Well, not for no reason, but, you know, I thought I was being sent home. So I don't know. It was just very tough for me, too. Cause I'm like, ugh.

[Anna Martin]

It was really affecting and very relatable. I've never been, you know, dumped from an island but certainly I've yet call me but you know season eight. Certain season eight. We'll be right back. This podcast is supported by Searchlight Pictures.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

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[Anna Martin]

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[Anna Martin]

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[Alandria Carthen]

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[Anna Martin]

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[Nick Van Steenberg]

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[Anna Martin]

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[Alandria Carthen]

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[Anna Martin]

Lowes we help you save. Valid through 93 mums offer in store only. Selection varies by location while supplies last. More terms and restrictions apply. See Lowes.com rebates for detail. I'm turning to you, Mr. Bermuda Triangle. For a lot of this season you were coupled up with someone, a woman named Ciara. She was very direct with you, it seemed about how much she liked you. What was it about that relationship that was working for you?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I think the very first thing was that the connection of like how she loves to travel. And there was just so much connection past, like the. Excuse me, sorry.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah, also we can take a little sip.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah. I might have to thank you New York Times for this water. I think that we just had a connection from like traveling and our interest in modeling and like kind of this working in the same industry. And that was all within like the first few hours of meeting her. And at that time I was, you know, a couple doubled up with another woman named Bella.

[Anna Martin]

Yes.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

And for me, it was like that, that verbal communication and that connection that, like, surpassed that relationship.

[Anna Martin]

You became exclusive, right? You like.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah.

[Anna Martin]

You closed off.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah. And I think that things just, like, clicked. It was, like, easy to work past problems with her and like, when an issue would arise, it would be, I don't know, just easy. Like, everything was easy about it and it just flowed well and then boom, like, she gets removed from the villa without me knowing.

[Anna Martin]

So, yeah, we later find out that's because of social media posts she made. She since apologized for. She gets removed. I wanna linger just before that for a second. You say it seemed easy. Was that sort of frictionless connection? Was that something you, you were looking for? Like, did it feel like you were putting in work, I guess, or did it just feel very effortless?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I would say effortless. Like not in, like a negative connotation, like a really positive one. Just like free flowing, you know, simple. Like talking about life outside the villa. And for me, like, closing things off is a big deal. So, like, sorry, being exclusive is a big deal.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

But, like, you know, the villa turned another way.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

You know, now we're here.

[Anna Martin]

So you've talked about the Bermuda Triangle. Can you explain what that means? What is that triangle? How are you getting lost in it? Tell me what's up.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I think the story of the Bermuda Triangle is that it's hurricaney, people go missing, it's hardship. And for me, in my head, it was extreme hardship. And I mean, to the outsider view, it's like, okay, you have two girls. That should be easy.

[Anna Martin]

And let's say who the points were in this triangle.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, it was me at one point. And then the other point of the triangle is Bella. The other point is Sierra. So I think for that first I was just so split between, like, hurting I'll be potentially hurting somebody's feelings and like, sending somebody home. And yeah, it was just like, hard to deal with and navigate through the villa. So that was the Bermuda Triangle.

[Anna Martin]

Then ultimately, you and Sierra developed this connection. Things seem to be going very well. But I will say you two keep finding each other in the challenges, which are, you know, take many different forms, but generally involve, you know, making out. It's a very early challenge where you're blindfolded, you approach, you don't know who it is, but you get this amazing. You give her an amazing kiss. I mean, you guys do so much kissing on this show. I'm like, are you kissed out by the end of it.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, you are. There's like, a recovery, literally, when it.

[Alandria Carthen]

Comes to challenges and it involves kissing. It's like you just black out. Like, it's just. It literally.

[Anna Martin]

How often did you think about that kiss?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

The day two, that blindfold one throughout the show? I don't know. For me, that was our proper first make out session. So I think that was kind of the precedent for the rest of the challenges being like, okay, I want Alandria every kiss. So, yeah, that was definitely the strong foundation of what the rest of the season would become.

