Alix Earle Reacts to Seeing 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue Cover for the First Time

The Reale Actives founder posed for this year’s magazine in Botswana.

Alix Earle was photographed by Ruven Afanador in Botswana. | Ruven Afanador/Sports Illustrated

Earlier this morning, Alix Earle was announced as one of SI Swimsuit’s 2026 cover models—and while the 25-year-old content creator went on TODAY to talk about the honor, she hadn’t yet seen the actual cover until she was backstage at Studio 1A.

In a wholesome moment shared by the official TODAY Instagram account, the “Get Real With Me” host began squealing with joy upon receiving a print copy of the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue. After screaming and jumping around, Earle expressed, “Oh, I can’t even look!” before turning away for a moment.

Tiffany Haddish, who also landed her own SI Swimsuit Issue cover this year, applauded Earle in the background. “Girl you fire!” she proclaimed. “Fire and desire! That’s you, boo.”

Earle, who kept gazing at the magazine in her hands, declared “I’m speechless right now.” She later added, “It doesn’t feel like real life.”

“Alix Earle is a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model, and she got a first look at the final cover in the TODAY greenroom. ✨,” read TODAY’s May 12 caption. “Earle joins Tiffany Haddish, Hilary Duff, and Nicole Williams English as cover models for its 2026 issue.”

For more on the 2026 SI Swimsuit Issue cover models, click here.

Meanwhile, plenty of fans chimed into the comments section to give both Earle and Haddish their flowers.

“@tiffanyhaddish cheering her on in the background 👏🏼,” one fan noted.

“Tiffany Haddish the ultimate hype girl 🙌❤️,” someone else concurred.

“I love it when good things happen to my good people ❤️,” another comment read.

“CONGRATS QUEEN,” the official Burts Bees account chimed.

“I LOVE LOVE TIFFANY HADDISH!! Man she’s the best. Congrats to all the ladies!” one excited follower cheered.

During the interview portion of the TODAY segment, Earle referred to her cover girl status as a “pinch me moment.” The now three-time brand star, who was our inaugural digital cover star in June 2024, found out she had earned the cover after her shoot in Botswana wrapped, but she didn’t get to see the final result until today.

“I feel like I’m still in a little bit of a state of shock right now,” Earle admitted. “It’s a huge pinch me moment and it has not settled in at all. I feel like I can’t fathom holding this magazine and seeing myself on it so it’s just so surreal and I mean, such an incredible dream and just the shoot overall was so spectacular.”