Editorial note: Spoilers ahead for Love Island USA, season 7, episode 18.
Tonight, a hot new bombshell will enter the “Love Island USA” villa… and he’s Jewish.
Following last night’s brutal elimination in which Hannah and Jeremiah were both kicked off the island via Islander vote, it seems that one of the new men entering the villa (and heading to Casa Amor) will be Jewish influencer Elan Bibas. Though this hasn’t yet been confirmed by the show, a teaser at the end of last night’s episode and another posted to their social media channels suggest to the eagle-eyed viewer, based on facial appearance, body-type and tattoos, that Elan (the first man in the TikTok below) is indeed a bombshell. (Editorial note: Since publication of this piece, Elan has been confirmed as a contestant on “Love Island USA.”)
@loveislandusa Casa Amor is opening its doors TOMORROW NIGHT! 🗝️💋 #LoveIslandUSA
So, ahead of tonight’s episode, here’s everything we know (so far) about Jewish “Love Island USA” contestant Elan Bibas:
1. He’s Canadian. Per his Facebook page, he hails from Richmond Hill and Kingston in Ontario.
2. His name is Hebrew! Elan means “oak tree” in Biblical/Rabbinic Hebrew. Additionally, the last name “Bibas” is a common last name in Israel. It’s unclear whether or not he is related to Yarden and Shiri Bibas, and their young sons, Ariel and Kfir, who were taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. (Yarden was released on Feb. 1, but Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were tragically killed in captivity.)
3. He has two siblings, Dahlia and Tal.
4. His father, Shlomo hails from Caracas, Venezuela.
5. He has curly hair and knows how to take care of it:
@embibas Been messing around with my curly routine and I think I finally reached a new level. I used The Wash (smells ridiculously good), then worked in some Glacial Clay while it was still damp. Didn’t touch it, didn’t overthink it – just let the curls do their thing. No crunch, super soft, and somehow it smells like I walked out of a glacier spa or something 😂 All products from @Highland Style Co.
6. Elan became a bar mitzvah in 2014 at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, per his mother’s Facebook page. Elan also visited Israel in 2022.
7. He graduated from Queen’s University where he studied Engineering and Applied Science. During his time there, he was a member of the Queen’s Varsity Mountain Biking Team.
8. He and his siblings joined Reform synagogue Temple Har Zion in Toronto in fall 2023.
9. However, in 2024 he moved to Miami, in his words, “to keep a promise to myself that last winter was my last winter.”
10. He’s an ultra-marathon runner. In his first ultramarathon, he ran a 50K, or a little over 31 miles.
11. According to his LinkedIn, he can speak English, Spanish and French.
12. In addition to his influencing, he works as a consultant/data engineer. Previously, he co-founded an AI start-up which he sold in 2024.
13. He’s spoken publicly about dealing with anxiety.
14. And finally, he’s a Jew who loves Christmas.
