NEED TO KNOW Amaya Espinal, or Amaya Papaya as she's been lovingly dubbed by Love Island USA fans this season, has gone viral for her pronunciations and phrases she says that many viewers have never heard before Iain Stirling, who narrates both the UK and USA versions of the hit show, tells PEOPLE about what it's been like to watch the 25-year-old come into her own throughout the season Host Ariana Madix also weighs in, telling PEOPLE about a special moment she felt particularly happy for Amaya Truly no one is immune to that special something Amaya Espinal is bringing to Love Island USA. The 25-year-old has become a fan-favorite on season 7 of the Peacock reality series, largely due to the iconic phrases she says — and some rather standout mispronunciations that she delivers with no hesitation. For Iain Stirling, the Scottish comedian who narrates the show — and has narrated Love Island UK since its premiere in 2015 — Amaya's hilariousness is not only entertaining, like it is for the audience, but it's something he's come to admire.
At first, Stirling wasn't sure about whether to go in on Amaya's various -isms. "It's so funny because, very early days, we were going to do jokes about how she didn't say words right," Stirling tells PEOPLE. "And then we were like, 'Oh, I don't really know how that sits with me.'"
He's since realized that if they had started a bit about her pronunciations and phrasing, "that would just be every joke, every time," all season long. Hannah Fields, Iris Kendall and Amaya Espinal on 'Love Island USA' season 7. Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty Stirling, 37, who works 14 hours a day to get through daily UK and USA episodes every summer, now has a different perspective on how Amaya formulates her thoughts and expresses herself.
He says it's "amazing" that she backs herself — even without knowing how much the audience has fallen in love with her. "I sort of love that she just disregards the sentence structure and letters and stuff. I think it's amazing," he says.
"Her confidence is just so amazing and what I love is she never says a word wrong and [questions it]. No, she just says it and then continues as if everyone else has just been saying it wrong for years," Stirling continues. "She says it with her chest."
Amaya Espinal on 'Love Island USA' season 7. Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty Stirling is not the only one who's developed a major soft spot for Amaya Papaya, as she's been lovingly dubbed by fans. Ariana Madix, who hosts the dating series and makes regular appearances in the Fiji villa — typically to the dismay of the islanders, who know that where she goes, drama follows — also tells PEOPLE about her love for Amaya.
When asked about what moments this season challenged her ability to stay impartial as host, Madix admits that she was "just so excited when two guys stood up for Amaya" after Casa Amor, referring to both Zak Srakaew and JD Dodard wanting to couple up with her. Amaya Espinal, Austin Shepard and Cierra Ortega on 'Love Island USA' season 7. Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty In moments like that, Madix says she tried to keep a straight face when asking Amaya how she's feeling about the recoupling, but it's a challenge because she's "actually very happy" herself for Amaya.
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