[Anna Martin]

Can you talk to me a little bit more about why you didn't just be like, hi, that was me. Those amazing lips. Those were mine.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I have no problem being upfront and confrontational with people. I think it was more in my head. It was like, okay, I can be her secret admirer. It was cute how she didn't know. I remember looking at her from across on day two, and she was like, who kissed me? I know. It was someone with a scruffy beard. And I started feeling, yeah, yeah. I was like, scruffy.

[Anna Martin]

You said a closed beard. And I was like. I was screaming at my screen like, it's Nick. It's Nick.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah. And I kind of was just looking across like, yeah, bro.

[Alandria Carthen]

What was that stare across when? Like, it. Was it after you kissed me or before you kissed me? You was, like, looking at me like. Yeah, it was like a deep stare.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Or before probably.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah, it was, like, very focused.

[Anna Martin]

You felt like you couldn't pursue because you were doing your thing with Taylor.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah.

[Anna Martin]

Things.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It's. It's Bermuda Triangle and Bermuda Square would have been. I would have had to remove myself from the island.

[Anna Martin]

That would have been tough. How do you navigate that? Just really get lost.

[Alandria Carthen]

That would have been crazy if it.

[Anna Martin]

Was all through too much.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah.

[Anna Martin]

We have to talk about another kiss, of course. Which is the kiss in Soul Ties, which is an area of the villa with just a sign that says Soul Ties. Right. Like, sous is a big deal.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

There's aura to it.

[Anna Martin]

There's Soul Ties.

[Alandria Carthen]

If we see somebody going Soul Ties, they're going to Soul Ties.

[Anna Martin]

I know, but I'm like, Soul Ties.

[Alandria Carthen]

If someone is taking you to Soul Ties, you're locked in.

[Anna Martin]

Okay, Totally, totally. No, the Soul Ties. You two have this kiss, right? You're. Till you're still technically involved. Unbeknownst to you, many members of the viewing public had mobilized behind you two were really shipping you hard. I want to set the scene of this kiss. You're laying in soul ties very close. Talking about how you kiss during the challenges, but only during the challenges. And then you have this kiss boom.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Fireworks.

[Anna Martin]

Oh, my God. I mean, I really, like, sometimes I felt like I had to look away because it was so intimate, passionate. I'm like, you know, taking a sip of my water, whatever. Then the day after you two say that you didn't feel any romantic connection. And I am so excited to be able to ask you this directly. Like, how. How that kiss was so steamy. You really were like, we're friends.

[Alandria Carthen]

Okay.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

How's. How's a dang good question because you can go ahead.

[Alandria Carthen]

Okay. So in that moment in time, I did feel something. It was a great. Like, I didn't realize how steamy the kiss was until I watched it back. Cause we've kissed so many times in the challenges. So it's just like our kisses are all kiss blindness.

[Anna Martin]

You have kiss blindness.

[Alandria Carthen]

When I watch back, I'm like, oh, shit. Like, I.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Soul ties has aura.

[Alandria Carthen]

Oh, it was crazy. I'm there, you know, when we kiss, I'm like, okay, this is nice. Like, I feel good. Like, you know what I'm saying? It feels just as good as it does in the challenges or whatever. So when afterwards, like, I kind of felt like, a sense of guilt. Cause I know how Sierra was having a hard time in gossip. Cause she was really missing Nick.

[Anna Martin]

He knows who Nick is with.

[Alandria Carthen]

And this is before, like, she was crying. I have all that playing in my head. And then at that time, Taylor. I did not know Taylor did not find him physically attractive, all that stuff. So it's like I felt like I owed him something. So I was like, oh, my gosh, I gotta tell Taylor and I gotta tell Sierra. I feel bad.

[Anna Martin]

It's external noise for you. Yes.

