Maya Jama to Return as Love Island Host in 2026, Including All Stars and Summer Series

Maya Jama will return to host Love Island in 2026, with plans to front both the All Stars edition and the summer series, according to The Daily Mail. The broadcaster is reportedly closing a lucrative new deal with ITV that will keep the Bristol-born presenter at the center of the dating show for another year.

Since replacing Laura Whitmore in 2023, Jama has become the face of the franchise, fronting the summer edition in Majorca, the All Stars edition in South Africa, the Love Island Games in Fiji, and Sunday evenings' Aftersun. Her signature slow-motion villa entrances and eye-catching outfits have become a hallmark of the show and helped drive audience engagement on social media.

Producers were said to be keen to keep Jama on, with a source telling the Daily Mail that Jama is the heart of Love Island and the series wouldn't be the same without her. The Daily Mail's report notes that negotiations with ITV bosses stretched over months.

Jama reinforced the plan on TikTok, telling fans that she would be back next year for All Stars in January and the summer series in June and July, as the show returns for another run. She also explained she would not host Games this year due to scheduling, praising Ariana Madix for doing an amazing job.

Beyond Love Island, Jama has been expanding her TV portfolio. She serves as a judge on The Masked Singer, signed a contract with Prime Video, and has taken an acting role in Guy Ritchie's Netflix series The Gentlemen. The new ITV deal is part of a broader push to grow her presence across scripted and unscripted projects.

Off-screen, Jama's relationship life has drawn attention as she develops a romance with Manchester City defender Rúben Dias, sharing glimpses of travels and date nights on Instagram. She previously rekindled a romance with Stormzy in 2023 after their initial split in 2019, though the couple announced their breakup again in July last year. The latest Love Island season crowned Toni Laites and Cach Mercer winners, with the £50,000 prize; the couple remain together, as do runners-up Shakira Khan and Harry Cooksley.

ITV's decision to keep Jama at the center of Love Island for 2026 underscores the network's reliance on a high-profile host to anchor expansion into spin-offs and international formats.