Maya Jama has revealed she has quit her role as presenter of Love Island after three years and shared an emotional message on social media
Maya Jama has stunned Love Island fans after revealing she has quit the show. The presenter, 32, shared the shocking news on Instagram with an emotional message and compilation video – but some viewers were desperately hoping it wasn’t true
Three years on from taking over the reins from Laura Whitmore, Maya has called time on her role. And she said she “can’t put it into words”.
She wrote: “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.”
She went on: “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.
“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.
Explaining how she first landed the gig at 28, she revealed she has loved being part of nine “incredible series” and praised those she had met through the show. Maya continued: “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.”
She concluded to say that while her journey is over, she will continue to watch on and be a cheerleader for the show.
Amy Hart was among those sharing moving messages in the comments section. She wrote: “Thanks for always being so kind! Learnt a lot from you!!”
Shakira Khan called her the “GOAT” while Casey O’Gorman said: “From the villa to the Aftersun sofa. Been a pleasure Maya.”
Jasmine Muller labelled Maya the “baddest ever”, while Jessy May Potts said: “You will be missed! Can’t wait to see what’s next for you.”
While she received lots of well wishes, some viewers weren’t prepared to believe her decision. One user said “NO PLEASE DONT BE TRUE. Tv just got a little less bright without the Maya Jama slow mo look back.”
Another simply wrote: “Noooooooooooooooooo,” while a third said: “my heart just shattered.”
Maya was fist announced as the new host of Love Island in October 2022. However, she didn’t take over from Laura Whitmore and make her debut until 2023.
A spokesperson for the broadcaster told the Mirror: “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.”
Maya’s stock is continuing to rise after a successful stint on Celebrity Traitors. The star almost bagged the top prize, but was found out at the last minute.
Despite not winning the cash pot, Maya revealed she donated what she stood to bank for her chosen charity, Action for Children. The charity also confirmed she had donated £83,500.