📺 Maya Jama quits Love Island; Mail cites sponsor email naming her
Jama's Instagram exit is the third host change since 2019. ITV thanked her; no host pay figure appears in the documents read.
By MissDrama, reality tv desk · Desk editor Kristaps Siliņš · · 5 min read
REPORTEDPhoto: MTV UK · CC BY 3.0By the numbers
- 4y 1mfrom first to latest entry on record
- 10receipts behind this story
The Daily Mail reports that ITV told potential sponsors last week that Maya Jama would be back to host Love Island in 2027, and then Jama announced on Sunday evening that she is leaving. The Mail points to a screenshot of an email, posted by the account Tv Zone, that it describes as allegedly from Love Island staff. It carries the headline 'flight: 2027' and reads: 'Maya Jama returns to host as a cast of iconic ex-Islanders head back to paradise for another chance at love.' The Mail says it has contacted ITV and Jama for comment. Its report carries no reply on the email itself. ITV's published line is a thank-you, and that comes next in the timeline.
What we know
- Maya Jama announced on Instagram on Sunday 8 November 2026 that she is stepping down as Love Island host, BBC News and Variety report.
- An ITV spokesperson said the channel thanks her for everything she brought to the show over the last three years, per BBC News.
- The Daily Mail reports that an email described as from Love Island staff, headlined 'flight: 2027', told potential sponsors that Jama returns to host; the Mail says it has contacted ITV and Jama for comment.
- The Daily Mail, citing Companies House documents, reports that Jama's company MIJ & Co Entertainment Ltd is worth more than £4million; none of the sources read states what Love Island paid any host.
Here is the record of how Love Island hosts have arrived and left, and what the documents say about money. Spoiler for the impatient: the pay figures are not in the filing cabinet. The sources read here contain no reported fee for Caroline Flack, Laura Whitmore or Jama for hosting the show.
The timeline
17 December 2019: Caroline Flack stands down after an assault charge
Digital Spy reports that Flack announced on Instagram she would stand down from series 6 after being charged with assault by beating, following an incident on 12 December. The Metropolitan Police charge detail comes from a police spokesperson quoted by Digital Spy. Flack's statement said matters 'were not as have been reported', and the Independent reports she pleaded not guilty. An ITV spokesperson said the channel 'understand and accept her decision'. No payment terms are mentioned.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)February 2020: the door 'left open', then a tribute
BBC News reports that Flack died on 15 February 2020, and that ITV's director of television Kevin Lygo said ITV 'made it clear that the door was left open for her to return'. ITV cancelled two episodes and replaced the sponsor's advert slot with a Samaritans number, BBC News reports. Whitmore, the BBC says, had stepped in as host after the charge. Nothing in the report discloses any contract or fee.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)22 August 2022: Laura Whitmore steps down
inews reports that Whitmore announced on Instagram she would not host the next series, citing elements of the show she found 'very difficult', including flying to South Africa, plus new conflicting projects. An ITV spokesperson said it 'understand and respect her decision' and looked forward to working with her on upcoming ITV projects. BBC News adds that she had hosted the last three series. No pay figure appears in either report.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)"I was only planning to fill in for Caroline for a series and it turned into 3 series."
Laura Whitmore, Instagram statement, as quoted by inews
12 October 2022: Jama named as the successor
ITV News reports that ITV announced Jama, then 28, as the new host, taking over for the ninth series. Paul Mortimer, ITV's director of reality programming, said finding someone to follow Whitmore 'was never going to be easy'. Jama said she was a 'massive Love Island fan'. The announcement gave no financial terms.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)25 August 2023: the brand deals start to surface
The Evening Standard reported that Jama would also host the spin-off Love Island Games for Peacock. In the same piece it says she had become the face of Rimmel London and was 'reportedly' snapped up by Dolce & Gabbana in a deal 'worth thousands'. That is the Standard's wording, with no document cited, and it concerns endorsements rather than hosting pay.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)8 November 2026: Jama announces her exit
Variety and BBC News report that Jama announced on Instagram she is stepping down after nine series, saying it is 'my time to throw myself into something new'. An ITV spokesperson told BBC News: '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.' BBC News also reports the Times speculated she could 'get £1m per deal' after Celebrity Traitors. That is the Times's speculation, not a reported fee.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)"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."
Maya Jama, Instagram statement, as published by Variety
9 November 2026: the sponsor email
The Daily Mail reports the 'flight: 2027' email pitched pre-roll placements to potential sponsors and named Jama as presenter. The Mail calls ITV's reaction 'blindsided' in its headline but says only that bosses 'apparently' announced her to sponsors last week. As of the Mail's report, neither ITV nor Jama's representative had been quoted on the email.
See the receipt (opens in a new tab)The money on record
The Daily Mail reports, citing documents lodged at Companies House, that Jama's firm MIJ & Co Entertainment Ltd is worth more than £4million. It says the business grew by almost £1.4million in a year and held nearly £2.5million in the bank at the end of January, plus investments of almost £1.4million. Those are company-wide figures. The Mail's text does not say how much of it came from Love Island.
| Host | Run, as the sources give it | How it ended | Show pay in the documents read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline Flack | Five years (her words) | Stood down 17 Dec 2019 after an assault charge, which she denied | None reported |
| Laura Whitmore | Three series | Stepped down, announced 22 Aug 2022 | None reported |
| Maya Jama | Nine series (her count) | Announced exit 8 Nov 2026 | None reported |
The sponsor email is the only item here with a commercial paper trail, and it is a screenshot the Mail has not independently confirmed. MissDrama's reading of the timeline: three hosts, three exits, three polite ITV statements, and no fee anywhere in the public record. Who replaces Jama is not announced; the Mail says ITV is expected to name someone in the coming weeks.
Quick quiz · 3 questions
Earlier on file: Maya Jama quits Love Island; alleged sponsor email named her
The Maya Jama file
- Reported
The Daily Mail, citing Companies House, says her firm MIJ & Co Entertainment Ltd was worth over £4million after debts. Maya Jama quits Love Island; alleged sponsor email named her
- Admitted
Jama announced on Instagram that she is stepping down as Love Island host, as published by Variety. This story
- Reported
Jama said on Instagram she is stepping down as Love Island host, as quoted by the Mirror. Maya Jama quits Love Island; alleged sponsor email named her
- Reported
ITV announced Jama as the new Love Island host, taking over from Laura Whitmore, ITV News reports. This story
On file: The Maya Jama file · The ITV file · The Laura Whitmore file
The Ledger
On the record
- Jama announced her exit on Instagram on 8 November 2026, and an ITV spokesperson thanked her, per BBC News.
- Flack and Whitmore each left with an ITV statement of thanks; no fee for any host is published in the documents read.
Still rumour
- Whether the 'flight: 2027' email is authentic, and what ITV knew when it went out, is not confirmed; ITV had not been quoted on it in the Mail's report.
- Any host's Love Island pay, and who replaces Jama, is not confirmed in the documents read.
That's the record. The rest is rumour. - MissDrama
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