Love Island USA's Aniya Harvey Teases Her Career Plans Post-Villa

Sep 28, 2026 - 04:16

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Love Island USA's Aniya Harvey Teases Her Career Plans Post-Villa

Love Island USA runner-up Aniya Harvey exclusively shared with E! News at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 27 what reality show she’d love to compete on next.

By Paige Catton Sep 27, 2026 10:15 PM

| Updated 2 hours ago

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Aniya Harvey is ready to trade the villa for the ballroom.

Two months after she and Carl Schmidt came in second place on season eight of Love Island USA, the marketing director shared insight into her career interests in Hollywood following her time on the reality series.

And Aniya already has a couple of options in mind.

“I would really love if the next thing I do is Dancing with the Stars or Traitors,” she exclusively told E! News' Keltie Knight on the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards 2026 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles Sept. 27. “I'm a big fan of Dancing With the Stars. I'm watching the season currently, so that would be amazing.”

Although she’d love to put on her dancing shoes, Aniya emphasized that she’s “really open to all the opportunities” she’s received.

“Everything has been such a blessing,” she added. “I'm just grateful for everything.” (See all the stars on the red carpet here.)

Indeed, Aniya—daughter of former NBA player Donnell Harvey—expressed that she’s feeling nothing but gratitude as she navigates her life after the villa.

“[It’s] been super surreal,” she explained. “You get thrown out to so many things, but the support that you get from everything, my friends and family—my friends that I made in the villa—make this whole process so much easier for me.”

As for one of Aniya’s amazing post-Love Island opportunities? Attending her MTV VMAs, with the 24-year-old making waves in a silver bedazzled one-shouldered minidress with fringe accents.

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And after finding love with Carl in the villa, Aniya proved their relationship is going strong, sharing that he was excited for her to hit the red carpet at the awards show.

“I literally was surprising Carl with the dress, so he doesn't know,” she teased. “It was so funny. I was on the phone with him yesterday. We were going over my Instagram feed, and he was just like, ‘Niya, what are you gonna wear?’ And I was just like, ‘It's a secret!’ So I haven't shown him yet.”

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