Before she became a globally recognized presenter as the face of “Love Island” in the U.K., Maya Jama dreamed of becoming an actor.
“I was that kid who would be like, ‘Let’s have a performance in the front room and get all our family members to pay for a ticket,’” the 31-year-old tells Variety on a cold December afternoon in London. We’re tucked away in the cozy corner of a chic Chelsea restaurant, but Jama immediately proves she’s no snob — she insisted on ordering from the kids’ menu and is nibbling on battered prawn bites and a cheese quesadilla. “I wasn’t a good singer and I wasn’t an amazing dancer; I just loved showing off to anyone, whatever I could do,” she adds.
British audiences are used to seeing Jama in full-glam, but today she’s dressed down and for the chilly weather, sporting a black beanie and matching puffer with minimal makeup and her impossibly shiny hair tucked back. Jama’s just off the train from Manchester, where she’s now living part-time to be closer to her boyfriend, Manchester City football star Rúben Dias. She also discloses before our interview that she’s just gotten braces, which are hidden behind her teeth — hence the strange food order. “Sorry if I speak funny!” she warns, but her smooth, made-for-radio voice never falters.
Growing up in Bristol, England, Jama got an early chance to pursue acting when at age 15 she auditioned for “Skins,” the raunchy, revolutionary British teen series that launched the careers of Daniel Kaluuya and Dev Patel. Set in the Southwestern city, “Skins” held auditions at several schools in the area in an effort to achieve authentic casting.
“I got to the last stage with me and one other girl and I was convinced that was going to be my big break,” Jama recalls. “And then I didn’t get it and I was like, ‘Fuck acting. I’m never doing this again.’ And just completely gave up on the dream.”
It may have taken her more than a decade to get over that early rejection — during which Jama made a name for herself as one of the youngest BBC Radio One DJs ever and a sought-after presenter for shows like “Love Island” and “The Masked Singer” — but she’s finally trying her hand at acting again. Later this year, she’ll make her official debut in the second season of Guy Ritchie’s critically acclaimed “The Gentlemen,” which in a full-circle moment, also happens to star “Skins” breakout Kaya Scodelario.
“[Kaya] messaged me before I came to set to be like, ‘I know it’s going to be a bit wild, but if you need anything, just let me know,’” Jama says proudly. “She was so lovely.”
But before Jama dives into the acting world, she’s hosting the second installment of “Love Island” spinoff “All Stars” in South Africa, her seventh season as a presenter since joining the franchise in 2023. (The series was meant to premiere on Monday, but due to wildfires in the area its premiere date has been postponed indefinitely — though, fortunately, everyone on set is safe.) When asked how she’s preparing for the upcoming season, Jama reveals that even she doesn’t know the cast list until she arrives.
“They don’t tell me anything until I get there. They keep it so secret,” she says. “I’m kind of glad they do as well, because I would hate to be the one that fucked it. ‘Maya reveals all’ — yeah, it could happen.”
Below, Jama discusses how much longer she’ll stay on as “Love Island” host, ignoring internet hate and the acting role she’d love to nab next.
Hollie Molloy
Take me back to getting the call that you would be the new “Love Island” host. What was that like?
I remember feeling quite scared. It was already such an established show, there’d been two previous hosts already and the internet’s mean sometimes. Going into a show where people love it so much, if you don’t make it better or at least keep it the same, they’re going to be horrible. And so I remember thinking, I’m in a nice place in my life where things are going well — I could either stay the same or take a risk, and it could either completely fuck me over and everyone thinks I’m terrible, or they’re going to really love me and it will be the best thing I ever did. So I do remember feeling a bit worried, but then also like, you do not say no to an opportunity like this. But it ended up being amazing!
What’s the biggest challenge of hosting?
I think not looking online, because it’s so tempting. Any normal human brain is like, “Oh, people are talking about me, let me have a look at what they’re saying. Are they being nice, are they being mean?” That’s probably the hardest, because you do take it personally. And at the end of the day, it’s a show where I don’t have that much control. Like, I’ve got to deliver my thing, I can add my opinions, but if they get cut out the edit, they get cut out the edit. And so you do your best, but I see the episode for the first time when it comes out like everybody else. That lack of control is obviously a bit nervy, but I trust the producers and they’re a good team, so I feel like they wouldn’t do me dirty.
