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For over a decade,Love Islandhas been a summer reality staple.
Over 33 days, 32 different Islanders came and went, all ostensibly there to find true love.
It was my first year teaching and it was just work, work, work.
Marco Donatelli:My dating life since high school was terrible.
I was busy trying to start companies, going to school, and providing for my family.
So for those two and a half, three years, I didnt entertain anyone.
I model, though, and was posting some underwear pictures, and thats whenLove Islandhit me up.
It was like,I dont have classes in the summer.
Im going to try it out.
- What did you think of that?H.W.
I just wanted to be me.
Thats how I would be in real life with someone I liked: Wed be touchy.
Why censor myself if this is someone I want to get to know?
We actually waited until after the Hideaway.
:Leo and Kassy, because theyve been through so much.
If you see them in person, theyre like two peas in a pod.
Their personalities are so similar, and they match each others energy really well.
Even after what they went through, there was still love there.
Hes still in school, but shes willing to help him study.
But I think theyll be able to pull through.
Despite Kassys anger and his defensiveness, he won her back.
Some viewers think he got off too easy.
Was there any groveling or conflict viewers didnt get to see?
- Did you lay into him at all?M.D.
I played the big-brother role with Leo.
We started off as best friends, but then he started acting in ways I wouldnt.
You have to bring her back.
But were there to test connections, and during Casa Amor, they werent officially closed off.
He said he wanted to be, but they really werent.
I have a soft spot for Leo.
Hes like a brother, and he was going through it.
Leo had to see her get pursued by multiple people, which is hard to do.
- I couldnt imagine being in his shoes and seeing that.
Leo had to roll with the punches, as he should.
He even said multiple times, Ive got to walk through the fire that I set.
That date he set up on the beach was all his idea.
I could tell by the eyes Kassy gave Leo that there wasnt another choice for her in that villa.
You could tell she was leaning back toward him.
Even when she walked back in from Casa with Matia, it wasnt the same energy.
She didnt feel the way she felt for Leo.
We were just waiting for Leo to earn that trust back.
Do you think about the public vote while youre on the show?
:I felt like the public votes were always very shocking because things change so quickly.
You never know what the public is thinking or what they even see.
You have to go into every dumping or recoupling thinking you might go home that day.
Even so, I didnt think Keenan was going to leave at that time.
We knew he did a lot, but it was still very shocking to me.
:He got the fewest number of votes, too.
Keenan got even less than Mike, who was new, and hed been there from the start.
And Leo went further than him sexually, and he got to stay.H.W.
It was like,Okay, we see what the public thinks now.
When he left, I knew Kay Kay would leave too.
She would have been thinking about what could have been.
So I understand her decision, and I think we all expected it.
:I didnt agree with that.
Shes going to ask the question that people want to hear, and I wanted to know, too.
We were all thinking it!
Kay Kay had to contemplate.
You two were very close almost from the jump.
You closed things off first and said I love you all the time.
Why did you wait until the season finale to officially become boyfriend and girlfriend?M.D.
Theyre everything to me.
Once I got the approval from them, I really started thinking about it.
Then I was asking Bergie what he thought, and he said, You know what?
If you wait until you make the finals, youll have an unbelievable date.
So I decided to wait, and it ended up being a really special moment.
Are you worried about distance at all?
Marco, you live in Boca Raton, and Hannah, youre from Palm Springs.M.D.
Im not really too worried about it.
Im pretty focused on my day-to-day life, and the last thing I want is a distraction besides her.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
