Overview of Leah Kateb: Life After Love Island
In this episode of Not Skinny But Not Fat, Amanda Hirsch catches up with Love Island USA breakout Leah Kateb about life two years after the show that made her a pop culture force. Leah opens up about her relationship with Miguel, their animal-filled farm life, her approach to fame, and how she became the face and “refounder” of the fragrance brand Skylar. The conversation also covers her family background, her strict boundaries around privacy, and how she handles ongoing Love Island discourse and fan scrutiny.
From Reality TV Star to Cultural Favorite
Why Leah stood out
- Leah says she never expected to become a major public figure after Love Island.
- Amanda and Leah reflect on how Leah’s personality, expressions, and one-liners helped define the season and changed the show’s popularity.
- Leah credits her natural humor and “odd” way of speaking, saying it’s simply how her brain works.
- She notes that the show’s producers tried to shape storylines behind the scenes, but she mostly stayed unbothered and did things on her own terms.
Her relationship to fame
- She’s still amazed by how strongly people connected with her.
- Leah says she didn’t fully grasp the scale of her popularity while filming because she was inside the villa and had no outside perspective.
- She’s learned to be less reactive online, though she still occasionally responds when something false is said about her.
Life With Miguel and Their Farm
Their relationship
- Leah describes Miguel as her first real boyfriend and says their relationship feels extremely solid.
- They met on Love Island, were instantly attracted to each other, and have now been together for two years.
- She says they already feel “married” because they share a home, animals, and daily life.
- Marriage and kids are on her vision board, but she doesn’t want to force a timeline; ideally, she’d like to be married by 30.
Farm life and animal obsession
- Leah and Miguel live on a property with a huge number of animals:
- a dog
- cats
- 10+ chickens
- two turkeys
- fish
- three horses
- three pigs
- a fluffy cow
- frogs
- and a foster dog on the way
- She wakes up to feed the animals before doing anything else, then showers, gets ready, and starts work.
- Leah is deeply passionate about animals and says she could never be with someone who doesn’t respect them.
- Miguel has fully adapted to the animal life, even though he came from a very different background.
Her dog Blue
- Leah’s dog Blue was her first foster and her only foster fail.
- Blue is reactive toward strangers, protective of the home, and very attached to Leah.
- Leah has worked with trainers to help Blue’s behavior and says Miguel and Blue are now best friends.
Skylar Fragrance and Business Life
How she became involved
- Leah was already a longtime fan of Skylar before joining the brand.
- After she posted fragrance recommendations from the villa, Skylar reached out.
- She says the company needed new leadership and asked her to “re-invent” the brand, which felt like a perfect fit given her love of fragrance and beauty.
What her role looks like
- Leah says she is involved in nearly everything:
- packaging
- marketing
- creative direction
- overall brand decisions
- She describes the role as much more than an endorsement; it’s effectively her brand now.
- She loves the work, even though it’s a lot to manage.
Fragrance style
- Leah prefers gourmand, edible-smelling scents.
- She loves sweet, warm scents like cake, caramel, pistachio, and rose water combinations.
- She likes layering fragrances and has shared content about it.
- She says the best compliment is being told she smells good.
The stolen-truck incident
- Leah explains the viral stolen perfume shipment was real, not a PR stunt.
- A truck carrying a large amount of Skylar product was rerouted fraudulently and the goods disappeared.
- The company had to pause production and scramble to meet Sephora deadlines.
- She says the situation was stressful and handled with police involvement.
Family, Background, and Identity
Her upbringing
- Leah clarifies that she did not grow up rich and that people often make false assumptions about her background.
- Her parents immigrated from Iran and worked hard to build their lives in the U.S.
- She says her first language is Farsi.
- Her father is a CFO and her mother is a microbiologist who owns her own business.
- Leah says she moved out at 18 and has not lived with her parents since, aside from a brief period after the villa when her address was leaked.
Privacy and safety
- Leah says her family’s address was leaked online, leading fans to show up at her parents’ home.
- She now lives in a gated community with added security.
- She’s learned that there’s only so much she can do to protect her privacy in the social media era.
Handling Criticism, Fan Culture, and Love Island Drama
Online negativity
- Leah says she used to respond more directly to false claims online.
- Over time, she’s realized that the best move is often to let things go rather than argue with strangers.
- She compares the experience to celebrities who endure constant misinformation and choose silence.
The Love Island aftermath
- Leah addresses how intense the fan base still is two years later.
- She says many people are still emotionally invested in old villa storylines, even though the events happened quickly and a long time ago.
- She doesn’t hold grudges against other cast members and says she’s happy for people who are doing well.
Her thoughts on current drama
- When asked about recent allegations and interviews involving other Love Island cast members, Leah is blunt and unsympathetic toward the person she considers deceptive.
- She says she and Janae never trusted him and that his behavior always seemed off.
Key Takeaways
- Leah Kateb has successfully transitioned from reality star to entrepreneur and public figure without losing her core personality.
- Her relationship with Miguel appears stable, grounded, and deeply intertwined with their shared home and animals.
- She’s extremely passionate about animals, privacy, and authenticity.
- Skylar is not just a celebrity endorsement for her; it’s a real business she actively runs.
- Leah’s appeal comes from being both glamorous and unfiltered, but also humble, loyal, and unusually down-to-earth.