Fans think Melanie looks better with more weight on her.
Peacock’s Love Island Season 8 is in full swing. As the world watches a group of gorgeous singles try to find love on the picturesque islands of Fiji, the show delivers the right mix of drama, passion and twists. Each season comes with its own share of revelations as netizens dig into the contestants’ backgrounds. From people who are parents to members of black Greek letter organizations, everyone has a story. And in season 8, one of the biggest stories has OG Melanie Moreno in the center.
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Melanie, who is currently quite fond of Sincere, is considered one of the most attractive singles on the island. And while she checks out aesthetically, fans have long voiced their concerns about the show not featuring islanders of diverse body types. So when fans discovered that Melanie had made a stunning change to her appearance, the feeling has only intensified.
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Was Melanie Moreno a plus-size model?
On June 10, 2026, netizens started conversations about Melanie’s background in the fashion industry. In an X post, a user shared photos of Melanie modeling for the brand PrettyLittleThing. And while it’s easy to see why Melanie has been able to thrive as a model, fans immediately noticed that she was a plus-size model.
In the comments section of the post, users immediately gave Melanie her props for not only losing weight, but doing it in a seemingly healthy way. Looking at Melanie on screen, you wouldn’t know that she used to have a curvier, voluptuous figure.
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“The amount of weight she lost in three years while still looking/being healthy is really impressive. I’m proud of her,” one person shared.
Others also made it a point to argue that Melanie being a plus-size model doesn’t place her in a different category in the industry.
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“A model is a model. Size doesn’t change that,” one person commented.
In a world where people are judged by their size, many fans said that Melanie looked beautiful as a plus-size model and looks beautiful now with her slim figure.
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“Love seeing this side of Melanie. She looked amazing as a plus size model and she looks amazing now. The weight loss is impressive but her face card and energy was always elite,” shared one fan.
Melanie Moreno once opened up about chasing her modeling dreams after the death of her stepfather.
In an interview in November 2021 with Travel LAMelanie shared that while she was in college, she did not believe that the college experience was for her. So she decided to take a break to pursue her passions. However, she was driven by the sudden death of her stepfather.
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“I had never experienced the death of someone so close to me,” Melanie told the newspaper. “I really didn’t know what to do next or how to control my emotions. But despite my pain and sadness, I just knew I had to pull myself together for my mom.”
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While the grieving process eventually influenced her to create the mental health conscious brand MORE SPORT STUDIO, the experience allowed several doors to open: a modeling career.
“My biggest dream since I was 10 years old was to be a model,” she shared after revealing she was scouted by her manager at the time. “I lost myself so badly that I let go of that dream and tried to focus on something that was ‘more practical’. But Elizabeth saw the potential in me that I hadn’t seen in myself for a while.”
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She continued: The main reason I gave up on my dream was because I had this belief that I had to look perfect to even get into the industry. I thought I needed a certain look or body type. I didn’t know I was wrong. I tried for nine years to be scouted and signed, but I still really believe I was found at the perfect time.”
