It has been confirmed that Maya Jama would succeed Laura Whitmore as the host of Love Island. ITV said that Jama will take over when the show returns for its ninth season early next year. Jama stated, “I’ve always been a huge Love Island fan, and I’m thrilled to be presenting one of the nation’s most popular programs.” I can’t wait to enter the villa and meet everyone on the island.
She was previously mentioned as a prospective presenter following the announcement that Caroline Flack would be stepping down as host in 2019, however, Whitmore was ultimately selected for the position.
In a video posted to the program’s official Instagram account, Jama is seen reading through news claiming she will be the future presenter of the show, before picking up a personalized Love Island water bottle and revealing a branded luggage with “Maya” embossed in pink.
ITV’s Director of Reality Programming and Acquisitions, Paul Mortimer, stated, “It was never going to be easy to find a replacement for Laura Whitmore.
“However, with Maya Jama, we have another prominent Love Island fan who will be a terrific addition to the Love Island family,” he concluded.
“Cool, engaging, and charismatic, I believe we can all agree that Maya will add a unique presenting style to the show, much as Laura and, of course, the dearly departed Caroline Flack did. We are thrilled to have her aboard.”
In 2023, there will be two series of Love Island: the first will be filmed in South Africa at the beginning of the year, while the second will return to Mallorca in the summer.
Paul Mortimer, director of reality programming and acquisitions and controller at ITV2, ITVBe, and CITV, stated, “It was never going to be easy to find a replacement for Laura Whitmore.
“In Maya Jama, though, we have another prominent Love Island fan who will be a wonderful addition to the Love Island family. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that Maya will add a unique presenting approach to the show, just as Laura and, of course, the greatly missed Caroline Flack did. We are thrilled to have her aboard.”
Jama began her career in broadcasting as a co-host of Trending Live on 4Music and Cannonball on ITV before moving on to host her Fridays and Saturdays show on BBC Radio 1. In 2017, at the age of 23, she became the youngest co-host of the Mobo awards on Channel 5, alongside the JLS member-turned-presenter Marvin Humes.