‘Love Island USA’ Star Leah Kateb Has Most Unexpected Hobby, and She’s Really Good at it

The reality TV star attended an SI Swimsuit event in Los Angeles Thursday night.

Leah Kateb / Jason Sean Weiss/BFA.com

Love Island USA alum Leah Kateb is slowly getting used to her life in the spotlight. After starring on the reality dating TV series that wrapped up in July, she became an immediate fan-favorite and is still dating Miguel Harichi, whom she met while in Fiji and was named runner-up with. The Calabasas resident attended an SI Swimsuit event at the Dante Beverly Hills on Nov. 14, celebrating the brand’s 60th anniversary this year as well as Ilona Maher’s September digital cover issue.

While the 24-year-old, who celebrates her birthday later this month, has started to share glimpses of her post-show life online—regularly posting on social media platforms and even beginning to vlog on YouTube—she let us in on a lesser-known aspect of her personality on Thursday evening. It turns out, Kateb has a totally unexpected and super wholesome hidden talent.

Leah Kateb / Jason Sean Weiss/BFA.com

“I can throw on the wheel really well, like I do pottery. I was in AP 3-D Art in [high] school, so I can do it really well. I have so many [trinkets] around the house,” she shares on the red carpet. “My mom, I gave her a little pot and now she uses it as an ashtray, I don’t know if that’s disrespectful or not, I’m still processing that. I make mugs, I love it. [My favorite] is a little flower vase that I made but it looks like one of those Easter Egg Island heads, it’s in the shape of that. It’s pretty cool.”

Kateb captured the nation’s hearts on Season 6 of Love Island USA with her charisma, tendency to always keep it real and, of course, her undeniable chemistry with Harichi. Her authenticity and humor resonated with viewers, propelling her to gain a major following when coming off the show—which she totally wasn’t expecting at all.

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She arrived in Fiji with less than 100,000 followers across platforms, and today has completely transformed her social media presence, reaching 3.7 million on Instagram and 4.2 million on TikTok, as one of the show’s most beloved contestants ever.

Meeting the “wonderful” Harachi, 27, and her now BFFs JaNa Craig and Serena Page (also known as the PPG trio) on the series was definitely the highlight of her year she shares. And, if she could only use one emoji to describe her entire 2024, it would be the mind-blown one: 🤯.