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Why Love Island Stars Justine and Caleb's History-Making Win Has Them "Hopeful" For the Future

Justine Ndiba and Caleb Corprew were crowned winners of Love Island season two! "We thank America for loving our love because it is Black," they told E! News after the finale.

By Lauren Piester, Jonathan Borge Oct 01, 2020 9:05 PMTags

Sometimes, a little mindless TV can send a powerful message.

Love Island certainly offers an escape from the realities of the world, especially in 2020. Starring a lineup of very attractive, nearly-naked singles, it's one of those shows you can enjoy while whipping up dinner or actively engaging in a group chat. And though watching it is pure fun, CBS' hit series also has the potential to change history.

During the season two finale on Wednesday, Sept. 30, Love Island crowned Justine Ndiba and Caleb Corprew as its lucky winners, beating out three other pairings for that $100,000 prize. They became the first Black couple to ever win Love Island, a historic feat and great step toward more inclusivity in the reality TV landscape.

After the finale, Justine and Caleb reflected on their accomplishment. "We walked into the villa at a really interesting time with so much happening in the world that impacts us, our families and communities. With everything going on, we thank America for loving our love because it is Black," they said in a joint statement to E! News. "It's amazing to see the support, especially at this important moment. It makes us feel hopeful for what may be going on outside the villa and hopeful for what's to come."

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On the subject of their love, they both shared the moment they knew they'd found the one.

"For me, it was definitely early on with Caleb," Justine said. "Just, like, seeing him coming down the stairs after Casa Amore without anyone, that was the moment for me that I was like, 'Yeah, I'm in this with this guy for sure.'" Caleb added that sticking together after Casa Amore definitely solidified their relationship: "I knew that we were on the same page."

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Now that they're out of the villa, the next step for Justine and Caleb is to make plans for their future. First on the to-do list? "We definitely do want to take a couple of days to ourselves," she said. "And then after that we already have plans to have Caleb come out to Jersey a few times, get ourselves situated and figure out our lives for a little while. And then the plan is hopefully for me to come a little bit closer to Caleb." 

As for that $100,000 prize, Justine joked that Caleb's "spending all of that on me." 

Yes, both contestants may have participated in a reality show, but they have zero intention of watching themselves on TV—at least not yet. Caleb said, "I am in no rush to go back and watch it. Not that I think either of us have anything to hide, but it's going to be kind of crazy, like, ‘Oh man, I can't believe I did that." 

Justine added, "I don't even like to hear the sound of my own voice on recording so to watch myself is going to be a little bit cringing. And plus, we know we just got out of the villa and everything is still so fresh in our minds and I kind of want to hold onto the memories that we had in there."

Looking back on their time on the show, they each offered words of wisdom for viewers at home. Justine kept it simple and said, "Love yourself and be just confident in who you are." And Caleb specifically shared a message for coupled-up fans: "Love is patient, love is kind. You and your partner are on the same team. And you guys don't need to have to go through, like, some huge fights to be working on stuff. You guys should be constantly trying to evolve and work on each other."

Considering they won a competition focused on love, their tips might be worth jotting down.