Ekin‑Su Cülcüloğlu, the 31‑year‑old former Love Island contestant, made a surprise appearance at New York Fashion Week on Tuesday, attending the front row at the Bronx and Banco Spring 2026 show in a revealing dress. The outing came days after Netflix announced she will appear on its US reality series Inside: USA, which is scheduled to premiere on September 21.
Cülcüloğlu arrived alongside fellow Islander Grace Jackson and posed with other guests on the front row. Her gown featured multiple cut‑outs that revealed a bra and sections of her torso. Grace Jackson wore a contrasting dramatic look incorporating silk and feathers as the pair joined a mix of fashion figures and influencers at the show.
Inside: USA is built on a format created by UK YouTube collective the Sidemen and gathers internet personalities and influencers to live together under constant filming while competing in challenges for a shared cash prize. Netflix said the programme introduces a competitive edge to the confined, 24/7 surveillance setup that has been associated with shows such as Celebrity Big Brother: contestants must work together to complete tasks and protect a prize fund, and even basic necessities can come at a cost.
Cülcüloğlu will share the house with a range of US personalities, including Selling Sunset alum Breana “Bre” Tiesi and online creators such as Sketch, Jay Cinco, Sydney Thomas and Max Fosh, according to the Netflix announcement.
The New York appearance and the US casting follow a turbulent period for Cülcüloğlu. She was evicted fourth from ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother in March 2024 after housemates accused her of being inauthentic. Speaking earlier this year on Jamie Laing’s Great Company podcast, she said the aftermath of that appearance contributed to a period she described as "rock bottom." She told Laing the decline began after her split from Love Island partner Davide Sanclimenti and that she received death threats after the programme aired. The backlash, she said, took a toll on her mental health: "It was a few times actually, it was after I broke up from my ex because it was hard to beak up with him as I still loved him," she said on the podcast, and she described spending hours crying before seeking help from a therapist.
Her casting on Inside: USA and her visible presence at New York Fashion Week mark a push into the US market following her UK reality‑TV profile. Netflix’s edition of the Sidemen‑inspired format will be available to US subscribers from September 21; representatives for Cülcüloğlu did not immediately respond to requests for comment.