Ever wondered how a reality TV star can transform from a medical device analyst to a fragrance executive worth millions? That’s exactly what happened to Leah Kateb, and trust me, her journey is way more fascinating than you’d expect.
You might know her as the Love Island USA Season 6 runner-up who stole hearts with her authentic personality and iconic quotes. But here’s what most people don’t realize – she’s now the Chief Creative Officer of Skylar Fragrance, building a business empire that goes far beyond reality TV fame.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about this Iranian-American powerhouse who’s redefining what it means to be a modern celebrity entrepreneur.
Leah Kateb Bio/Wiki
| Facts | Details |
| Full Name | Leah Kateb |
| Age | 25 years old (as of 2025) |
| Birthday | August 11, 1999 |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Height | Approximately 5’6″ |
| Ethnicity | Iranian-American |
| Hometown | Los Angeles, California / Calabasas |
| Parents | Afshin Kateb (father), Mina Kateb (mother) |
| Siblings | Daria Kateb (sister) |
| Current Residence | Woodland Hills, Los Angeles |
| Relationship Status | In a relationship with Miguel Harichi |
| Education | All-girls high school in Calabasas, College (paused for Love Island) |
| Career | Reality TV Star, Fragrance Executive, Social Media Influencer |
| Current Role | Chief Creative Officer at Skylar Fragrance |
| Love Island Season | Season 6 (2024) – Runner-up |
| Instagram Followers | 3.6+ million |
| Net Worth | $ 2.06K – $ 12.4K |
| Representation | United Talent Agency (UTA), Wishlab Inc. |
| Diet | Vegan (5 years), Vegetarian (11 years) |
| Pets | Blue (dog), Ouija, 3 pigs, 1 pony, Hope, Bear, Maple |
| Horse | Valentino (formerly “Big Mike”) |
Personal Background & Early Life
Leah Kateb was born on August 11, 1999, making her 25 years old as of 2025. Standing at an estimated 5’6″ tall, this Leo from Los Angeles, California has always been a natural performer.
Her parents, Afshin Kateb and Mina Kateb, are Iranian immigrants who raised Leah and her sister Daria in Calabasas. Growing up in this upscale area, she attended an all-girls high school where she developed the confidence that would later serve her well on reality TV.
Before becoming a household name, Leah worked as a quality control analyst for a medical device company. She also had experience working at two smoothie shops, which explains her obsession with Erewhon and her dream of creating her own smoothie collaboration – calling it her “second home” since before it was trendy.
Leah Kateb Love Island USA Season 6 Journey (2024)
Timeline & Coupling History
Leah entered the Love Island USA villa on Day 1 of Season 6 in 2024 with just 12,000 Instagram followers. Her coupling timeline was a rollercoaster that kept viewers glued to their screens.
She initially paired with Rob Rausch, but their relationship faced major drama when Liv stole Rob on Day 2. Then Andrea took Rob from Liv on Day 8, leaving Leah single again – but this is where things got interesting.
On Day 15, Leah found her true match with Miguel Harichi, a connection that would last through Casa Amor drama and all the way to the finale on Day 32, where they finished as runners-up.
Key Villa Moments & Challenges
Want to know what made Leah such a fan favorite? Her iconic villa quotes became instant memes. Leah’s one-liners became meme-worthy overnight, instantly cementing her as one of the most quotable contestants of the season.
In the Beach Hut, she said: “Rob did his big one,” and later dropped the iconic: “Bitch, you’re still here, wearing his overalls and shit.”
@shelbyshittalks Not the overalls! #loveislandusa #robandandrea #arrianamadix ♬ original sound – Shelby$h!tToks
The heart rate challenge was where Leah truly shined, with fellow contestants praising her performance. She also participated in the Vacation Vixens challenge (lost to Serena Page on Day 5) and the Kissing Booth challenge (lost to Kaylor on Day 9).
Fans quickly turned both quotes into viral TikToks and memes, with thousands of reposts and reactions across X (formerly Twitter), Instagram Reels, and fan accounts. Several Love Island fan pages even compiled “Leah’s Best Villa Moments” dedicated entirely to her savage comebacks and iconic expressions.
During Casa Amor, all the boys left on Day 17, and Miguel briefly recoupled with Sierra on Day 20. But by Day 24, he chose Leah over Sierra, proving their connection was real.
