Maya Jama turns 30 on 14 August – and she’s packed a lot into her life so far. With more than 3.2 million Instagram followers and four seasons of Love Island under her belt, it’s safe to say that Maya is TV’s golden girl.
But, as she celebrates another successful year, what is the Bristol-born star’s secret?
“You’ve got to keep trying because you don’t know what amazing things are round the corner,” she smiled, when asked about life’s most important lessons. “Also, always be grateful – at one point you wished to be where you are today.”
Maya – who moved to London at just 16 years old – has been climbing that ladder of success for years, beginning her presenting career as a teen when she hosted the weekly music video countdown on JumpOff.TV. She later worked for Sky UK on TRACE Sports and in 2014 she hosted Maya’s FIFA World Cup Cities for Copa90, a travelogue covering the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The star joined MTV as a presenter for The Wrap Up in 2014 and soon began working as a radio DJ.
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However, it was in 2017 when things really hit big for her. Aged 23, she became the youngest person to co-host the MOBO Awards, alongside Marvin Humes. And just one year later, she was scooped up to co-host the first series of Channel 4’s The Circle with Alice Levine as well as that year’s Stand Up To Cancer with Alan Carr and Adam Hills.
Since then, her credentials have included the role of team captain on ITV2 rap panel show Don’t Hate The Playaz, presenting BBC One’s Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer, and being the face of Simon Cowell’s new music competition game show Walk The Line.
In 2022, Maya bagged her biggest role yet when she was confirmed as the new host of Love Island, taking over from Laura Whitmore.
As for how she plans on marking her big birthday, the TV star explained that she is looking for a fresh challenge after realising her career ambitions.
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“I feel like I need to set new goals because I have been so fortunate that all my childhood goals have been achieved now before I am 30,” she said. “[This] is another milestone, but focus on your job first then plan the party after!”
But it isn’t just her career that’s made headlines over the years. Maya’s love life has also been the centre of attention. And, sadly, she’s had to navigate some dark moments in her life. Opening up on Channel 4’s Foxy’s Fearless 48 Hours With…, Maya recounted how the loss of her first boyfriend at a young age made her not want to “let any chance miss me”.
Maya was just 16 when the 21-year-old was killed in the crossfire of a gun fight in a pub. Two men were later convicted of killing an innocent bystander and were both given life sentences.
Rather than letting grief consume her, Maya said she was traumatised by the loss but it also made her more determined not to miss any opportunities that came her way. Fast forward a few years to 2014, and she became half of one of celeb-land’s favourite couples with rapper Stormzy.
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Unfortunately, the pair split in August 2019 amid claims he had been unfaithful, which Stormzy fiercely denied.
Maya then got engaged to American basketball player Ben Simmons in 2021, but it was called off nine months later due to their busy schedules, causing a stir among fans. Stormzy and Maya then delighted fans when they announced they were giving it another go last year.
However, in a shock turn of events, the Love Island presenter and British rap sensation confirmed they’d gone their separate ways once more last month. In an emotional post, they wrote a joint caption about their relationship as they learn to “navigate this next bit of [their] lives with peace”.
It read, “We fell madly in love in 2014, broke up in 2019, and then spent five years manoeuvring life apart. We decided to try for the final time in August 2023, and we’ve spent this past year trying our best to make it work; however, we recently decided to call it quits.
“We were 21 and 20 when we first met, both at the beginning of our careers and spent five years growing together and then five years growing separately, so this final attempt required a whole lot of figuring out, relearning, and unlearning. We tried, and it didn’t work, and that’s OK.
“We still think the absolute world of each other, we still care and respect each other, we are still grateful for the time we’ve had together.”
Now, Maya’s celebrating her birthday without her former beau, but it’s clear to see she’s not letting heartbreak stand in her way.
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With filming for series 11 of Love Island finished, Maya is fully embracing her single girl summer, and has been hitting the clubs in Ibiza with her girlfriends. But what’s her remedy for getting over heartache?
“The best thing you can do is try and do everything that made you happy before you met them,” she once mused. “Actual love. That’s all I ever want. Just real love. I want a best friend that I’m in love with. And I have had that before.”
But Maya – who made the Forbes 30 under 30 list this year – won’t be following in the footsteps of her Love Island contestants in the hope of finding that love.
“I would not be able to, at any age, strut out of the house in a bikini in front of men that are judging me based on just one sentence and what I look like,” she laughed when discussing the show. “The confidence of the people that go on! They’ve got a different kind of juice.”
And it isn’t just TV audiences – or her 955k followers on TikTok – that Maya has captured the hearts of, as she’s also making waves in the fashion and beauty world. Maya has been collaborating with huge names, and brands such as Rimmel and Dolce & Gabbana have fallen head over heels for her.
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Despite many years in the spotlight, Maya remains humble, with a quick wit and down-to-earth attitude. “I always thought my teeth were alright, never blinked an eye, and then I read a tweet saying, ‘I really love that Maya’s kept her natural teeth and not fixed them,’” she has said about receiving comments on her looks.
One thing that’s been on Maya’s mind as she approaches her 30th birthday is her fitness routine, and her approach to exercise is all about building strength and energy to support her busy lifestyle.
“I just want to have as much energy as I can,” she has revealed. “While I’m quite hyperactive and move around a lot in the day, without even going to the gym, being strong has always been my goal.”
And exercise is just as important for her mental heath, too. “I just think [working out] helps your mental health so much anyway – there’s a difference in how I feel if I go out and do some exercise versus just staying in bed all day,” she has said.
Now, as she celebrates a milestone in her life, Maya is looking towards a bright future. So, reflecting on the highs of her life and career so far, how would she like to be remembered? “As someone who loved her family and friends, worked hard, got successful and had a lovely time in the process.”