Maya Jama will be replacing Laura Whitmore as the new Love Island host, ITV has announced
It comes as the ITV2 show is set to return to South Africa in January for its winter series after a two-year hiatus.
Announcing the news on its official Instagram page with a video of Maya scrolling through her phone, they wrote: "Okay, the rumours are true Say hey to your brand-new #LoveIsland host @mayajama!"
In response, Maya wrote: ""SO B***DY EXCITED GET ME ON THAT ISLAND".
Meanwhile Laura, who quit the show earlier this year, threw her support behind Maya and commented underneath the post: "Yes girl!! So delighted for you! You’re gonna be fab."
Speaking about their choice to hire Maya, ITV's Director of Reality Programming & Acquisitions and Controller, Paul Mortimer, said: “Finding a new host to follow the wonderful Laura Whitmore was never going to be easy.
"In Maya Jama though, we have another high profile fan of the show who’ll be a great addition to the Love Island family. Cool, charming and charismatic, I speak for us all when I say Maya will also bring a unique presenting style to the show, as did Laura and, of course, the very much missed Caroline Flack.
"We’re very pleased to have her on board.”
While Maya said: "I’ve always been such a massive Love Island fan and I’m so excited to be hosting one of the nation’s favourite shows! I can’t wait to get into the Villa to meet all of the Islanders.”
It comes after Laura announced that she was quitting Love Island in August after saying that she found the show format "very difficult".
She announced the news just days after detailing about how she was struggling with the backlash she faced from fans in the most recent series.
She said: "Some news! I won’t be hosting the next series of Love island.
"There are certain elements of the show I’ve found very difficult that cannot be changed some due to the format, including the flying back and forth to South Africa along with my new conflicting projects.
"I wish it was still possible but know you’ll be in safe hands. I was only planning to fill in for Caroline for a series and it turned into 3 series.
"I hope I did you proud Caroline."
Late presenter Caroline Flack was the first host of the ITV2 show from 2015 until 2019. She tragically took her own life in February 2020, aged just 40.
Her friend Laura went on to host the show for two years until announcing that she was quitting during the summer.
