Maura Higgins and Olivia Attwood are among the stars being tipped to take over hosting duties on Love Island, following Maya Jama's announcement that she is stepping down from the ITV dating series.
Maya Jama's Departure
On Sunday, Jama announced she had quit her role as host to "throw myself into something new." The 32-year-old has presented the series since 2023, when she replaced Laura Whitmore, and has also hosted the Love Island: Games and Love Island: All Stars spin-offs.
An ITV spokesperson said: "Maya has been a fantastic and much loved host on Love Island – we thank her for everything she has brought to the show over the last three years and wish her every continued success." They added: "We will announce plans for the forthcoming series of Love Island: All Stars in due course."
Frontrunners for the Role
Following Jama's departure, several names have emerged as potential replacements.
Maura Higgins: Rising to fame as a finalist on Love Island in 2019, Higgins has since appeared on a string of reality shows. The Irish TV personality, 35, is currently competing on Dancing With The Stars US and has featured on Dancing On Ice, Cooking With The Stars, I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, and The Traitors US. She was also the social media presenter for Love Island USA and Love Island Games, before going on to present Love Island USA: Aftersun and Love Island Games: Aftersun. However, she quit the franchise in May this year, saying it was "time to try something different." She told Vulture: "I've got amazing opportunities coming in the door. I think it's time to say goodbye. But you know what? I won't say forever. I'll still be watching from afar and I love them and miss them. It's just time to move on." In August, it was announced that Higgins would host a reboot of classic British TV series Blind Date for Disney+.
Olivia Attwood: Another former Love Island star rumoured to be in the running is Attwood. In 2017, she appeared on the third season of Love Island, reaching the final and finishing in third place with Chris Hughes. The following year, the couple appeared in their own spin-off series Chris & Olivia: Crackin' On, but split up that year. Since then, Attwood, 35, has appeared on Celebs Go Dating, The Only Way Is Essex, and I'm A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! She has hosted several ITV series including Getting Filthy Rich, The Price Of Perfection and Bad Boyfriends, and has been a panellist on Loose Women since 2023. Attwood is currently dating The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks, 38, following her split from footballer Bradley Dack.
Vick Hope: Another presenter speculated to be an option for taking over hosting Love Island is Vick Hope. The TV and radio presenter, 37, currently hosts the BBC Radio 1 drivetime show Going Home With Vick, Katie And Jamie – with Katie Thistleton and Jamie Laing. She previously hosted the Capital Breakfast show on Capital FM with Roman Kemp and Sonny. On screen, Hope was the backstage presenter for ITV's The X Factor in 2019 and was the digital reporter for The Voice UK in 2018. Hope also competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 and is married to Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. The couple share a son born last year.
Jama's Full Statement
Jama's full statement announcing she was stepping down read: "What an incredible era and what an unforgettable time I've had, it's been far too much fun to put into words or a video, but as all good things must come to an end, it's my time to step down as the host of my beloved Love Island.
"Firstly, I want to thank all of the people who rooted so hard for me to host the show in the first place. I wouldn't change a thing. To the fans of the show, thank you for every supportive message and every single time you've tuned in during my time as host, I'm forever grateful to you all. The show really does belong to the people who watch it and embrace it year after year."
She also thanked the programme's "incredible" production team, who she said brought "this iconic show to life." Jama added: "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. I'll forever be grateful for the experience. But I've always believed that to truly grow, you have to take a leap every now and then, and now is my time to throw myself into something new. 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."
Love Island, which has aired since 2015 when it was revived from the 2000s TV show of the same name, sees a group of contestants looking for love live in isolation from the outside world, where they must couple up with another islander to survive on the show. Prior to Jama, Whitmore had hosted the show since 2020 when she took over from the late Caroline Flack, who helmed the show since its reboot in 2015. The Press Association has contacted ITV and representatives for Higgins, Attwood and Hope for comment.
