Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen shared a passionate kiss on day one in the Love Island USA Villa. Olandria selected Nic as one of her two kisses in the first challenge. Although she chose to couple up with her other kissing buddy, Taylor Williams, fans held onto hope she and Nic would reconnect. Fans even coined the couple name “Nicolandria,” praying the two would pursue each other in the Villa.
However, viewers started to lose faith after Nic closed things off with Cierra Ortega, but we all know what happened there. After Cierra’ sudden exit from the Villa, Olandria chose to couple up with Nic. Fans thought it was just be a friendship pairing, but I’m happy to report, the two have chemistry. I mean, serious chemistry. Is it possible Nic and Olandria could win Season 7? I think so!
Let’s unpack their journey together.
Can Nic and Olandria win Love Island USA Season 7?
Usually, a couple that forms in the final days in the Villa has no shot at the grand prize, but Season 7 is not a typical season. There aren’t many couples in the Villa with more history than Nic and Olandria. Sure, Chelley Bissainthe and Ace Greene have been together for a bit, but they aren’t exactly fan favorites at the moment. They probably do deserve the money, but I don’t think the majority of Love Island fans feel that way. The challenge based on America’s opinions revealed that Chelley and Ace are not beloved by viewers, making their odds of winning pretty slim.
Aside from them, the three other couples in the Villa are also pretty new. Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley connected during Casa Amor, Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales‘ romance is fairly recent, and Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia’s connection is only a few days old. There isn’t a clear winner in the group. Nic and Olandria also have the advantage of being OGs. The OG islanders always have a leg up in the Villa. Viewers have spent the most time with them and view them as the “main characters.” Sometimes, a bombshell can reach that level of adoration, but it isn’t too often. Fans love bombshells Amaya and Pepe, but we’ve been with Nic and Olandria since day one. It is hard to compete with the OGs.
Why Nic and Olandria are fan favorites
It’s hard to deny that Cierra and Nic had a real connection, but for some reason, fans weren’t into it. Instead, they wrote “Nicolandria” in their manifestation journals. It is difficult to pinpoint why fans weren’t supportive of Cierra and Nic’s love story. They did seem really into each other, and Cierra running into Nic’s arms after Casa was cute. But fans held tight to their “Nicolandria” dreams, hoping the two would become a pair.
I think fans love Olandria and Nic’s connection because it started as a friendship. They seem really comfortable around each other and free to be themselves. While they built a strong friendship, their connection is not platonic. Since they coupled up, they’ve expressed romantic interest in each other, and let’s be honest, they looked pretty cozy in that bed.
Fans love a friends-to-lovers storyline, and Nic and Olandria fit the bill. They have given little signs that they like each other throughout the season, but haven’t been able to explore their connection until now. Let’s not forget, Nic chose Olandria during the blindfold kiss challenge in Week 1. So clearly, there has always been a mutual attraction.
Even host Ariana Madix sees something special between the two. In an interview with the Today Show, she said she was confused by their decision not to pursue a romance after briefly connecting in Casa Amor.
“When you watch that kiss in Soul Ties, was palpable from watching it on the screen,” she shared. “When they said that they didn’t feel any sparks, I was very confused, because I felt like I saw sparks.”
Love Island USA is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK NIC AND OLANDRIA HAVE A SHOT AT THE $100,000? WHO DO YOU WANT TO WIN SEASON 7 OF LOVE ISLAND USA?
