Scott van-der-Sluis — meet the Love Island USA import who's already stirring things up

Scott van-der-Sluis — meet the Love Island USA import who's already stirring things up

Scott van-der-Sluis is the British reality TV star who made waves as the first major crossover contestant from the UK franchise to join Love Island USA Season 5. Known for his professional football background, modelling work and digital lifestyle content, Scott quickly became a standout name beyond the villa.

Scott van-der-Sluis at Stamford Bridge
Scott van-der-Sluis during the Game 4 Ukraine match. Photo: Mike Marsland (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

  • Scott rose to prominence after appearing as a standout bombshell on Love Island UK Series 10 before famously crossing over to Love Island USA Season 5.
  • In March 2026, Scott reached the final of Love Island: All Stars Series 3, finishing in third place alongside partner Leanne Amaning.
  • He is of Welsh and Dutch heritage, having been born and raised in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Wales.
  • Scott previously pursued a career in professional soccer as a goalkeeper, playing for clubs including Shelbourne FC.

Profile summary

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Full name

Scott van-der-Sluis

Gender

Male

Date of birth

9 January 2001

Age

25 years old (as of 2026)

Zodiac sign

Capricorn

Place of birth

Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Wales

Current residence

North Wales, United Kingdom

Nationality

Welsh/British

Ethnicity

Mixed

Religion

Christianity

Sexuality

Straight

Height in feet

6'1"

Height in centimetres

185

Hair colour

Dark brown

Eye colour

Blue

Siblings

1

Relationship status

Dating

Girlriend

Leanne Amaning

School

Wepre Primary School, Connah's Quay High School

Profession

Reality TV star, digital content creator, former professional soccer player (goalkeeper)

Instagram

@scottvds17

TikTok

@scottvds17

X

@scottvds17

Meet Scott van-der-Sluis from Love Island USA

The reality TV star was born on 9 January 2001 in Connah's Quay, Flintshire, Wales. He is 25 years old as of 2026, and his zodiac sign is Capricorn. Scott holds dual British and Dutch citizenship. He inherited his Dutch heritage from his mother's side and his English heritage from his father's side, while identifying as Welsh by birth and upbringing.

Scott was raised alongside his older brother, Jamie Reed. Jamie is a former professional soccer player who played for clubs including Wrexham and represented Wales at the semi-professional level.

Scott attended Wepre Primary School before joining Connah's Quay High School. During his youth, he trained in the elite academies of Manchester United, Liverpool and Swansea City.

Facts about Scott van-der-Sluis
Top five facts about Scott van-der-Sluis. Photo: @scottvds17/Instagram (modified by author)
Source: Original

Scott van der Sluis' career highlights

Before entering reality television, Scott van der Sluis built his foundation in professional football. He came through the youth academies of some of England's biggest clubs, starting at Manchester United in 2009 at just eight years old. Scott later moved to Liverpool FC, where he spent five years developing as a goalkeeper from 2010 to 2015.

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Scott's career continued at Swansea City before he moved into the semi-professional game. Along the way, the reality TV personality earned 10 caps for Wales' youth international team. He later signed a professional contract with Shelbourne FC in the League of Ireland Premier Division, under manager Damien Duff.

In June 2023, Scott made a major career change. He requested an early release from his contract to join Love Island UK Series 10. This marked the end of his football career and the beginning of his reality TV journey.

Reflecting on the shift in his departure announcement on ITV's official Love Island profile, he said:

Football is all I’ve ever done, all I’ve ever known. So this is a new and exciting opportunity for a change up in life.
Scott van-der-Sluis at Tolka Park in Dublin
Scott van-der-Sluis before the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division. Photo: David Fitzgerald (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Scott's TV career expanded quickly across multiple franchises, including Love Island USA, Love Island Games, Netflix's Perfect Match, and Love Island: All Stars, where he finished third. The experience reshaped how he approached communication and relationships.

Deconstructing these lessons during a Screen Rant interview in August 2025 regarding his reality television journey, Scott noted:

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So you've, you are sort of held accountable for everything you can do. And I think that's a good thing where it teaches you how to communicate and it teaches you how to be around people and how to speak and how to act and stuff like that.

Today, he works as a digital creator and media personality.

Scott van-der-Sluis on Love Island USA Season 5

Scott van-Der-Sluis at Aviva Stadium in Dublin
Scott van-der-Sluis before the Extra.ie FAI Cup Final match. Photo: Stephen McCarthy (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Scott van-der-Sluis entered Love Island USA Season 5 as a late bombshell, arriving in the Fiji villa on Day 26 shortly after his exit from Love Island UK Series 10. His crossover from the UK edition immediately drew attention from both islanders and viewers, with fans nicknaming him "Scottisha." Despite joining late, he quickly shook up the villa dynamics.

