Maya Jama is leaving Love Island after nine series as host

Maya Jama has told fans it's "time to throw myself into something new" as she steps down as Love Island host after three years and nine series.

9 Nov 2026, 04:352 min read

The villa is about to get a new face on the mic. Maya Jama has announced she is stepping down as host of Love Island after three years.

The 32-year-old shared the news on Instagram on Sunday, 8 November, with a highlights reel of her time on the ITV dating show.

What happened? 🏝️

Jama said it was "time to throw myself into something new". She added: "While my own Love Island journey has come to an end, I wish the show and the team all the success in the world, I'll be cheering you lot on from the sidelines forever."

She also looked back fondly. "I started hosting the show aged 28 and during the nine incredible series met the most wonderful humans along the way. I've loved every slow-mo walk, fire pit and live show," she wrote.

An ITV spokesperson called her "a fantastic and much-loved host" and thanked her for everything she had brought to the show.

Why is everyone talking about it?

Jama took over from Laura Whitmore when the show returned for its ninth series in early 2023. She had been touted as a possible host back in 2019, after Caroline Flack stepped down, but the job went to Whitmore at the time.

The timing is also notable. Jama has just had a big moment on the BBC's Celebrity Traitors, where she played a traitor and went undetected until the finale. Her popularity led the Times to speculate that she could "get £1m per deal".

She has said she believes that "to truly grow, you have to take a leap every now and then".

Where did she start?

Jama moved to London at 16 to chase a career in entertainment. She began by co-hosting Trending Live on 4Music and Cannonball on ITV, then presented her own show on BBC Radio 1 on Fridays and Saturdays.

In 2017, aged 23, she became the youngest person to co-host the Mobo awards (a major UK Black music awards show) on Channel 5, alongside JLS star Marvin Humes.