Love Island host Maya Jama's five-word statement during Celebrity Traitors has been interpreted as a sign of her desire for personal power, according to body language expert Judi James.
Maya's 'tell' during the roundtable
During last night's episode, contestants faced the tense task of banishing one of their co-stars at the roundtable. Richard E. Grant inadvertently drew suspicion upon himself, prompting Maya and James Acaster to turn against him. They both voted with the majority and chose Richard as a Traitor, and he was banished from the castle.
Analysing the 32-year-old's behaviour, Judi believes the presenter proved she sees herself in control, rather than in a team with her fellow Traitors.
"Maya showed several signals that, as her confidence in her Traitor role is growing, she is primarily driven by a desire for personal power," Judi told the Daily Express on behalf of Paddy Power Bingo.
"Her power-dressing is already a given: those wide padded shoulders and that Honey Monster coat make her take up twice as much room as any other player and create the sense of being a physical alpha wannabe rather than the intellectual type."
'Micro-sneer' as Richard is banished
Judi pointed to a verbal slip: "She let slip with a verbal 'tell' last night when she stated 'I can't lose another Traitor', using the singular to prove she now sees herself in lead control rather than being a Traitors team player."
Judi suggested that Maya "relished" in banishing her fellow Traitor, claiming she let out a "micro-sneer" as she read out his name.
"As she voted off fellow Traitor Richard her gestures suggested she was relishing the moment. She held her board with his name on it up like a miniature masterpiece being sold off at Sotheby's," Judi continued.
"Having just looked down with what might have been a small smile of regret, she also showed a slight lifting of one nostril that looked like a micro-sneer."
"Her verbal treachery to Richard was acute, given he knew what she was doing and that her verbal strokes of 'I think you're wonderful' and 'I love you' were hollow as she looked right at him."
Richard's regret
Richard's micro-facial gestures showed he was gutted to be thrown out first.
"Richard's body language as he first self-unmasked as a Traitor did show it was a clumsy, unintentional mistake rather than a desire for a swift exit and his micro-displays last night endorsed the idea that he truly regretted getting kicked out, despite his attempt at a show of bravado," Judi added. "Sadly, as he made his exit speech, the lights picked up on some fluid at the side of one eye that looked very much like unsplit tears."
