How Serena Page Became A ‘Love Island USA’ Anomaly

No one had a summer quite like Serena Page.

The 25-year-old Houston native became a breakout star this year after winning Season 6 of “Love Island USA,” the unscripted American spinoff of the U.K. dating show phenomenon. Week after week, viewers were glued to their TV screens as they followed Page’s love journey, where she pursued being her most authentic, witty and unapologetic self as she searched for her next love connection. She found that with castmate Kordell Beckham (the younger brother of NFL star Odell Beckham Jr.), whom she’s been happily dating since the show wrapped. The couple’s example of young Black love, which began as the kind of slow-burn romance not often seen on dating shows, was a breath of fresh air for fans who continue to cheer for the pair’s relationship in real life and on social media.

But that’s not the only reason folks are rooting for Page.

Her reality TV experience so far has proved to be an anomaly in and of itself. Never before has a Black woman winner from the “Love Island USA” franchise been rewarded with so many opportunities just for being her genuine self. From major brand deals (NYX Cosmetics, Dunkin’ Donuts and Beyoncé’s Cécred, to name a few) and high-profile public appearances to celebrity mentions and even a surprise music video cameo, Page has had the world at her fingertips lately thanks to the “Love Island” universe.

“It’s been a roller coaster for sure,” Page says of her newfound fame on a late-October Zoom call. She greets me, camera off, from her Los Angeles apartment, where she’s feeling a bit under the weather as she juggles her new booked-and-busy lifestyle.

Life has been a big adjustment for Page since leaving the “Love Island” villa. Although the spotlight has blessed her in more ways than one, the media planner says she’s still getting used to having her every move under the microscope of zealous fans and her millions of social media followers.

“It can be overwhelming, and I do get overstimulated easily,” Page says. “Seeing think pieces about yourself, or rude people [online] — surprisingly, those comments don’t really bother me that much. I have pretty tough skin.”

Page’s confidence served her well on “Love Island.” As a Black woman, she already knew how her experience could potentially go, since reality-TV environments are not always kind to us — especially on dating shows, where we’re often sidelined.

“I’ve watched probably every single dating reality show, and it’s the same narrative every time with Black women,” Page says. “They put a Black woman on there with no men who want her, or they make her seem undesirable.”

Over the years, Page grew accustomed to seeing that in the reality space: Black women who were unlucky in love, tokenized as props or background characters in their own love stories. Did she think that could be her reality on “Love Island”?

“Probably,” she says. “But honestly, I didn’t care … I thought it would be fun.”

Page didn’t give much thought to her “Love Island USA” application when she submitted it last year. She only considered joining Season 6 at a co-worker’s suggestion, which arose from their dedicated “Love Island” Slack channel. At that point, Page was many months removed from a relationship after relocating to Los Angeles from her hometown and living her best single life, she says — all the more reason to try the odds of being picked for the Season 6 cast.

“I was like, ‘I really could apply,’ and [my co-worker] was like, ‘You really could, and you probably should,’” Page says, giggling as she recalls rushing through her “Love Island” application on the clock.

“It was just for fun,” she continues. “I didn’t even think I would get a callback.”

Despite her lighthearted attitude, Page stepped into the “Love Island” villa in June on serious business. During her first confessional interview, she revealed exactly what she was looking for in a partner: “I need a man that’s going to pick me, choose me, love me.”

Enter Beckham, Page’s charming castmate who, coincidentally, grew up within miles of her. “Love Island” viewers almost immediately latched on to the smitten pair at the start of the season, especially after they arrived on their first day of filming wearing (unplanned) matching neon green outfits. Their eventual coupling almost seemed destined, even if Page didn’t know it yet, but she says she “wasn’t nervous at all” about letting go and trusting the show’s process.

“I’m very much like an extrovert, so I knew if all else failed, I would [at least] come out with some friends,” Page recollects. “But I did not think that I would find love. I was like, ‘I highly doubt my man is on reality TV,’ and then he was.”

“That was a shock,” she adds, “but a pleasant one.”

For several weeks, the couple played up their friends-to-lovers dynamic, taking things as slow as possible despite critical castmates and viewers who doubted their connection. Some called Page wishy-washy for initially going back and forth about her feelings for Beckham. However, she says the intentionally slow pace “was essential to our relationship” and how it blossomed on and off screen.

“I’m at the age now where I’m not dating for fun [or] to have a good time,” Page explains. “If I wanna see a future with someone, there’s a vetting process. I need to make sure it’s not like, oh, you’re just acting like this in the beginning to get me, and then it’ll fade out. ’Cause we’ve all been there — I’ve been there a few times.”

Growing up in Missouri City, Texas, Page looked to her mom and dad as her example of a good relationship, which gave the self-described “long-term girlie” some sense of guidance with her string of romances, including her current one.

“My parents are definitely the blueprint for me,” Page beams, noting that they recently celebrated their 28th anniversary. “They just worked so well together. They were such a good team, which I always recognize, and in my mind, I was like, ‘OK, I like this a lot.’”

When it comes to dating, Page credits her parents with instilling many of the values that helped her mature into a confident and independent young woman. Her father, she says, taught her to “never depend on a man for anything, because you got me.”

