Who is Maya Jama? Everything you need to know about Love Island's host

Have you been wondering, who is Maya Jama? The presenter has taken center stage on our TV screens recently, joining Love Island UK as the show's new host—but outside of that, you might not know too much about her. And from her successful TV career to her high-profile relationship history, there's much to learn about the glamorous British star.

It's likely that lots of fans will already recognize Maya Jama for her presenting gigs, on TV shows like Glow Up and The Circle, but outside of that, she also has many other claims to fame. Firstly, there's Maya's killer red carpet looks and her popular skincare line MIJ masks; but you may also have heard about her personal relationships, too. That's because Maya has actually been romantically linked to a number of famous faces—there was her long-term relationship with Stormzy, as well as her brief engagement to NBA player Ben Simmons (and who is Maya Jama's boyfriend now?!) 

So, for anyone in need of a full debrief on everything Maya (when she's not corralling the winter Love Island 2023 cast), you've come to the right place. If you're wondering, who is Maya Jama? We reveal all of the shows the presenter has fronted before landing the role of Love Island UK’s host, along with Maya's personal deets, from her age to her star sign.

Who is Maya Jama?

What is Maya Jama famous for?

Maya is a TV presenter who has appeared in a number of shows over the years, and has been a big name in the UK for some time now. However, her fame is set to go global with her most high-profile role to date—hosting the current winter season of Love Island UK, taking place in South Africa. 

The star also presented the newest season of BBC Three’s Glow Up (which dropped this last October on Netflix) as well as MTV’s The Wrap Up. Additionally, she has appeared on shows like The Duchess and Celebrity Juice, and regularly features on UK game shows including Don't Hate The Playaz, of which she is a co-host. She even launched two successful clothing lines with Pretty Little Thing (the brand Molly-Mae Hague is Creative Director of) between 2018 and 2019.

The presenter got her start after launching a YouTube channel and landed a role presenting JumpOff TV. She then moved on to MTV, where she hosted shows like MTV News and MTV Essentials.

Alongside TV work, Maya has been a Radio 1 presenter, commanding the airwaves on Friday and Saturday mornings—but quit the show in 2020. The launch of her skincare brand MIJ has been another entrepreneurial string to her bow, and shifted her net worth into millionaire status.

Maya Jama Instagram—is the star online?

You can keep up with Maya on Instagram, at @mayajama (opens in new tab), where she regularly updates her 2.7 million followers. Find stylish outfit posts on her feed, and a behind-the-scenes look at her work day on her Stories.

Given her huge audience, the star has worked with a number of big brands. She has modeled for the likes of Steve Madden and Adidas, and recently appeared in a commercial for McDonald's.

If you're wondering where she stands on the Love Island social media rules, Maya recently shared in an interview with This Morning some advice for new Islanders and how she personally approaches the web.

She said: "I would say, if you're already a heavy social media user, use it for fun, enjoy it—if it gets too much, come off of it."

Adding: "On my Instagram, I literally mute everything, unless it's my personal circle and then you have your own happy bubble don't you, most of the time. So I think, cater it to you as much as you can." Good advice, Maya!

How old is Maya Jama?

Maya was born on August 14, 1994. If you're wondering about Maya Jama's age, this makes her 28 years old—and, for any astrology fans out there, her birth also places her in Leo season.

Back in summer, the star posted (opens in new tab) a video online about her "birthday weekend" celebrations in an unknown sun-soaked location.

Maya Jama heritage—where is she originally from?

Maya is of Somali and Swedish descent, and was born and raised in the UK city of Bristol. She moved to London when she was just 16 years old to pursue a career in broadcasting—so if you're wondering what accent Maya Jama has, it's largely Bristolian with a hint of south-east England mixed in!

The star—who is reportedly named after writer Maya Angelou—didn't have the easiest of childhoods. Maya Jama's parents split when the star was young, and she revealed to The Guardian (opens in new tab) that she was largely raised by her mother Sadie. Her dad, Hussein, was in and out of prison.

Maya said: “[He was] banged up. It wasn’t one long sentence, it was lots of sentences—sentence after sentence. Mostly, it was for violence, for pub brawls and fights. The usual thing was that he’d be drinking and get into a fight. Someone would get hurt, and he’d go to jail.”

As such, Maya has revealed that she is very close to her mother, sharing with the Evening Standard that their smaller age gap helped them to bond. She said, "She had me at 18, so our relationship was a bit different. I rebelled less because I was quite free."

Maya Jama net worth

So with all of her successful career and business ventures, you might naturally be wondering about Maya Jama's net worth. While it's likely that only Maya and a few trusted people in her life know the true figure, various reports estimate that the presenter's net worth sits at a whopping £1.5million (around $1.7million). 

It's a super impressive amount, and a number that has likely risen with her new gig on Love Island, too!

Maya Jama height—how tall is the presenter?

By now, Love Island viewers will be used to Maya's majestic struts into the South African villa—but it may have left some wondering how tall the stunning star is.

Luckily, Maya herself answered that very question a few years ago! Back in 2016, a fan on Twitter commented that they'd spotted her in real life, and commented that she is 'shorter than I thought'. In response, Maya tweeted back with the laughing emoji, and answered, 'im 5'8 how tall did you think I was???' So there's your answer!

Of course, the host likely looks a fair bit taller in her Love Island heels, which may explain why people who have only ever seen her on TV may be confused about her height...

Who is Maya Jama dating now?

As far as we know, Maya Jama is currently single. Most recently, the presenter was dating NBA player Ben Simmons. He popped the question in December 2021, but they split after an eight-month engagement.

A source told the NY Post (opens in new tab) that the couple had gone their separate ways, explaining: “While they both care for each other so much, they truly gave it their all and realize that they just come from two different worlds.”

Despite her current single status though, the plot does thicken! Since things broke off with Ben, fans have been going wild for reunion rumors between her and ex Stormzy.

Suggestions that Maya and Stormzy's relationship could get off the ground once more have come after the release of his latest album, which is basically a love letter to their former romance. Alas though, there have been no new developments on this front!

Are Maya Jama and Stormzy friends?

Maya famously dated rapper Stormzy, and during the course of their relationship, they became something of an IT couple, with fans loving their sweet bond and bomb fashion looks together.

But, after four years together, they sadly called it quits in 2019 and went their separate ways.

While there were some cheating allegations floating around at the time, Stormzy debunked the rumors. Speaking to Hot 97, he said: “If there was a box of what a good woman is, she ticks every one, she's amazing. But I didn't cheat on her. I actually didn't cheat. Don't get it twisted, I'm still definitely an a***hole. 100%, that's a fact. I'm an a***hole.”

However, their past has been stirred up lately with the release of Stormzy's new album 'This Is What I Mean'. It features a number of tracks believed to be about the TV host.

So far though, Maya's reps have denied that they've rekindled things. They told Digital Spy (opens in new tab) that while they are not getting back together, Maya and Stormzy, "remain great friends".

Before Stormzy, she endured heartbreak as a 16-year-old when her then-boyfriend Rico Gordon was fatally shot. Speaking to The Guardian, she recalled: “That’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. It was unreal—the sort of thing that happens in films.”