Presenter Maya Jama has announced she is leaving her role as host of Love Island after three years in the job, according to the BBC. The 32-year-old shared the news on Instagram on Sunday, posting it alongside a montage of her moments from the programme.
In her post, Jama said the time had come for her to move on to something different, and described her departure as the close of her own journey with the show. She wished the programme and its team continued success and said she would keep supporting them from a distance.
Why it matters
Jama took over Love Island in 2023 from Laura Whitmore, making it the biggest presenting job of her career so far. Her exit leaves one of British television's most-watched reality formats without its frontwoman, and comes at a moment when her profile has widened beyond the show.
Her announcement follows her recent run as a contestant on Celebrity Traitors, which drew praise and prompted press speculation about her earning potential. The Times, as cited in the BBC's reporting, suggested she could command large sums per deal on the back of that appearance.
A nine-series run and a message to fans
Reflecting on her time on the show, Jama said she had begun presenting it at 28 and had worked across nine series, meeting many people she described warmly along the way. She listed the elements of the job she had enjoyed, including the contestants' slow-motion entrances, the fire pit and the live broadcasts.
She also set out her reasoning for leaving, saying she has long held that real growth requires taking a risk from time to time. Thanking viewers and the production team, she called her stint on the programme memorable.
An ITV spokesperson praised Jama as a well-liked host and thanked her for her contribution over the past three years, while wishing her success in what comes next, the BBC reported.
Love Island pairs contestants into couples who then take on a series of challenges and swap partners in the hope of finding a lasting relationship.
From radio to prime-time television
Before Love Island, Jama built her career through radio, including a stint at Rinse FM, and joined BBC Radio 1 as a presenter in 2018. She went on to front a range of television programmes, among them Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer and ITV2's Don't Hate the Playaz, before becoming host of BBC Three's Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star in 2021.
Her Celebrity Traitors appearance put her in front of a large audience in the show's final, where she competed as a traitor alongside actor Richard E Grant, YouTuber King Kenny and comedian James Acaster. Although she did not win, one commentator quoted by the BBC said she had come out of the series looking less like a reality show presenter and more like a broadly capable television star.
ITV has not yet indicated who will take over hosting duties, and Jama has not said what her next project will be.
