Maya Jama jets off to South Africa for Love Island hosting debut – after revealing how she got gig
Love Island kicks off its winter series in a week on January 16.
And presenter Maya Jama flew to South Africa to begin filming her first season on Saturday.
The 28-year-old television presenter took to her Instagram Stories to film herself on the plane on the way to the sunny spot.
‘There goes’: Host Maya Jama traveled to South Africa to begin filming her debut season on Saturday
She cut a casual figure in a lime green top and a comfortable gray jumper as she danced in her seat with excitement.
Her long black hair was styled in neat waves, and her face was fresh and makeup-free for the long-haul flight.
Captioning the video, Maya happily wrote, “She’s leaving.”
Excited: The 28-year-old TV presenter took to her Instagram Stories to film herself on the plane on the way to the sunny spot
On the go: She cut a casual figure in a lime green top and comfy gray jumper as she danced excitedly in her seat
It comes after the star revealed that she did not have to audition to host Love Island and accepted the hosting job immediately.
He explained in a new interview that it was through his connections with the producers of his various television jobs that he landed the lead role.
It was in the early months of 2022 when she received a phone call while enjoying some free time in the US and found out that she was the number one choice to replace Laura Whitmore in the new series of the ITV2 show.
You are in! It comes after the star revealed that she didn’t have to audition to host Love Island and accepted the hosting job immediately (pictured in the trailer for the new series).
She said The times: ‘Once you start doing television, you meet a lot of producers, through different shows, and the bosses will notice the talent. . . That’s weird, calling yourself talent, isn’t it? I speak for a living. It’s not exactly tap dancing everywhere or performing a ballad.
“So I think I’ve always been in his line of sight, but I was very young when the host changes happened in the past.”
The host was having some time off when she got the call about the Love Island concert, explaining, “I got the call saying, ‘We want to meet you.’ I’m trying to think! Anyway, I didn’t have to audition.”
Asked if she said yes right away, Maya exclaimed, ‘Right away! Of course! golden ticket.’
Golden ticket: The host said TV bosses are “talent conscious”, revealing that she was called about the show when she was in the US
Maya isn’t the only one to be a new addition to the brand, with last year’s contestant Indiyah Polack and Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson set to host the new Love Island podcast and join Maya on the Aftersun panel each week.
When the winter series kicks off on January 16, Indiyah and Sam will give their unfiltered thoughts on the latest docking, downloading, and explosive shenanigans.
Indiyah and Sam will interview former Islanders from all nine series of the show on the popular Love Island: The Morning After podcast, produced by Listen.
Change: Maya will take over hosting role from previous host Laura Whitmore (pictured), who stepped down in 2022
Record viewership figures saw the latest series of Love Island, which aired in the summer of 2022, become the most watched series on ITV Hub, amassing over 269 million streams.
The winter debut series aired in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, and was won by Paige Turley and Finn Tapp.
Plans for a second winter series have been shelved in 2021 amid concerns surrounding the pandemic.
The largest yet in the entire series, the villa features a giant pool and is surrounded by palm trees and costs around £430 per night per room.
It is also environmentally friendly as the property is 100% isolated from the grid, allowing it to generate its own electricity, water and numerous sources of food.
Revealed: Maya isn’t the only one to be a new addition to the brand, with last year’s contestant Indiyah Polack and Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson set to host the new Love Island podcast.