He was voted “Most Likely to Be Famous” at Hall High School: Catching up with West Hartford’s Leo Dionicio on his TV career, life lately, and his shift into creating music. 

By Melissa Cole

You might recognize Leo Dionicio from Season 5 of Love Island, or perhaps you know him from The Challenge on Paramount Plus, currently airing. Or maybe you grew up with him right here in town.

The almost-25-year-old attended Whiting Lane School and King Philip Middle School for one year before spending two years at Bristow.

“My best friend across the street went to Bristow,” Leo said, laughing as he reminisced about those early years. “I said to my mom, ‘Look, we can’t be separated.’”

He then went on to Hall High School, where he played three varsity sports.

“I was always a really bubbly, outgoing kid,” he said. “And senior year, they give superlatives. Most likely to be famous was me! And most athletic went to my twin sister, and I was like, ‘Dude, I wanted that one!’”

But it turns out that high school superlative may have been onto something.

Leo attended the University of Dayton in Ohio, where he was a Division I athlete playing baseball. Then, out of nowhere, he received a direct message on Instagram that would change the course of his life.

“I get a DM around my junior year, like, ‘Hey, you want to go on this TV show?’” he recalled.

He mulled it over for a while before deciding to take a chance and fill out the application.

“I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m about to turn 21. I have nothing to lose right now. Why not?’ So I filled out the application like they asked me to”

Next came a series of Zoom interviews, including one where he was instructed to show up shirtless with a tropical background behind him. After that came in-person interviews, and finally, the news he had been waiting for: Leo was heading to Fiji to become part of the cast of Love Island.

To prepare, Leo and his mom sat down together to watch Season 2.

“So we put on Season 2, and that was the one they did in Las Vegas,” he said. “She’s like, ‘Sweetheart, in this situation, you’re gonna do this. In this situation, don’t do this, no matter what.’”

Leo laughed, “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, relax. I’m gonna be fine. Because at the end of the day, the more you try, the worse you’re gonna do. See what I’m saying? It’s reality TV. It’s not like they’re giving me a script to follow.”

Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen Season 5 yet, avert your eyes.

Leo ended up doing pretty well, finishing second overall. But what he could never have predicted was just how different his life would be when he returned to college for his senior year.

After the finale, when he flew back to Ohio, his friends took him out to a local bar to celebrate.

“So we went to the most super-townie bar you could ever think of in Ohio with my boys,” he said. “When I tell you, everyone lost their mind when I walked in. They’re in their 40s, 30s, late 20s. And I’m like, ‘Dude, how do they know who I am?’”

Word spread even faster once he returned to campus. Fellow students, and even professors who were fans of the show, were stopping him for a photo or to chat. It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

Soon, requests for public appearances began rolling in, along with opportunities he never could have imagined. And whenever possible, Leo made sure his close friends were along for the ride, sharing in the new found fame and fun.

“I’m just a kid. I’m 21,” he said. “So I’m like, ‘Dude, this is nuts.’”

That Love Island experience opened the door to a spot on Paramount’s The Challenge 41, which was filmed in Chile. He was then cast in The Challenge 42, filmed in Thailand and is currently airing, with new episodes dropping on Wednesdays.

It’s a much more physically demanding show, which, for this lifelong athlete, doesn’t seem to be much of a problem.

“I’m a good swimmer, really good at running, strong, good endurance, good at puzzles, and I’m not scared of anything,” Leo said. “On this show, we have to literally swim 15 feet underwater in the ocean, still across 30 yards, and you’re not allowed to come up for air,” he said. “The only time you can come up for air is in these little air chamber bubbles. A lot of people were freaking out about that, but I’m like, ‘This is actually a lot of fun.’”

While Leo couldn’t give away any details about how The Challenge 42 progresses or how he fares throughout the season, he was happy to talk about something more personal: stepping away from reality TV and honing in on his true passion. For Leo, that’s music.

Leo’s love of music goes all the way back to his West Hartford school days, when he spent years singing in choir. More recently, he taught himself how to play guitar.

“I realize every day I can’t do anything without music,” he said. “Whether I’m creating it or I’m just taking it in, there’s nothing that makes me happier than music. When I have people enjoy the music I made, that’s where I’m like, ‘This is what I was put on this earth to do.’”

Though Leo travels often, his three best friends still live in West Hartford, as does his mom, who is his number one fan.

“My mom’s such a big fan that on those days where I hit a rut, right? Those days where I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, I feel lost in life, she will hype me up so much,” he said. “And that’s my motivation to just keep going and going and going and going.”

You can follow Leo on Instagram to hear his music and keep up with his travels and projects. @leonardo_dionicio

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