The wait is over! Love Island is back for its 10th season, and Maya Jama is set to return as the show’s host, presiding over some of the biggest moments.

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Maya made her Love Island presenting debut earlier this year when she helmed the 2023 winter edition of the dating show, which was filmed in South Africa.

She took over from Laura Whitmore, who stepped down from the role last year after three seasons.

Maya certainly proved a hit with Love Island fans, so as we gear up for another summer of love, here’s what you need to know about the TV star.

Who is Maya Jama?

Maya Jama wearing a pink dress and pink shoes
Maya Jama. ITV / Lifted Entertainment

Age: 28

Instagram: @mayajama

Twitter: @MayaJama

Maya Jama is a TV presenter, radio presenter and DJ. Originally from Bristol, Maya moved to London in 2012 to pursue a career in media first as an actress, before moving into TV presenting and modelling.

Jama made her presenting debut as a teenager, presenting the weekly music video countdown on JumpOff TV, and later worked for Sky UK on TRACE Sports.

Since then, she's gone on to build quite an impressive CV.

She co-presented Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer alongside former footballer Peter Crouch and Alex Horne, and is the presenter of the BBC Three competition Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star, which she joined from season 3.

The 28-year-old also presented MTV's True Love or True Lies, and she hosted the first season of The Circle with Alice Levine on Channel 4, before Emma Willis took over.

What has Maya said about hosting Love Island?

Maya can't wait to return to her Love Island presenting duties. "It feels so exciting," she said ahead of the new season. "I was full of nerves for my first series because I was wondering what it would be like.

"Now, I know I feel really ready and excited, I just can't wait to get started! Now there’s a bit more of an expectation, I just want to make sure that I live up to that expectation again…. The pressure is on for my stylist because the dresses did very well last series."

For Maya, the best thing about working on Love Island is the fact that she is "able to have a bit more of a personal relationship with the Islanders and being able to see all the behind-the-scenes of what goes into making the show".

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"It’s a nice feeling to be involved in a show that I’ve loved and been a fan of for so long," she added.

Ahead of her debut earlier this year, the presenter admitted that she tried “not to do too much research because you want to still be yourself, don’t you? And ask the questions you want to know… I’m just going to approach it how I’ve screamed at the telly for years!”

Love Island starts on ITV2 on Monday 5th June 2023 at 9pm. You can watch all previous seasons of Love Island on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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