Maya Jama steps down as Love Island host after three years

British TV and radio presenter Maya Jama, 32, has announced she is stepping down as host of the reality dating show Love Island, which airs on the UK broadcaster ITV, after three years in the role. She shared the news on Instagram alongside a highlights reel of her time on the programme.

Jama wrote that it was time to throw herself into something new. She wished the show and its team every success and said she would be cheering them on from the sidelines. She took over from Laura Whitmore when the programme returned for its ninth series in early 2023, and said she began hosting at 28. She thanked fans and the production team for an unforgettable time, adding that she has always believed that to grow, you have to take a leap every now and then.

An ITV spokesperson called her a fantastic and much-loved host and thanked her for what she had brought to the show over the past three years. Back in 2019, when it was confirmed that Caroline Flack would step down as host, Jama had been touted as a possible successor, but the job went to Whitmore.

The announcement follows Jama's appearance on the BBC's Celebrity Traitors, where she played a traitor who went undetected until the finale. The Times speculated that her popularity could bring her £1m per deal.

Jama moved to London at 16 to pursue a career in entertainment. She began by co-hosting Trending Live and Cannonball, then presented her BBC Radio 1 show. In 2017, aged 23, she became the youngest person to co-host the Mobo awards on Channel 5.