Love Island USA season 7’s Aftersun host, Sophie Monk, is filling in for former aftershow host Maura Higgins, but Sophie’s being compared to the former host in surprising ways. Maura, who was a cast member of Love Island UK series 5, came into the Love Island USA fold as a social presenter for Love Island USA season 5, and after working hard during the season and during Love Island Games, she became the host of Aftersun for the sixth season. While Sophie’s taken over Maura’s hosting duties for Love Island USA Aftersun, the comparison between the pair has been surprising.
Although some were excited to see that Sophie, the host of Love Island Australia, was going to be jumping in for Maura on Aftersun, other Love Island USA fans were surprised at the substitution. In the host announcement, Maura consistently said she would “be back” to take over the role again, which has created a bit of confusion among fans, but many are comparing the two in interesting ways. “After sun belongs to Sophie now,” u/Ancient_Coconut_5880 shared, explaining they hadn’t enjoyed Maura as a host. Comparing the two, the user shared unlike Maura, “Sophie has such good banter with people.”
What Sophie Monk Taking Over As Love Island USA Aftersun Host Means
Maura Higgins Could Be Working Elsewhere
Although Maura was clear that she would be back to take over as Love Island USA’s Aftersun host once again sometime soon, the lack of a timeline and the introduction of Sophie as the new host has taken over as the big story for viewers. As Love Island USA’s aftershow hasn’t always been the most popular part of the show, it felt like a misstep for some to keep Maura involved as she wasn’t a known member of the Love Island USA universe, though she’d competed on Love Island UK in the past. Even so, Maura became well-known last season.
As Maura has claimed she’ll be returning to the show in the future, that means that not only will Sophie only be part of the Love Island USA Aftersun team for a shortened period of time, but that Maura has something taking precedence in her schedule. While some have posited that Maura just wasn’t the right fit for Aftersun, others believe that she’s currently filming the upcoming season of The Traitors, which could be keeping her occupied. Bringing in Sophie, the seasoned Love Island Australia host, may open up opportunities for both ladies in the future, which could be exciting.
Our Take On Sophie Monk As Love Island USA Aftersun Host
She’s Started Off Strong
While Sophie may be a lesser-known figure to Love Island USA audiences, she’s been a major part of Love Island Australia in the past. After hosting the Aussie version of the show, coming in to offer commentary for the US version of the series is likely an exciting opportunity for Sophie, as it will familiarize her with a whole new market. Some have posited that Sophie, Ariana Madix, and Love Island UK host Maya Jama will be splitting hosting duties for Love Island Games, which could explain her introduction. Sophie’s already brought her fun energy to Love Island USA Aftersun.
Love Island USA airs new episodes on Peacock at 9 p.m. EDT daily, except Wednesdays.
Sources: Love Island USA/Instagram, u/AutoModerator/Instagram