[Alandria Carthen]

So me being the person that I am, I'm always considering everyone else's feelings when I make decisions. And it's like in that moment in time, I felt terrible for Sierra and Taylor. I felt like I owed them so much. So I didn't allow myself to truly feel what I wanted to feel when it came to Nick and admitted to him. Like, I like this and I wouldn't mind, you know, but at the same time, I know not only did I know Sierra was missing Nick, I know he was missing her too. Whether that was portrayed or not, I knew he was, you know, so it was just like, I don't even wanna do this to you anymore. Like, you know. Cause I know he was in a triangle before. He was like, it didn't feel good being on that end of it and it doesn't feel good being on the other end. So I was like, I don't even wanna put him in a situation to make him choose between me or Ciara.

[Anna Martin]

Right.

[Alandria Carthen]

Cause I know they had a great connection and they soon after that closed things off. So it's like it was just a weird predicament.

[Anna Martin]

You were thinking about basically everyone else except for yourself.

[Alandria Carthen]

Exactly. And that has been my downfall my entire life. Always considering everyone else except for Alandria. That's why I didn't speak up. I was like, you know what? Although I felt these things, Sierra, if this is making like. You know what I'm saying, I don't mind you walking out with this person because it makes you happy, regardless of how I felt. Even though I. You know what I'm saying? I feel like even after that I probably would have been voted off eventually because I didn't find anybody, but I was okay with that because Sierra was happy and this is her person. You know what I mean? So I was like, you know what? It might not work here, Landria, but you can find somebody else on the outside maybe, you know, I just did not consider myself at all in that.

[Anna Martin]

Nick, how did that kiss feel for you? Cause you are, at least in the way that it's edited, the way that we see it as viewers. The day after you say, I want to talk about this kiss, and you say, I'll let you go first. Which I thought was interesting because you were sort of getting information.

[Alandria Carthen]

I know.

[Anna Martin]

This is what I'm saying.

[Alandria Carthen]

I was too scared to admit height. Okay.

[Anna Martin]

That's what I thought. Yeah.

[Alandria Carthen]

I was like, oh, you go first.

[Anna Martin]

Let me see.

[Alandria Carthen]

Headset.

[Anna Martin]

And so. And then you said, you know, I think we should just be. Well, you said like, I'm thinking about Taylor and I'm thinking about Sierra.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

And that was like the. The same reasoning.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah, for sure.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It's true. Those doors are still open.

[Alandria Carthen]

Y.

[Anna Martin]

So you did feel something in that kiss.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, I mean, you watched that playback. It's like, how are you going to tell me that you didn't feel. I'm looking at myself. Telling myself he literally zoned out for a moment.

[Anna Martin]

No, no. You look drunk after that kiss. You did.

[Alandria Carthen]

You look.

[Anna Martin]

You were. Were like. Sorry, I probably shouldn't, but you really did.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Looking drunk is crazy.

[Anna Martin]

You know what I mean though? When you have a really good kiss, you like feels like you're drunk.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm telling. I'm Telling Nick on the screen, you know, I watched it on TikTok because I watched the edits, and I'm like, nick, you're gonna tell me that you didn't feel anything right now? That's some.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was all this external sort of noise, which gets cleared up through a series of. Ciara leaves the show. Taylor chooses to couple up with this bombshell named Clark. So you two do end up together. And there is, like, cheers from the Nicolandria. I'm saying that right. Nicolandria hive. People have called this a friends to lovers arc. People have called it a slow burn. But I want to know from you, like, how do you describe this connection to yourselves?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I mean, it's. I think it is a slow burn. We started off. Started off as close friends.

[Alandria Carthen]

I love it. And everyone knows I'm a slow burner. So, like, it's kind of like me and Nick was building in on this story that we didn't even know. Like, it wasn't even, you know, published yet. Like, we were just adding to it every single episode. You know what I mean?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

You couldn't have drawn that up anywhere.

[Alandria Carthen]

Literally.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

If you tell a rom com writer to go write a rom com, you're gonna write a story about Nickelandria.

[Anna Martin]

Literally.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

That should be turned into a mov. Literally.