Scott eventually coupled up with Casa Amor islander Johnnie Garcia. Although they shared strong chemistry, they had little time to build a deeper romantic connection before deciding to remain friends as the finale approached. They were dumped from the villa just days before the final, ending Scott's brief but widely discussed stint on the show.

In a July 2025 interview on Unwell On Air, Scott reflected on joining the show late, offering a candid look at the production expectations placed on him. He said:

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The second two [Love Island iterations] I didn't want to find love... It just literally felt like I was doing a job, just walking in. The American one, I came in in the last week and I had to act in the American one… just like people in your ear. They brought me over for a reason, I've got to bring something... They put money in front of me... I don't think you could ever predict that all this would happen from it.
Scott Van-Der-Sluis at the Royal Observatory Greenwich
Scott Van-Der-Sluis attends the screening of "True Detective: Night Country," Series 4. Photo: Joe Maher (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Scott later returned to the franchise for Love Island Games before appearing on Love Island: All Stars Series 3 in early 2026. Entering as the first Day 1 bombshell of the season, he coupled up with Leanne and navigated several villa twists alongside her. The couple reached the grand finale, finishing third before confirming their relationship after the show.

Are Scott and Leanne still together?

Scott van-der-Sluis and Leanne Amaning are still together after finding love on Love Island: All Stars Series 3 in early 2026, and their relationship has continued to grow despite early viewer scepticism.

After finishing third, the couple decided to take things slowly once filming ended. Six weeks later, during a trip to Iceland in April 2026, they made their relationship official at the Blue Lagoon by becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.

Leanne Amaning and Scott Van-Der-Sluis at Leicester Square, London
Leanne Amaning and Scott Van-Der-Sluis attend the European Premiere of 20th Century Studios' 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'. Photo: Joe Maher (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Scott confirmed the moment in a social media clip, saying:

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We are boyfriend and girlfriend. It’s long overdue, but I wanted it to be here. In Iceland, in the Blue Lagoon. I don’t think there’s a better place. I could have asked her.

Leanne also reacted in the clip, saying:

Very, very cute. Very happy... It's our anniversary.

Since then, the pair has kept their romance largely private, focusing on life away from the reality TV spotlight while maintaining a low-profile, committed partnership.

FAQs

  1. Who is Scott van-der-Sluis? He is a reality TV personality, digital content creator, and former professional soccer goalkeeper.
  2. Where is Scott from Love Island from? He hails from Connah's Quay, Flintshire, North Wales.
  3. What is Scott van-der-Sluis' ethnicity? Scott is of Dutch and English heritage, while identifying as Welsh by birth and upbringing.
  4. What is Scott van-der-Sluis' age? He is 25 years old as of 2026.
  5. Who was Scott van-der-Sluis with on Love Island? Throughout his franchise run, he had major pairings with Catherine Agbaje (UK Series 10), Johnnie Garcia (USA Season 5), Courtney Boerner (Games Season 1), and Leanne Amaning (All Stars Series 3).
  6. Are Scott and Leanne still together? The two are still dating as of June 2026.
  7. Are Scott and Catherine still together? Scott van der Sluis and Catherine separated during Love Island UK Series 10 in 2023.
  8. Is Scott from Love Island a millionaire? He is not a millionaire. His reported net worth as of early 2026 sits around £100,000.
  9. What is Scott van der Sluis' height? Scott stands at approximately 6 feet 1 inch (185 centimetres) tall.
  10. What reality shows has Scott van-der-Sluis been on? Scott has appeared on Love Island UK (Series 10), Love Island USA (Season 5), Love Island Games (Season 1), Netflix's Perfect Match (Season 3), and Love Island: All Stars (Series 3).

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Scott van-der-Sluis finished just short of the Love Island USA Season 5 final alongside Casa Amor's Johnnie Garcia. The pair chose to remain close friends rather than pursue a long-distance relationship. He later returned to the franchise for Love Island Games before finishing third on Love Island: All Stars Series 3, where he found lasting love with Leanne Amaning.

Legit.ng recently published a biography of Iris Kendall from Love Island. Iris is a digital content creator and reality television personality who gained recognition as a contestant on Season 7 of Love Island USA.

Iris Kendall was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Before gaining fame, she founded 310 Glo, a Beverly Hills–based mobile spray-tan business that showcased her passion for beauty and creativity. Iris is a main cast member on Season 2 of Love Island: Beyond the Villa.

Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Isaac Wangethi avatar

Isaac Wangethi (Lifestyle writer) Isaac Wangethi is a writer at Legit.ng. He joined the team in September 2021 and has over five years of experience. Isaac specialises in celebrity biographies, lifestyles, and news reports. He has won the Legit Writer of the Year Award multiple times (2023, 2024, 2025). Isaac earned a BSc in Information Technology from the UoN in 2017. He also holds a Higher Diploma in Computer Software Engineering from Gretsa University (2021). Isaac completed the AFP Digital Investigation Techniques course in 2023 and the Google News Initiative training in March 2024. Email: Wangethin@gmail.com.