Serena & JaNa Share What They’re Manifesting Post-Love Island USA
The fan faves are headed to New York City to host a bottomless brunch.
In Elite Daily’s series At The Moment, celebs and influencers dish on their current projects, pop culture hot takes, and everything taking over their group chats. Below, Love Island USA’s Serena Page and JaNa Craig talk about life after Fiji.
In the two months since leaving the Love Island USA villa in Fiji, Season 6 winner Serena Page and finalist JaNa Craig have been booked and busy. Between meet and greets, New York Fashion Week, and the U.S. Open, even the two of them have a hard time keeping up with their whereabouts.
“I came back from wherever I was — one of my world tour stops — and I had three big suitcases that I was just pushing through the airport. And [security’s] like, ‘Where did you just go?’ Who knows? I don't know,” Page, 25, says. “We'll think we're in New York for one day and then it'll be three or four days,” Craig, 27, adds.
Next up, the besties know exactly where they’re headed. On Oct. 5, they’re hosting a bottomless brunch in New York City to celebrate Truly’s limited-edition brunch pack, which includes Rosé-Style, as well as new flavors Orange Mimosa-Style, Peach Bellini-Style, and Cran Sangria-Style.
I love a bottomless mimosa, to be exact. I always get to the bottom somehow.
The duo, two-thirds of Powerpuff Gang (along with fellow Love Island Season 6 finalist Leah Kateb), each have their own reasons for loving brunch. For Page, it’s all about the drinks. “I love a bottomless mimosa, to be exact,” she says. “I always get to the bottom somehow.”
Craig, who admits Page is going to teach her a few things at the event (“She's from Houston, so she knows how to do brunch”), says she’s not a “heavy, heavy” drinker — she’s got another priority. “Anywhere where there's Eggs Benedict with beef, bacon, and eggs, you got me,” she says.
Luckily, for fans attending the event, the two will be merging their brunch vibes. “Dancing with some eggs in your hand and a mimosa ... life is good,” Craig says.
Below, Page and Craig talk about brunch drinks, life post-Love Island, and what’s next.
Elite Daily: Of the four flavors in the pack, which is the most PPG-coded?
Serena Page: I'm thinking of the Peach Bellini because it's a good little mixture of all of us.
JaNa Craig: I like that. Serena's Orange Mimosa. I'm Rosé. Leah's probably Sangria, so therefore Peach Bellini would be right.
ED: Which would you pair with the avocado toast from Love Island?
SP: The Orange Mimosa.
JC: I love Rosé, but I would pair the Orange Mimosa with avocado toast, for sure.
ED: What were you most excited to eat when you came back from Fiji?
SP: In-N-Out.
JC: I had In-N-Out too. But you know what I was looking forward to? Soul food. When I got back, my mom was visiting my brother in Vegas, and I went straight to his house where my mom had some chicken, some cornbread, and some candied yams ready for me.
ED: That must’ve been tough to have limited food options in the villa.
SP: I was missing spice. There was Tabasco in the villa, but —
JC: No, you had to fight for the Tabasco. We had to ask Leah and Serena. It was theirs, nobody else's, even though it's supposed to be shared. The boys would ask for some and I'm like, "You can't ask me. You've got to ask the queen." It wasn’t the villa’s Tabasco. It was Serena and Leah's Tabasco. I'm surprised they didn't hide it. It was crazy.
ED: You both have been traveling a lot since you've been back. Do you have any packing must-haves?
SP: My whole closet, because you never know what'll happen. You'll go somewhere and then something randomly like, "Oh, you actually have to do this today." So you have to pack for everything. I kid you not.
JC: My go-to’s are Vaseline ChapStick because I need it 24/7, along with my AirPods. I used to bring my water bottle from the villa with me but now I'd rather just buy water because if it breaks or drops I'm going to cry — I don't want to be crying in the airport.
ED: What’s been your favorite opportunity since returning?
SP: For me, it was 100% the Keke Palmer interview. I've done a lot of different things, but I've looked up to Keke Palmer all my life and I love and adore her. That podcast was so much fun.
JC: My favorite was with Serena. We went to the LaQuan Smith New York Fashion Week show and I had so much fun. The vibes were there. We met so many fun people and I felt really special that we were in the front row, just enjoying ourselves.
ED: Have you had any pinch-me moments with celebs in the comments or IRL?
SP: Still, if Keke Palmer comments on my picture, I almost pass out because it's like, "How does Keke Palmer know who I am?" And then I would say one of the sweetest people that I've looked up and met was Ryan Destiny. Gorgeous, gorgeous girl. Gorgeous, gorgeous personality.
JC: Stunning.
That was my first time realizing how many people actually watched us this summer. I'm like, ‘Wow, all these people saw me this summer.’
ED: What’s been your most memorable interaction with fans?
JC: My baby cousin is on a dance team and has been trying to get ahold of me for weeks, but she'll always call me at the perfectly wrong time. Yesterday she called me and when I answered, it was her whole dance team and they were screaming. Then she's like, "See, I told you she's my cousin." It was really cute. They screamed for five more minutes and then I got to talk to them. When I get to make my friends and family happy, that's the best.
SP: My favorite was the reunion. There was such a ridiculous amount of love there from fans outside. It was very beautiful to see. That was my first time realizing how many people actually watched us this summer. I'm like, "Wow, all these people saw me this summer."
ED: Looking ahead, what are you manifesting?
JC: I'm manifesting pure happiness for me and my PPG girls. Happy is the word. I don't know what that looks like exactly, but my end goal is to become a philanthropist. So, work really hard to give it all away. On my real estate journey, I want to have a bunch of parking lots, commercial real estate, and apartment complexes. I want to donate to libraries and public restrooms all over the world. Putting smiles on other people's faces makes me happy.
SP. Oh, that was so sweet. How am I supposed to follow that? Honestly, the same thing — for all of my friends and family to be satisfied. I want to give back to my parents. They've made everything happen for me, even when we didn't have much. They've always taught me to chase after my dreams. So giving back to them, but also being happy as well. If everyone around me is happy, satisfied, and settled, I’d be very happy with that.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.