[Alandria Carthen]

After, like, so many authors was following, like, notable authors was, like, following us. Cause, like, Twitter was like, oh, my gosh, so and so just following Landry, like, what if she makes a book about them? I'm like, honestly, I will be down.

[Anna Martin]

But can I ask something which is, like, people love to see this kind of arc. It makes us feel good and believe in the power of. Yeah, a slow burn. A connection that's built on friendship and sort of slowly building that intimacy. But when you. When you cast yourselves in, like a. In an arc of sort of a rom com. I don't know. We all know how rom coms end. They end happily. But real life doesn't always go that way. Right. Like, does it feel like at the same time as it's beautiful? Sort of a lot of pressure to have people so invested in this.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

For sure.

[Alandria Carthen]

For sure.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I think there's, like, this term being thrown around. I don't. Parasocial. Do you know what that means?

[Alandria Carthen]

I literally just learned about the.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah, parasocial. Like, people feel like they know you because they see you or hear you, and they.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

They feel like they should have, like, opinions about our relationships. And I feel like. And a lot of other couples can say the same thing coming off the show. And there's just so much pressure for, you know, us to get married and have kids and. Yeah, I know in reality, we've been together for a few weeks. A few weeks.

[Anna Martin]

So, yeah, that feels like a lot.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah. And we're, we're never going to let anybody, like, dictate what we're going to do in our relationship. And I think that's why we're like, prioritizing us over what other people think and block the noise. So this is our real life relationship. You know, if you think that we're not being, we're not displaying PDA, like, you know, at an event, it's because we aren't comfortable with that.

[Alandria Carthen]

And we did that all season.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah.

[Alandria Carthen]

Oh, my.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Y', all, you can run back the show.

[Anna Martin]

A year long break from kissing. I want to give that too.

[Alandria Carthen]

Just like that. See us out like, oh, they're not doing this. They're not kissing. They're not doing this. Oh, it's not genuine. I'm like, bro, you literally seen us all season kiss each other down for episodes at a time.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

You can rewatch this season.

[Alandria Carthen]

Can you give us a pray, you know what I mean? So it's just like, because we're not doing those things doesn't mean it's not genuine. It's just, it's weird.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

And I think, like, the true supporters will realize that is that we don't need to be sharing our relationship anymore, like, to that extent. But thank you to the people who do support that. You know, whether or not we're, whether or not we're kissing in public or whatever, you know, the deal is people.

[Anna Martin]

Trying to read the tea leaves in a way. That must be frustrating.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah.

[Anna Martin]

Can I ask how you define your relationship now?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

As in labels?

[Anna Martin]

Yeah, if you use them.

[Alandria Carthen]

Go ahead.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I'm checking your attempt this time.

[Alandria Carthen]

Oh, my goodness, no. Because the way you explained it yesterday was beautiful.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Okay. Yeah. So we're not girlfriend boyfriend yet, but it's like this thing that we've been building over time. Like I said, we've been together for three weeks, but at the same time, like this three, four weeks, it's like we, we been to Greece together. We've been working, you know, shooting, model shoots together and supporting each other. And it's just fun to be doing, like, life together. Like, I would hate to come out of the villa and be feeling like, lonely and feeling like I have to deal with all this shit by myself. With Alandra, it's like we're just Such strong support systems for each other. And like, whether or not you want to call that girlfriend or boyfriend, I call that, like a strong relationship.

[Anna Martin]

So can I. And this is. I actually just had this conversation with my sister who is seeing someone, not girlfriend, boyfriend. And she had like a sort of elaborate schema as to what that meant. But can I. Like, do you have a sense of what it would mean to define the relationship? Like, is there a certain place you want to reach? Or will you just sort of know when you know?

[Alandria Carthen]

I don't know. We'll just know when we know.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I'm definitely like the type B person. Like, for me, it's like, literally, yeah, I'm just like, happy. And I feel like I know that Alandra's happy. So us being happy, I feel like that's the priority over, you know, calling us husband, wife, or, you know, whatever.

