Angelista Gunda, who finished third on Love Island 2026 with partner Simba Kudyiwa, has revealed that she was originally supposed to appear on the 2025 series. In a new podcast interview, she disclosed that she had flown out to Majorca with the original Islanders and spent several weeks in the holding villa before the plan fell through.
Angelista's near-miss with Love Island 2025
Appearing on the 'Not My Bagg' podcast, host Joe Baggs asked Angelista how she got onto the show. She explained: “So, I was supposed to go on last year, and they said OG or early bombshell. And then I flew out with all the other OG’s. So, it would have been two weeks before the show started last year.”
Despite flying out with the OG Islanders, Angelista said she began to feel down as the weeks passed. “It didn’t end up working out. I had two chaperones and then obviously I had a little moment to myself, sometimes I just get emotional. Do you know what I mean? I’m an emotional person. So I just cry,” she said.
Why she turned down Casa Amor
After several weeks in the holding villa, the production team told Angelista they planned to send her in for Casa Amor, but she declined. “I said, ‘The guys on there anyways this year, yeah the guys genuinely they’re just not really a bit of me. I don’t see myself grafting’,” she revealed.
Angelista admitted she was “struggling” to name her top three favourite guys before her eventual Love Island debut. “I’m not about to go and fake it. I can’t do that,” she said.
Simba's bombshell application story
Simba also shared his own revelation on the podcast. He revealed that he never actually finished or submitted his application for the show. Instead, the casting team approached him after seeing his saved answers, which they described as “really good”.
Simba was originally supposed to be an OG Islander. He said: “Originally supposed to be an OG, but they always used to say OG or bombshell. I'll guess we'll never really know. I feel like it kind of worked out better for me to be a bombshell.”
Angelista and Simba finished in third place on Love Island 2026. During the series, Simba's head was turned by bombshell Mara Pirez during Casa Amor, but he later reconciled with Angelista. The couple remain together.
