As well as a new batch of single and a new villa, there's a new presenter in charge of Love Island when its returns for a new series on Monday night and that person is Maya Jama.
Weeks after the last series of Love Island ended, now ex host Laura Whitmore announced she was stepping down from the coveted TV role. Uploading a picture of her going into the Love Island villa to her Instagram grid, Laura wrote: "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."
No sooner had Laura gone public with her Love Island exit, names were thrown into the ring on who would be her replacement. The speculation saw former Islanders Maura Higgins and Molly-Mae Hague licked to the vacant position, as well as Emily Atack and Gemma Collins; but in the end it was Maya who ITV bosses went for, Director of Reality Programming & Acquisitions and Controller for ITV2, ItvBe & CITV, Paul Mortimer said: “.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."
Maya will be seen on screen on Monday night, when the new Love Island line-up enter the villa and the boys do the picking in the first coupling up of the new series.
Who is Maya Jama on Love Island?
Born on August 14, 1994, Maya Jama is a TV presenter and radio host.
She held down a coveted hosting role on BBC Radio 1 a few years ago, hitting the airwaves on Fridays and Saturdays 10am - 1pm and co-presented the MTV show True Love or True Lies with Danny Dyer.
She also presented the first series of The Circle on Channel 4 and appeared on Love Island spin-off Aftersun. More recently. she is said to have been hand picked by Simon Cowell to be the host of ITV talent show Walk the Line, although the show failed to set ratings alight when it debuted at the end of 2021.
Earlier this year, Maya was on the hosting team for ITV's Soccer Aid. Thrilled to get the Love Island job, 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.”
In her personal life, Maya was a long-term girlfriend of rapper Stormzy before he cheated on her, although at the end of last year, there were rumours of a rekindled romance, after the to were reunited at the same event.
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