[Anna Martin]

I will say it mirrors, like I said with my sister, something we see in the real world with dating where it's like, there's a real hesitancy to use labels and people are like, you know, I don't know, someone, me, you know, being stuck in like, months long situationships with like, no label. And that's been very tough. Do you think? Yeah, I guess. Like, what do you think is maybe scary about a label of boyfriend, girlfriend, or is scary the wrong word?

[Alandria Carthen]

I wouldn't necessarily say scary. Like I said, it's been a few weeks.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah.

[Alandria Carthen]

In the wrong world. You're so right.

[Anna Martin]

Thanks for reminding me.

[Alandria Carthen]

Like, it feels way. I get it. Cause Love island is very intense.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah.

[Alandria Carthen]

I'm like, guys, it's been a couple of weeks. In the real world, Love island aside, I don't decide to be someone's girlfriend within the two or three weeks. Like, come on, come on, guys, let's lock. Let's use this thing right here.

[Anna Martin]

There is. The time is sort of warped. And so safe to say you guys are dating.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yes.

[Anna Martin]

Not boyfriend. Girlfriend.

[Alandria Carthen]

Not boyfriend girlfriend.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Though I like the word dating, by the way. Like, that's what it is.

[Alandria Carthen]

Because dating, you're experiencing each other. You're figuring out, you know what I mean, to see if you want to.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

That's something I've changed. Like before Love Island, I thought the term dating was like, this is going to be the person I'm going to marry.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

But I've learned that, like, dating can be getting to experience people and, like, getting to know if that could be your person to marry.

[Anna Martin]

So I love that you guys are dating.

[Alandria Carthen]

Dating.

[Anna Martin]

Nickelandrea nickelandrea's dating. I caught up with Nick and Alandria after the reunion aired. I wanted to see how they felt about getting back in a room with all their fellow islanders and what's next for the two of them. So I was just parking my car and then I saw you.

[Alandria Carthen]

The gecko.

[Anna Martin]

Huge fan. I'm always honored to meet fans out in the wild. The honor is mine. I just love being able to file a claim in under two minutes with the Geico app.

[Alandria Carthen]

Well, the Geico app is top notch.

[Anna Martin]

I know you get asked this all the time, but could you sign it? Sign what? The app. Yeah, sure. Oh, that means so much. Oh, it rubbed off the screen when I touched it. Could you sign it again? Anything to help, I suppose. You're the best. Get more than just savings. Get more with Geico. McCormack knows unbeatable flavor starts with the right spices. It's why we created flavour sealed. So anytime you peel back The Seal of McCormick McCormick Herbs and Spices, you can be confident they will pack the same amount of flavor as the day they were packed. The kind of flavor that brings out the best of your favorite recipes and keeps everyone coming back for seconds or maybe even thirds. McCormick flavor sealed for unbeatable flavor. It's your headline to unpack. It's your one story to follow week by week.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It's your wordle to work through.

[Anna Martin]

It's your team to track.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It's your 36 hours to explore.

[Anna Martin]

It's your marinade to master.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It's your opinion to figure out.

[Anna Martin]

It's your mattress to upgrade. It's your day to know what else you need to know today.

[Alandria Carthen]

The New York Times. It's your world to understand. Find out [e-mail] YourWorld hello. Hey. Oh, there you are. Happy here now? Perfect.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Hello?

[Anna Martin]

Hey, Nick.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Hey.

[Anna Martin]

What's up?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Not much. Sorry I'm a little late.

[Anna Martin]

Do not worry. All right. So, Nick, Alandria, I got to watch the season seven reunion along with basically everyone else in America last night. It was two hours long. A lot got hashed out. When we talked last in studio, you both told me that you said everything you wanted to say at the reunion. Do you think the reunion airing marks an end to you two needing to defend your relationship in some way? Like, is this some sort of turning point for the two of you?

[Alandria Carthen]

Nick, you want to go or you want me?

[Anna Martin]

You got it.