“[My dad] would be like, ‘There’s nothing a man can do for you that I can’t, so don’t sell yourself short,’” Page says, “which I think was very essential.”

Still, Page didn’t always have the best track record with relationships. “I guess [I was] a little more immature,” she tells me. “I would let men walk over me or allow [them] to cheat on me and then absolutely go berserk and crash out, basically.”

“We’re not gonna get into those details,” she says. “But I used to be quite crazy.”

Certainly, Page had some of those mad moments on “Love Island USA.” Viewers will remember the infamous Casa Amor debacle and its tumultuous aftermath that became the ultimate test for Page and Beckham’s relationship. Page doesn’t care to harp on the midseason memories, but funnily enough, those raw, emotional moments helped immortalize her in “Love Island” and, frankly, reality television history.

Seldom do viewers get to see a Black woman stand up for herself, her emotions and her principles the way Page did while confronting Beckham on the show. To the shock of many, she didn’t seem to care how she would be perceived, stereotyped or criticized, as we Black women often are when expressing ourselves unfiltered. The rare show of vulnerability was embraced and celebrated by many because, for once, a Black woman on reality TV was standing her ground, no matter whom it bothered.

Looking back on her “Love Island” journey, Page says: “I wasn’t in the headspace or thinking that I’m doing this because I want to set an example of anything. I just wanted to prove to myself that you don’t have to stand for anything. You’re staying true to yourself. But it’s a plus that people resonated with it.”

“I think the reality world definitely needed it,” she says of what she calls her “groundbreaking” impact in the “Love Island” universe.

Intentionally or not, Page’s commitment to being herself showed others that they can do the same and still come out on top in the risky game of love. More than that, her win alongside Beckham ― who’s loved on Page at nearly every turn of their journey together ― proved that Black women can indeed be the prize.

Page is optimistic that her experience will lead to more representation for Black women on dating shows going forward. For anyone thinking about following a similar path as hers, her advice is simple but compelling.

“What I say every time is to just be your authentic self no matter what that is, and that doesn’t look one certain way,” Page says. “As long as you’re true to yourself and you can say, ‘This is exactly what I would do on the outside, this is how I wanna carry myself regardless if people like it or not’ ― then just do that, ’cause people will resonate with that more than anything else.”

Much of Page’s “Love Island” experience revolved around her romance with Beckham, but amid that, another love story also emerged: a tight-knit friendship between Page and fellow islanders JaNa Craig and Leah Kateb, who affectionately call themselves PPG (short for “Powerpuff Girls”).

The iconic trio fell in sync with one another early on as Season 6 originals, and have since emerged as the unequivocal stars of their show, as evidenced by their press run that took over the internet this summer.

“Out of the OGs, we just clicked and stayed [that way],” Page says.

Viewers were charmed by the way the girls comforted one another throughout their “Love Island” experience, from navigating heartbreak together to being each other’s support systems. While jaw-dropping drama and the temptation of bombshell islanders threatened most romantic relationships on the show, PPG’s unwavering camaraderie has stood the test of time so far, for which Page is grateful.

“That was probably one of my favorite parts about [being in the villa],” Page says. “If they weren’t there, I definitely would have had a very rough experience.”

Between her relationships with the girls and her bond with Beckham, Page has won the “Love Island” jackpot 10 times over. However, the next promising chapter of her life is still unfolding.

If Page has proven anything about herself, it’s that she’s not content being your average reality star. She still has further dreams and goals, and with her newfound platform, she’s confident her plans will come to fruition, starting with her new business venture: a hair care line for Black women.

Page first teased the upcoming endeavor during her appearance at this year’s Essence GU Disruptor Summit — her first-ever solo speaking engagement — where she declared she’s stepping into her “businesswoman era.” The TV star has been planting seeds for her entrepreneurial interests since her days at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she ran her own braiding business. (And yes, she maintained her own braids in the “Love Island” villa, too.) Now her full-circle business idea aims to serve her community.

“Hair care is very personal to me because I was doing hair for as long as I can remember. That’s also a way that I express myself, through my hairstyles,” Page says. “In college, it was a lot harder to do that with no money. So I just wanted to have something to cater to young Black women that could be affordable and easy to access.”

Page’s entrepreneurial vision falls right in line with the trail she blazed on “Love Island.” Just as she distinguished herself on her show, she hopes her hair care brand will stand out in the beauty market, too.

“I honestly just want to do something that potentially has never been done before. Set myself [apart] from other brands,” she says.

Page is embarking on this new era as both a boss and an influencer of sorts. Although her life did a complete 180 this year, one thing that will always remain constant in her story is authenticity, because that’s what got her this far in the first place.

“I’m just grateful that I was able to inspire younger Black women who may want to go into the reality space, or may have issues dating, just like me,” she says.

In a reality-TV environment that’s been long dominated by stereotypes and respectability politics, Page managed to shatter expectations this year by redefining the role of Black women in front of the cameras. Her journey on “Love Island” didn’t just capture hearts — it sparked a much-needed conversation about representation, love and owning your power.

That, to Page, has been the biggest reward of all.