Who Is Bryan Arenales? Love Island Winner, Career, and Boston Roots

Bryan Arenales is an American reality television personality, finance professional, runner, and digital creator from the Boston area. He became widely known after winning Season 7 of Love Island USA with Amaya Espinal in July 2025.

Known to his friends as “Brizz,” Arenales entered the program during its Casa Amor stage rather than at the beginning of the season. His connection with Espinal developed during the final phase of the competition, and viewers selected them as the winning couple. They shared the season’s $100,000 prize.

Before entering reality television, Bryan Arenales studied finance and worked in financial accounting, real estate, and nightlife hospitality. He has also developed a public profile through distance running, fitness content, and social media.

Profile Summary

Early Life and Background

Bryan Arenales was born in the Boston area and raised in Everett, Massachusetts. He has consistently identified with Greater Boston in his television appearances and social media profile.

Bryan Arenales attended Everett High School, graduating in 2015. He played basketball during his time at the school and maintained connections to the city after graduation. Published accounts state that he grew up with his parents and a brother, who later moved to Australia.

After high school, Arenales enrolled at Salem State University. He studied finance and graduated in 2019. Salem State has publicly recognized him as a member of its 2019 alumni class.

In 2018, he also completed Harvard Business School’s four-day Summer Venture in Management Program. The short program is designed to introduce college students to business education. It should not be confused with a Harvard degree or a full graduate program.

Career and Professional Journey

Finance, Real Estate, and Hospitality Work

Before joining Love Island USA, Arenales worked in several professional fields.

He described himself on the program as a financial accountant who also worked in real estate and bartended at nightclubs. Reporting from the Boston area linked his finance work to a company in the city’s Seaport district and his hospitality work to a Boston nightclub.

His professional background reflected a varied schedule. He balanced traditional finance work with real estate activity, hospitality shifts, fitness interests, and social media content.

There is no verified information showing that Arenales is a certified public accountant. He is most accurately described as having worked in financial accounting rather than as a CPA.

Fitness and Distance Running

Bryan Arenales developed an interest in fitness and distance running before becoming a television personality.

In February 2025, he announced that he had completed his first marathon in Miami. He described the race as one of the most challenging physical goals he had attempted.

He also completed Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon in May 2025 with a net time of 1:42:35. His public content during this period documented training sessions, running events, and fitness routines.

After his television breakthrough, Arenales continued competing in long-distance races. He finished the 2025 Chicago Marathon in 4:18:40 and completed his first Boston Marathon on April 20, 2026, in an unofficial time of 4:06:49.

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Joining Love Island USA

Arenales entered Season 7 of Love Island USA as a Casa Amor bombshell in June 2025.

Casa Amor is a stage of the competition in which new contestants are introduced and existing couples are separated. Arenales arrived in Episode 19 alongside other new Islanders.

His first major connection was with Andreina Santos, another contestant on the series. Their relationship developed within the show and should not be described as a confirmed romance that existed before filming.

Bryan Arenales later formed a stronger connection with Amaya Espinal. During a challenge, he publicly defended her after other contestants criticized the way she expressed her emotions. Their relationship developed further during the final episodes, and they became exclusive before the finale.

Fans combined their first names to create the nickname “Brymaya.”

Winning Season 7

Arenales and Espinal reached the Season 7 finale and received the largest share of the public vote.

They finished ahead of runners-up Nic Vansteenberghe and Olandria Carthen. Huda Mustafa and Chris Seeley placed third, while Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez finished fourth.

During the final prize decision, Arenales received the envelope containing the $100,000 award and chose to divide the money equally with Espinal.

Their victory was notable because they became the first pairing involving a bombshell and a Casa Amor entrant to win the American version of the program. They were also widely reported as the first Latino couple to win the series.

Relationship With Amaya Espinal

Bryan Arenales and Espinal left the villa as an exclusive couple. Their relationship continued for a short period after the season, with Arenales based in Boston and Espinal living in New York.

The couple announced their separation on August 27, 2025, shortly after the Season 7 reunion. Their breakup occurred slightly more than a month after the finale. They should therefore be identified as former partners rather than a current couple.

Claims about the exact private reasons for their separation should be treated cautiously. Public accounts have focused on differences in their post-show relationship and adjustment to increased media attention.

Love Island: Beyond the Villa

Bryan Arenales later appeared in Season 2 of Love Island: Beyond the Villa, which premiered in April 2026.

The spin-off followed Season 7 contestants as they adjusted to public recognition, new professional opportunities, friendships, and relationships outside Fiji. Arenales and Espinal both participated as former winners and ex-partners.

The series gave Arenales an opportunity to discuss his experience after the breakup and his response to the scrutiny that followed his original season.

Social Media Career

Arenales uses the Instagram username brizzzworks. His account features running, fitness, fashion, travel, reality television, and lifestyle content.

His audience expanded substantially after his arrival on Love Island USA. Before the program, his profile focused largely on athletics and fitness. Following the season, it became part of his broader entertainment career.

As of recently indexed figures, the account had approximately 463,000 followers. Social media totals change frequently and should be checked before publication.

Major Achievements and Recognition

Love Island USA Champion

Arenales’s most prominent entertainment achievement is winning Love Island USA Season 7.

He entered after the season had already begun, developed a winning connection during the final stage of the competition, and received the public vote alongside Espinal.

The victory introduced him to a national audience and created opportunities in reality television, brand promotion, and digital media.

Professional and Academic Development

Before entering television, Bryan Arenales earned a finance degree from Salem State University and gained experience in financial accounting.

His work across finance, real estate, hospitality, fitness, and entertainment reflects an unconventional professional path rather than a career limited to reality television.

Distance-Running Milestones

Arenales has completed multiple major long-distance events.

His documented races include a Miami marathon in early 2025, the 2025 Chicago Marathon, and the 2026 Boston Marathon. He improved his reported marathon time from 4:18:40 in Chicago to 4:06:49 in Boston.

Completing the Boston Marathon carried additional significance because of his upbringing in the Greater Boston area.

Growth as a Digital Creator

His television exposure transformed a comparatively modest fitness account into a large public platform.

Arenales now uses social media to combine his interests in running and fitness with travel, fashion, promotional work, and updates related to his entertainment career.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Bryan Arenales is a Boston-area reality television personality whose career began in finance, real estate, hospitality, fitness, and running.

Raised in Everett, Massachusetts, he graduated from Salem State University with a finance degree before working in financial accounting. He later entered Love Island USA as a Casa Amor contestant and won Season 7 with Amaya Espinal.

Although their relationship ended shortly after the program, the victory established Arenales as a recognizable reality television figure. He continued his screen career through Love Island: Beyond the Villa and expanded his presence on social media.

Outside entertainment, Arenales has maintained his connection to distance running. His completion of the 2026 Boston Marathon represented both an athletic achievement and a return to the region where he grew up.

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