[Alandria Carthen]

Okay. I think because here lately, I guess with us being out of the villa, people has just been feeling the need to, I don't know, like, place Themselves in her relationship, in a sense. And at first, I was so open to, like, oh, you know what? I want them to see all the ins and outs of our relationship. I want them to see, like, where we stand, where we are. But I don't know here lately, it's just been insanely intense. So I kind of just want to keep it private in a sense, you know.

[Anna Martin]

What do you think it would take for you to be open? Open again to share your relationship with people?

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah, if people just stop trying to pick at Nick all the time. Like, he is a part of me. Like, that's somebody I am connected to, too. So you picking apart him is not gonna make me feel better about myself. Cause that is somebody I truly care about. So if I see less of that and less of people trying to, like, dissect where our relationship is and who Nick is as a person and who I am as a person, maybe if I see less of that, I'll be more so open into showing them where we and showing, like, letting them in a little more. But it's just very disheartening with me always seeing a constant hate train, either on me, on him, or on both of us. It's so draining.

[Anna Martin]

I am really sorry about that. I really actually cannot imagine what that is like. And I'm sorry that you have to go through that. I really am. Nick, do you feel similarly about sort of not wanting to be as open anymore because of fan viewer reactions?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I do. You know, we were so open in the villa. It's kind of nice to finally dictate, like, how much privacy that we want to have. And I think it goes back like that term parasocial.

[Anna Martin]

Parasocial, yeah.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah, parasocial. People feel the need that they want to dictate our relationship and tell us what to do, tell us what label we have, and tell us what we should be doing. But, you know, at the end of the day, we're adults and we make our own decisions. And I think the decision right now between Alandria and I is keep things private, which I think we both want.

[Anna Martin]

I think that makes a lot of sense. Alandra, I want to talk about one of, at least for me, the most emotional parts of this reunion. It was your conversation towards the end with another contestant named Huda. During the season, you two seem to be friends. At least that's what we saw on screen. But at the reunion, you were very direct with her, that you were hurt that she didn't stand up for you when you faced a lot of hateful comments and often racist comments online. Did you feel betrayed by her or is that too strong a word?

[Alandria Carthen]

Absolutely. Me and Huda was extremely close in the villa. And even outside of the villa, we were close. Like we were in an Airbnb and she was under me the whole time. That's how we were in the villa as well.

[Anna Martin]

So, like, in a bed bunk or. Bed bunk bed. Yeah.

[Alandria Carthen]

Yeah. So me, even me having to ask her to speak out towards the racist fans that she had, the racism towards me. It's like I shouldn't even have to ask. As a friend, it's something that you should have automatically did if you truly cared about me and you truly love me the way you said you did.

[Anna Martin]

Can you just, like, from both of you, I want to know, like, how important are friendships inside of this villa that's ostensibly created to foster romantic relationships? Like, why are friendships so important on this show?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

So I think that the friendships are so important for me because as fun as it is going through the villa experience, it's also, you know, really stressful. And those friendships are really a big part of what got me through the villa. And it's like your support system inside and outside the villa, you're all kind of going through this really similar weird experience of overnight, quote, unquote fame, and it's hard to deal with. And so those friends who are there for you and experiencing those same things, it's like that's what kind of gets you. Gets you through all the craziness.

[Anna Martin]

Did you expect those friendships to translate outside of the villa, like, in the real world? Because some of them did and some of them didn't. Right?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Yeah. I would. I would always hope. I had always hoped that in the villa that, you know, we could all be friends after. I always, like, saw myself hanging out, you know, like ace and stuff like that. So it's different, but it's not really like. Yeah, I don't know. It's cool.

[Anna Martin]

What do you think, Alandria? Because this, you know, some friendships we were speaking about, you know, Huda, although I leave it, you did tell me how close you were inside the villa. Like, there are some friendships that didn't seem to last. And then there are friendships like your friendship with Shelly, for example, like, that has really lasted, it seems.