What’s a fact about “Love Island” that people wouldn’t expect?
That they all eat lunch separately off camera. So the girls will all eat lunch together, the boys will all eat lunch together. And they have to eat with producers, so they’re not allowed to talk about anything to do with the show. They can talk about TV or whatever, but they can’t discuss anything that would make a difference in the villa. They keep them separate for that, so that’s when they can talk about life and not love.
What do you think about the way “Love Island” has grown in the U.S.? What does that success say about the format in general?
It’s nuts. I think it was the first season that Ariana [Madix] did where I saw it everywhere and I thought, “Fuck, OK, they’ve got the bug that the U.K. has.” Because it’s been a staple in this country for years and years, and it’s such guilty pleasure TV. But to see it get the same response in America, being such a massive place compared to the U.K., it’s just like, this is some worldwide shit now. And it’s everywhere —they’ve got Spain and France [editions], they’ve got loads across the world. It’s kind of taken over, and it’s been a long run. Usually, I feel like shows kind of die down after 10 years.
How long do you see yourself staying on as host?
I don’t know, but I have no plans to leave yet. Before I started “Love Island,” I would say you can get what you need out of a show in two years, and then you move on. That was always kind of what I had in the back of my mind. But with a show like “Love Island,” it just feels like it keeps growing and I’d be silly to leave now. It’s not my whole life and it’s fun, so I think as long as I enjoy it, I’ll keep it up.
Maya Jama and the cast of “Love Island: All Stars.”
ITV
You’re finally chasing your acting dream – how did your role in “The Gentlemen” come together? Did you audition?
Yeah, I did a proper audition. Scary! It’s always been something in the back of my mind, but I’ve just been so busy with presenting that I’ve never had the chance to pursue it. I never want to do something and it be shit, so I was like, if I’m going to do it, I want to train with someone and get as good as I can. So I said to my manager, “OK, I’m ready to maybe try some acting now,” and we got an agent and he just started sending out loads of things. They were like, “You got an audition for ‘The Gentlemen’!” And I didn’t have to change my accent for [the character] or anything like that, so I felt like, OK, this is a safe entrance point.
It happened really quickly, like a week and a half later: “Yeah, you’ve got the role!” But we didn’t know how big it was going to be or small, because nothing had been written yet, so it was just up in the air. So I knew I secretly had it, but I didn’t know what the hell to expect. But I was so, so excited because I loved the series.
What can you tease about your character?
I don’t know what I’m allowed to say. But on the first day I came to set, it was the most overwhelming thing ever because it was all the leads in the room. And Guy Ritchie likes to change his lines as you’re going, so I’d spent two days learning every line, locked in, and then as soon as I got there he was like, “Maybe we’ll add this or change this.” I thought, “Fuck me, in front of all these icons?!”
All of them were actually just really welcoming and supportive. We got on, had little drinks after work sometimes and it was really cool. We stayed on Guy Ritchie’s estate for some of it, while we were filming. Waking up and being like, “Fucking hell, this is nuts, I’m in Guy Ritchie’s house!” was insane.
What was it like working with Ritchie?
Amazing. He’s really kind and nice — he doesn’t feel as intimidating as you’d think, being who he is. He’s very personable and he would be like, “Yeah, you’re doing well” and reassure me, which was really nice. He’s just really involved and kind of a genius to watch, because everyone’s practicing their lines and then he says something that’s way better than the original. You just feel like you’re in the presence of greatness.
Are you hoping to act more after this? What would be your dream role?
Yeah, I think so. I always joke that I want to play like, a crackhead. I would like something that people wouldn’t expect, you know? Because obviously, the things that I do normally are quite glamorous and very girly. So I’m kind of putting that out into the universe.
What else is on your goal list for 2026? Any resolutions?
I never do resolutions because I never stick to them — every year I’ve tried, and it just fucks up every time. But, what would I like to achieve next year? I want to go to the Met Gala, but that’s a completely different thing. Career-wise, I suppose “The Gentlemen” does really well and I get a role as a villain after.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.