Maya Jama steps down as host of reality TV show Love Island
Presenter Maya Jama has announced she is stepping down as the host of reality TV show Love Island after three years.
The 32-year-old wrote on Instagram alongside a highlights reel of her on the programme that it was “time to throw myself into something new”.
“While my own Love Island journey has come to an end, I wish the show and the team all the success in the world, I’ll be cheering you lot on from the sidelines forever,” the TV and radio presenter said.
Jama’s announcement comes hot on the heels of an appearance as a contestant on Celebrity Traitors that won her praise and speculation in the Times, external that she could “get £1m per deal” thanks to her success.
Thanking fans and the production team on Love Island, she said she had had an “unforgettable time” on the programme.
“I started hosting the show aged 28 and during the nine incredible series met the most wonderful humans along the way. I’ve loved every slow-mo walk, fire pit and live show.
But she added: “I’ve always believed that to truly grow, you have to take a leap every now and then.”
Jama landed her biggest presenting role to date as the host of the reality TV show in 2023, taking over from Laura Whitmore.
The programme couples contestants together who then complete a range of tasks and keep swapping in the hope of meeting the love of their life.
An ITV spokesperson said: “Maya has been a fantastic and much loved host on Love Island – we thank her for everything she has brought to the show over the last three years and wish her every continued success.”
Jama first built her profile through stations including Rinse FM before landing a presenting role on BBC Radio 1 in 2018.
She went on to present a string of television programmes, including Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer and ITV2’s Don’t Hate the Playaz, before taking over as host of BBC Three’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star in 2021.
Jama was recently watched by millions in the Celebrity Traitors final, competing as a traitor alongside actor Richard E Grant, Youtuber King Kenny and comedian James Acaster.
One commentator at the time said that, despite not winning the show, she had emerged as a winner of sorts as she was able to portray herself as “less like the presenter of Love Island and more like a genuinely versatile television star”.
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