Maya Jama has reportedly become the new face of Rimmel London, a position formerly held by 90s supermodel Kate Moss. The Bristolian Love Island presenter, who made her debut on the ITV2 reality show earlier this month, is said to have signed a multi-million pound deal with the beauty brand, which Moss represented for nearly two decades.
28-year-old Maya, who grew up in Bristol and attended Cotham School, has experience in the beauty industry, having presented Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star, and has recently wowed Love Island viewers with her stunning outfits.. But the reports of Maya's alleged new role may not please everyone, as some insiders have claimed an ageism row may be sparked by Kate Moss, 49, being replaced by someone over two decades younger, The Sun reports.
A source said: "Rimmel is one of the biggest brands in beauty with a very British core, so pinpointing Maya to be their figurehead shows she's very much the It Girl of the moment. They needed a big name to take over from Kate, who had already stepped back from the role.
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"Rimmel believes Maya ticks that box — plus they hope she can also appeal to a younger and more diverse audience. A backlash is expected given Maya is nearly half Kate’s age, but the company are happy with their decision. It’s a dream come true for Maya."
Claims of Maya filling Kate's shoes come after reports that she has stepped down as the host of Glow Up following her success on Love Island. The Evening Standard reported last week that Maya broke Aftersun history as more fans tuned into the follow-up show than Love Island itself.
On January 22, Love Island was watched by a peak 1.51 million viewers whilst a staggering 1.82 million tuned in for Aftersun. Viewers have praised the combination of Maya, Made in Chelsea's Sam Thompson and Love Island S8 star Indiyah Polack on the follow-up show, with many claiming that the Bristolian bombshell was "made" for the role.
"The way Maya Jama understands the assignment & adding Indiyah & Sam to the mix who have great chemistry with each other Aftersun has actually been enjoyable," wrote Black Canary on Twitter.
Monz posted: "Honestly they hit the jackpot with Maya, Sam and Indiyah, they are a great Love Island trio for After Sun."
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