Love Island host Maya Jama talks about her striking wardrobe on the show, why she doesn’t have the confidence of a contestant and what made her independent
WORDS: LUCY NEEDHAM AND JEN PHARO PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK, TUNG WALSH
DREAM CAREER
Maya Jama tells us there’s not an easy way to her heart as she shimmers beneath the South African sunshine at the sumptuous Love Island villa, before adding coyly, “There shouldn’t be an easy way to anyone’s heart.”
She’s the glamorous host of the nation’s favourite dating show, but Maya’s lessons in love have all been learned first-hand from her own rollercoaster life.
The TV presenter, 29, is once again in a relationship with her soulmate Stormzy, 30, four years after their romance ended following rumours he’d cheated. Maya cut him out of her life but, in Love Island parlance, Stormzy didn’t stop grafting, writing songs about Maya and telling the world, “I want to marry her, I want to have her children.”
For a while his declarations fell on deaf ears and in 2021, NBA player Ben Simmons proposed to Maya with a dazzling emerald-cut diamond ring worth £800,000.
But even a huge diamond wasn’t the way to Maya’s heart and the engagement lasted less than a year.
Then, in 2023, similarities between Maya and Stormzy’s Instagram posts got fans speculating that their romance was back on. In October, Maya confirmed their suspicions by posting a romantic video of Stormzy picking her up from an airport, holding a banner reading, “Maya Jama #1 Fan.”
It’s the stuff reality shows are made of.
Maya’s career is also flying high. Not only has she conquered TV, radio and social media – she has three million Instagram followers – she is also fast becoming a fashion icon. Blessed with the natural curves many women would risk their lives on the operating table to achieve, she has been snapped up to show off the wares of brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Self Portrait and Rimmel London – not to mention appearing on the cover of Vogue.
Maya cemented her position among fashion’s A-list by hosting The British Fashion Council’s Fashion Awards in December, with an adoring Stormzy there to support her as she commanded an audience that included Kate Moss, Amal Clooney and Gwyneth Paltrow. On the night she sparkled in four gorgeous outfits, each change undertaken in just nine minutes with the help of a full-strength glam team.
While the contestant
