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Celebrity Traitors star Maya Jama has announced she is stepping down as the host of Love Island to “throw myself into something new”.
The 32-year-old presenter has fronted the ITV reality series since 2023 after replacing Irish host Laura Whitmore, and has also anchored the Love Island: Games and Love Island: All Stars spin-off shows.
In an Instagram post, Jama said: “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.
“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.”
She paid tribute to the programme’s “incredible” production team, who she said helped bring “this iconic show to life”.
Jama added: “I started hosting the show aged 28 and during the nine incredible series met the most wonderful humans along the way. 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.
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“While my own Love Island journey has come to an end, I wish the show and the team all the success in the world, I’ll be cheering you lot on from the sidelines forever.”
The social media post included a video showcasing Jama’s highlights from the show.
An ITV spokesperson said: “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.”
The move comes after Jama featured as a contestant on BBC reality gameshow Celebrity Traitors last month, where she was selected as a traitor in the first episode.
The TV presenter survived on the show until its final, where she was banished from the castle by fellow traitor King Kenny, after he held the deciding vote on her fate.
Although comedian Romesh Ranganathan and actor Sebastian Croft won the show’s £83,000 prize pot for their charities, Jama still gave an undisclosed sum to her charity Action for Children.
Love Island, which has been broadcast since 2015 when it was brought back from a 2000s TV series of the same name, features a group of contestants seeking love in isolation from the outside world, where they are required to couple up with another islander to remain on the show.
Prior to Jama’s arrival, Whitmore had hosted the series since 2020 when she took over from the late Caroline Flack – who had helmed the show since its reboot in 2015.