This Fan-Favorite ‘Love Island USA’ Couple Happened Totally by Accident, and They Might Win the Whole Season

Few reality shows get viewers as excited (and as angry) as Love Island USA. Adapted from the famous UK series, for seven seasons, audiences have been shocked not only by the wild challenges that this villa of sexy singles undergo, but also by the jaw-dropping re-couplings that fill each episode. Season 7 has been packed with surprising moments, but few have viewers as excited as what happened earlier this week: Olandria Carthen and Nicolas “Nic” Vansteenberghe finally coupling up.

Their relationship didn’t exactly get off to the happiest start. This pair was only possible because Nic’s long-time partner left the show under strange circumstances, and Olandria had been constantly shot down by her number one choice. Despite this, the longtime friends decided to try romance — and instantly made themselves one of the top contenders to win. This is not only because they’re both original islanders whom the audience knows well, but because people have “shipped” them for months. This relationship reminds contestants of the most important part of this entire series: for people to vote for you to win, they have to want to see you together.

Nic and Olandria’s Relationship Had a Rocky Start on Season 7 of ‘Love Island USA’

Olandria sits in front of plants and stares somberly ahead in Season 7 of 'Love Island USA' — Image via Peacock

While Nic and Olandria are finally in a relationship on Love Island, this romance definitely had a rocky start. They each began the season focused on different people; Olandria was head-over-heels for country boy Taylor Williams, while Nic and Cierra Ortega had been coupled up for most of the season. Despite this, Taylor’s eventual dismissal of Olandria and the Casa Amor twist left them both single and in need of a relationship, satisfying everyone who’d been saying they’d make a great couple… and devastating them when the duo said they didn’t feel that way for each other. Despite this, the pair continued a genuine friendship — something rare in the Love Island villa — and gave viewers more insight into themselves as people through their interactions with one another. This made the audience even more desperate to see them together, meaning the entire fandom was thrilled when the Love Island gods seemed to agree.

‘Love Island USA’ Season 7 Just Sent 5 Islanders Home in the Most Shocking Elimination Yet

Amaya and Pepe win over America, Cierra loses, Taylor saved, and 5 islanders eliminated in dramatic mass culling.

In Season 7, Episode 30, the islanders were met with a huge shock: for personal reasons, Cierra had left the villa. This left Nic rattled, now having to grapple not only with her absence, but the fact that he’d need a new relationship to remain on the show. His friend Olandria went to comfort him. They discussed their situations openly, not jumping into the physical (like so many others) but instead supporting one another as they debriefed their tumultuous times on the island. They realized how their previous decisions were clouded by the people around them, deciding to once again try coupling up — and immediately making themselves frontrunners for the win. This isn’t just because of name recognition, though that doesn’t hurt. Being original islanders means fans are more likely to recognize them during voting. Viewers have been calling online for the two to get together, seeing how their playful, often innocent camaraderie was a legitimate bond versus the sex-driven pairings of so many others in this season. It’s a chemistry that watchers were happy to see finally come to fruition, with Nic and Olandria unintentionally giving them everything they could’ve wanted.

Nic and Olandria Are Coming for the Win This Season on ‘Love Island USA’

While Nic and Olandria have been a beloved couple (even before they officially got together), that doesn’t mean they already have the Love Island crown in the bag. There are many strong contenders for Season 7’s winner, with fan-favorite personalities like Amaya Espinal, Chelley Bissainthe, and Ace Greene also offering strong cases for the victory. But these people, while endearing, followed the typical formula of the show, pursuing sexual and romantic connections while giving viewers whiplash over their choices.

Since they were able to start out as friends, Nic and Olandria not only have a deeper relationship, but have garnered so much more investment from viewers who have been saying for weeks they’re perfect for one another. It may not have been what either was expecting, but this coupling is one that audiences understand completely and that they’ve been hoping for endlessly. This means that even though they didn’t mean to, Nic and Olandria have made themselves the top contenders to win Season 7 of Love Island USA.