Maya Jama has announced she is stepping down as host of Love Island after four years. The TV presenter and Celebrity Traitors finalist, 32, took over hosting duties from Laura Whitmore, who had succeeded the late Caroline Flack as the ITV show's original host.
Jama has fronted the dating show since October 2022 and has also presented spin-offs Love Island Games and Love Island: All-Stars.
Announcement on Instagram
In a post on Instagram this evening, Jama said that “all good things must come to an end” and that she would be “stepping down” from her “beloved” dating show. Her lengthy caption accompanied a video montage of highlights.
She wrote: “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 added: “Biggest thanks to the incredible production team, I’ve seen firsthand how you work your asses off for months every year to bring this iconic show to life.”
Reason for leaving
Reflecting on her nine-series tenure, Jama praised the “wonderful humans” she has met and said she will “forever be grateful for the experience”. She hinted at her reasons for deciding to pass the torch, writing: “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.”
Looking to the future, she insisted she will always be a Love Island fan. “While my own Love Island journey has come to an end, I wish the show and the team all the success in the world,” Jama concluded. “I’ll be cheering you lot on from the sidelines forever. ❤️”
She then took to her Instagram Story to add that it is the “end of an era” and she is feeling “emotional”. It has not yet been confirmed who will replace Jama.
