On Season 5 of Love Island USA, Marco Donatelli was one-half of the winning couple alongside Hannah Wright.
They revealed following the win that they were officially girlfriend and boyfriend, claiming $100,000 in prize money.
The duo finished ahead of Kassy Castillo and Leonardo Dionicio in the finale, with America voting for who they felt deserved to become Love Island’s latest winners.
Marco and Hannah became a couple on Day 3 and were one of the few couples at the Fiji villa that was together throughout nearly the entire season.
However, a disruption along the way might have shaken things up for them, with Marco admitting he felt “baited” by a twist used during Casa Amor week.
That twist involved a first-time arrival for Love Island USA, as Marco’s ex-girlfriend showed up at the villa.
Marco explains why he felt ‘baited’ with Love Island twist
“Casa was a roller coaster for me…I didn’t like Casa Amor, I didn’t like what happened to me,” Marco told ScreenRant, adding that he felt “baited” by what they set up.
In the twist, he was tricked into thinking he would have a date with Hannah Wright, the woman he’d been with during the season. Instead, his ex-girlfriend, Hannah Ortega, was the one who showed up for the date.
“[When I told] the boys, they were all baited in [thinking I was going to see Hannah], but we all know Love Island at that moment [was tricking us],” Marco said.
He admitted he was “not impressed” with his ex’s arrival in a first-time twist for Love Island USA.
“I wasn’t feeling it. It wasn’t something I wanted to happen. It was an ex-situationship, not even a girlfriend, but I’ve got to give it to her–she capitalized on the opportunity she had,” he shared.
Hannah O. arrived on Day 18 and was dumped by Day 24, requiring her to exit the villa. An understanding and loving Hannah W. returned to see Marco, and the couple continued their journey together despite the attempted disruption.
Marco and Hannah gave an update on their relationship
After their win, Marco and Hannah left Love Island USA with $100,000, and also as a couple. Previous winning couples haven’t always remained together, but it seems they are going strong so far.
“So relationship status: things are going great. It’s so nice having a boyfriend, just saying that he’s my boyfriend now [feels good]. Plans for the future: potentially moving to Florida. I’m very open to do that,” Hannah told TV Insider.
Marco shared those sentiments of having Hannah come to his home state to live with him and support him as he continues his education in pre-physical therapy towards a career in chiropractic.
“Having her move out to Florida would be amazing. Building our relationship together, her supporting me through finishing school,” he mentioned among the next steps.
They also have generous and practical goals for using their prize money. Among them are donating to students from Hannah’s area of Desert Palm Springs and Marco’s local city school’s football team. The couple also wants to invest in retirement accounts and save for their future together.
Love Island USA Season 5 episodes are available for streaming on Peacock.