Love Island producers are holding auditions this week to find a replacement for host Maya Jama, who announced she is stepping down after three years. The search comes just hours after the 32-year-old presenter revealed her departure, with the show set to air in a matter of weeks.
While Maya is said to have been planning her exit for some time, bosses reportedly only found out recently. Auditions are expected to start almost immediately, and ITV has reportedly lined up several possible presenters, including a string of former contestants.
Maya Jama's announcement
Announcing her exit, Maya said she couldn't put it "into words," adding that her time on the show had been nothing short of "incredible" and "unforgettable." In a statement to her 3.5 million Instagram followers, she said: "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."
She added: "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. The show really does belong to the people who watch it and embrace it year after year. I started hosting the show aged 28 and during the 9 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."
Race against time
A source told The Sun: "ITV are wasting no time and are starting meetings with potential new hosts immediately within the next couple of days. They are very aware that Maya's shoes are very big ones to fill and even though they have pushed the launch date for All Stars back by a few weeks, they know it's already a race against time to find the perfect replacement. They can't get this wrong, so they aren't wasting a moment."
The source added that while Maya had decided to leave last week, bosses only found out in the days leading up to her announcement. Producers had even pushed back the launch date of All Stars to try to work around Maya's hectic schedule.
Potential replacements
Since she joined the show in 2023, Maya's popularity has soared, thanks to her appearances in The Gentleman and her most recent stint on Celebrity Traitors. So far, bosses are said to be looking at a string of familiar ITV faces to take over, including former Love Island stars Olivia Attwood, Chloe Burrows and Indiyah Polack, as well as TikTok creator GK Barry.
A source said Olivia already has a steady relationship with the production company Lifted, which creates Love Island, and she also attended the wedding of one of the show's bosses. The new host will be the fourth person to present the show, which launched in 2015. Caroline Flack initially hosted from series one until series five, when she stepped down. Her close friend Laura Whitmore took over between seasons six and eight, before Maya joined for season nine. The Mirror has approached ITV for comment.
