Maya Jama leaves Love Island after three years and nine series

Maya Jama has announced that she is stepping down as host of Love Island after three years and nine series, ending her tenure as the public face of one of Britain’s most popular reality programmes. The 32-year-old presenter made the announcement on Instagram, posting a highlights reel from her time on the ITV show. “Time to throw myself into something new,” Jama wrote.

She described her time on the programme as “unforgettable” and said that while her Love Island journey had ended, she would continue to support the show and its team. She also said she had “loved every slow-mo walk, fire pit and live show”. Jama began hosting Love Island in 2023, taking over from Laura Whitmore when the programme returned for its ninth series.

According to the Guardian and BBC News, she had initially been considered for the role after Caroline Flack stepped down in 2019, although Whitmore was appointed at that time. Reflecting on her time with the programme, Jama said she had started hosting it at the age of 28 and had met “the most wonderful humans” across the nine series. She added that she had always believed people needed to take a leap occasionally in order to grow.

An ITV spokesperson called Jama a “fantastic and much-loved host” and thanked her for what she had brought to Love Island. The broadcaster did not identify a successor in the statements reported by the Guardian and BBC. Her departure follows a high-profile appearance on Celebrity Traitors, where she competed as a traitor and remained undetected until the finale.

BBC News reported that the programme brought renewed attention to Jama’s range as a television personality, while the Times speculated that her popularity could enable her to command as much as £1m per deal. That figure was presented as speculation rather than a confirmed commercial arrangement. Jama has built a career across radio and television.

She began broadcasting with roles including Rinse FM, 4Music’s Trending Live and MTV’s The Wrap Up, later presenting on BBC Radio 1. She hosted the MOBO Awards in 2017 alongside Marvin Humes and went on to present programmes including Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer, ITV2’s Don’t Hate the Playaz and BBC Three’s Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star. She has also recently made her acting debut in the second series of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix drama The Gentlemen.

BBC News noted that Love Island has attracted both a large audience and criticism, including complaints to Ofcom about alleged misogynistic or bullying behaviour and concerns about contestant welfare. Jama’s announcement therefore marks a change in the show’s presentation as ITV prepares for its next host, although the broadcaster has yet to say who that will be.