[Alandria Carthen]

No, for sure. I'm super grateful for Shelly. We were each other's support system inside the villa and obviously outside of the vil when we both came out to the amount of hate that we did and we didn't feel supported by anybody. But each other, because they don't know how it is in the villa. They don't know the amount of things we came out to. Like, we will only be able to understand that because we all went through it.

[Anna Martin]

You know, we spoke about the really hateful, Some hateful comments and responses you've received. Alandria. Nick, how have you supported Alandria through this? I mean, as someone who is one of the few people that. That can understand what it was really like, how are you supporting her through this?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I think, like, especially during that first week, I think it was the hardest week for Alandra and I, and I think that, you know, putting down the phone is really important. I think when we. When we scroll through and see all the, you know, we see 100 positive things and then we see that one negative thing, and it's like, oh, gosh. And that really gets to you. So just, just, you know, keeping the screen time limited and, you know, calling her, seeing where her head's at, like, still checking. Still checking up on each other as if we're in the villa. And what do you mean by that? Checking up on each other as if we were in the villa?

[Anna Martin]

Yeah, like, what does that mean to you guys?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Talking about our feelings? Yeah, stuff like that. Yeah.

[Anna Martin]

Yeah.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

It strikes me. I'll go, you know, in the. In the villa, we're talking about our feelings all day, every day. And when you get out, you're like, I don't really want to talk about.

[Anna Martin]

Anymore, but it's important that I've never thought about that. Nick, that's a really good point. It's like the sort of language that, you know, you guys use, or Love island as, like a universe uses, is, can I pull you for a chat? And what that means is, like, can we have basically, like, an emotional heart to heart, often, like, explicitly dissecting the dynamics of our relationship? And it's funny because, like, in the real world, that's much harder to do. I guess. I wonder, like, do you think being on Love island has made you both. Is a question for both of you, like, more able to have emotional, honest conversations with the people in your lives?

[Alandria Carthen]

Absolutely. For me, because I wasn't. Those conversations have always been so hard for me because you never know how the other person's feelings. I always shied away from those conversations. Being in the villa, you had no choice. All your. Pretty much all of your chats were centered around, like, your true feelings, how you feel about your connection, how you feel about this person, how you feel about their actions. And how it affected you. It kind of for you into those uncomfortable positions to have those conversations. So I kind of became more confident in. Into having those conversations with people that I'm interested in, for sure.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

I think, like, just in the communication aspect, I got so much better with talking about my feelings. And I think as men, it's hard for us, but that whole Love island experience made it a bit easier. And so, like, even in real life, I still try and I still try and pull Landry for, you know, chats.

[Anna Martin]

Okay, my final question. What's next for the two of you? What can we expect?

[Nick Van Steenberg]

We're going on a hot air balloon and having dinner. I don't know how or when. Yeah, I'm trying to figure it out right now.

[Anna Martin]

Yes, you will. Let's go out on that. Nick Alandria, what a pleasure. Thanks for talking to me again.

[Alandria Carthen]

Thank you.

[Nick Van Steenberg]

Thanks for having us. Appreciate it.

[Anna Martin]

The Modern Love team is Amy Pearl, Christina Josa, Davis Land, Elisa Gutierrez, Emily Langley, Jen Poyant, Lynn Levy, Reva Goldberg and Sarah Curtis. This episode was produced by Emily Lang. It was edited by Davis Land, Larissa Anderson and Jen Poyant. The Modern Love theme music is by Dan Powell. Original music in this episode by Alicia Be Itup Aman Sahota and Dan Powell. Our video team is Rachel Wynn, Lauren Pruitt, Pat Guenther, Zach Caldwell, Eddie Costas, Michael Cordera, Sophie Erickson and Brooke Minters. This episode was mixed by Sophia Landman with studio support from Maddie Masiello and Nick Pittman. The Modern Love column is edited by Daniel Jones. Mia Lee is the editor of Modern Love Projects. If you'd like to submit an essay or a tiny love story to the New York Times, the instructions are in our show notes. I'm Anna Martin. Thanks for listening. Sam.