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PPG Friendship & Cultural Impact
Here’s something that went way beyond the show – Leah’s friendship with Serena Page and JaNa Craig became known as PPG. This trio’s bond was so authentic that fans demanded they get their own spinoff show.
Their friendship chemistry was electric, with fans calling them “friendship goals” and begging Peacock to give them more screen time. The PPG phenomenon showed that sometimes the best relationships on reality TV aren’t romantic ones.
Love Island USA Season 6 became the most-watched reality show with over 919.1 million minutes watched, partly due to Leah’s authentic reactions and memorable moments.
Post-Villa Career Transformation & Skylar Executive Role
Talk about a glow-up! Leah emerged from the villa with over 3.6 million Instagram followers. Her influence became clear when a single video of her shower routine caused the Eos Vanilla Cashmere 24-Hour Moisture Body Lotion to completely sell out.
She quickly signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation in all areas and also partnered with Wishlab Inc. Major brands like Skims, Amazon, and Google came knocking with partnership deals.
Skylar is a clean fragrance company originally founded by Cat Chen in 2017 after her infant daughter had allergic reactions to conventional perfumes (Skylar). The brand is hypoallergenic, vegan, cruelty‑free, formulated above EU clean standards, and is certified Clean at Sephora, B‑Corp, and Leaping Bunny — all noted on Skylar’s About and product pages. In 2022, the company was acquired by Starco Brands, known for scaling celebrity‑driven consumer products (LinkedIn).
On July 8, 2025, Leah officially joined Skylar as Chief Creative Officer and ‘Re‑founder’, leading a brand refresh and spearheading new fragrance development, as announced by Skylar and covered by WWD and People. “This really is mine,” she told People, emphasizing her active creative and strategic role (People.com).
“I’m not an ambassador; I’m not an influencer for the brand. This is mine now. This is my baby,” she told WWD. This isn’t your typical celebrity endorsement – she’s literally running the company alongside Starco Brands executives Ross Sklar (CEO) and David Dreyer (CMO).
Her connection to Skylar started organically years ago when she discovered their Vanilla Sky fragrance at Sephora. She made a video about her favorite perfumes, Skylar saw it, and the rest is business history. At Skylar, she’s actively developing new fragrances: “I’m writing up the recipes. I have so many scents that I’ve created that I’m so excited about.”
Leah Kateb Personal Life & Relationships
Miguel Harichi and Leah are still going strong in 2025. He’s in the process of moving from London to Los Angeles to be with her, and they currently live together in her Woodland Hills apartment.
“I am obsessed with him. I literally get separation anxiety when we’re not together,” Leah Kateb told reporters at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 60th Anniversary party in Beverly Hills in 2025. They maintain their connection through daily FaceTime calls when he’s traveling between the UK and LA.
She was nervous about her parents’ reaction to her Love Island appearance, even asking producers, “Did I get disowned? Does my family hate me?” Thankfully, Afshin and Mina Kateb remained supportive throughout her journey.
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Animal Advocacy & Comprehensive Pet Collection
This is where Leah’s heart really shines. She’s been fostering animals for 10-11 years through the Animal World Foundation, having fostered hundreds of animals since she was about 14-15 years old.
Her current pet collection is impressive: Blue (a dog who was a foster fail), Ouija, three rescued pigs from a slaughter farm, one pony, Hope, Bear, and Maple. She also has her horse Valentino (nicknamed Val), who was previously a racehorse named “Big Mike” and is now 21 years old.
Blue wasn’t named for her blue eyes, as many assume. Leah named her after the velociraptor in Jurassic Park because, like the movie character, Blue learned to open doors as a puppy – even “very intricate doorknobs.” She keeps Polaroids of all her foster animals in her apartment.
Lifestyle & Interests
Leah has been vegetarian for 11 years and vegan for about five years. She’s a regular at Monty’s Good Burger, which she describes as a vegan version of In-N-Out.
Her fashion taste is impeccable – she’s obsessed with vintage and current Roberto Cavalli (for a time, searching “Roberto Cavalli” would show her name in top results), JPG, and vintage Dior. She shops at Voulez Vous Vintage in West Hollywood.
Taylor Swift music helped her through the Love Island experience, specifically songs like “You’re on Your Own, Kid” and “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” Her celebrity crush is Evan Peters, and she’s a huge SpongeBob fan (hence her YouTube series name “Livin’ Like Leah”).
She has specific quirks that fans love – she can’t properly pronounce “Titanic” (she says “Titantic”), and she has a hiking spot by her house with a creek where she takes Blue off-leash to “get weird and talk to yourself.” Her friends describe her as “a sunrise, sunset Leo,” even suggesting changing the definition of Leo to “just Leah.”
Future Projects & Endeavors
Love Island: Beyond the Villa is coming to Peacock in 2025, featuring Leah alongside her PPG squad and other Season 6 cast members. This spinoff will follow the viral cast through their lives in Los Angeles while dating and building their careers.
“We’re not doing your typical Love Island again. We are literally getting our first-of-its-kind spinoff,” Leah said in a 2025 teaser interview with Peacock about Love Island: Beyond the Villa. (hollywoodreporter) She had specific conditions about working with certain producers from her original experience.
She’s also hoping to collaborate with Van Leeuwen on her own ice cream flavor – a chocolate chip cookie dough and sprinkle combo. She’s discovered she has eczema, which explains why many perfumes gave her rashes, making Skylar’s clean formulation perfect for her.
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Leah Kateb Public Reception & Legacy
Leah Kateb’s authenticity resonated with audiences in a way that’s rare for reality TV. “I’m really grateful everyone gave me a lot of grace. It’s cool that it’s more acceptable to show all of those parts,” she reflected about being genuine on camera.
Her transformation from quality control analyst to fragrance executive with millions of followers shows how reality TV can be a launching pad for real entrepreneurship. She’s not just riding the wave of fame – she’s building something lasting.
Her net worth is estimated to be growing rapidly through her Skylar executive role, brand partnerships, and upcoming projects. While exact figures aren’t public, her business ventures suggest she’s building serious wealth beyond typical influencer income.
Leah first mentioned Skylar’s “Vanilla Sky” scent in a 2023 TikTok video reviewing her favorite perfumes.
“It smells like a warm latte with whipped cream, but without being too sweet — this is what I want my soul to smell like,” she said.
Skylar’s team later discovered the video and reached out, eventually leading to her CCO role.
Conclusion
Leah Kateb isn’t just another reality TV star – she’s a business-minded entrepreneur who used her platform to build something meaningful. From her Love Island USA runner-up finish to becoming Chief Creative Officer of Skylar Fragrance, she’s proven that authenticity pays off.
Her journey from Calabasas to Love Island to fragrance executive shows what’s possible when you stay true to yourself while being smart about opportunities. With Miguel by her side and new projects on the horizon, 2025 looks like it’ll be her biggest year yet.
Want to keep up with Leah’s journey? Follow her on Instagram where she shares everything from her vegan lifestyle to behind-the-scenes moments with her extensive pet collection. Trust me, you won’t want to miss what she does next.
Key Achievements & Interesting Facts:
- Love Island USA Season 6 runner-up with Miguel Harichi
- Transformed 12,000 Instagram followers into 3.6+ million post-show
- Chief Creative Officer and “re-founder” of Skylar Fragrance
- Part of viral PPG friendship trio with Serena Page and JaNa Craig
- Animal rescue advocate – fostered hundreds of animals over 10+ years
- Caused Eos Vanilla Cashmere Body Lotion to sell out with single video
- Upcoming star of Love Island: Beyond the Villa spinoff series
- Taylor Swift superfan who credits her music for getting through Love Island
- Cannot pronounce “Titanic” correctly (says “Titantic”)
- Named dog Blue after Jurassic Park velociraptor, not her eye color
- Vegan lifestyle advocate and Monty’s Good Burger enthusiast
- Vintage fashion collector specializing in Roberto Cavalli, JPG, and Dior
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for general informational and entertainment purposes only. We make every effort to ensure the content is accurate and up-to-date, based on publicly accessible sources such as WWD, People, Skylar’s official website, and social media. This article does not imply any official affiliation with Leah Kateb, Skylar Fragrance, Love Island USA, or related individuals or entities. Any product mentions or opinions are editorial and not endorsements. For corrections or inquiries, please contact us
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