Maya Jama ‘quits second ITV show’ after stepping down as Love Island host

Maya Jama has followed up her Love Island exit with another surprising departure (Picture: PA Wire) Maya Jama has quit a second ITV show in the wake of her shock exit from Love Island, it’s been reported. Last week, Maya, 32, revealed that she would be stepping down from the steamy dating show after almost four years. Posting to her Instagram account, she said: ‘What an incredible era and what an unforgettable time I’ve had, it’s been far too much fun to put into words or a video. ‘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.’ It’s now being reported that Maya – who joined the show in 2024 – has only filmed one episode of The Masked Singer’s next series, which is set to air next year. Get personalised updates on Love Island Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. ITV also confirmed that she won’t be returning for more than that, amid a major change to the show’s format. Maya has already announced that she’ll be leaving Love Island (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) The presenter has been a member of the Masked Singer panel since 2024 (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) A source told The Sun: ‘Maya came for the first day of filming but then didn’t return and is in only one episode of the series. It’ll be a surprise to viewers as she’s one of The Masked Singer’s main panellists. ‘The official line is that her absence is part and parcel of format changes involving the Legends – Maya, Davina [McCall], Jonathan [Ross] and Mo [Gilligan] – taking on the Wild Card detectives. ‘The fact remains that she features in just one episode of her sole-remaining ITV show; bosses are saying no decisions have been made about the next series – the one that will film in late 2027 and air in 2028 – but insiders say she won’t be returning.’ A spokesperson for ITV told Metro: ‘Audiences can look forward to seeing Maya on the Legends panel in episode 2 of the new series. Due to The Masked Singer’s brand-new rival panel format, Maya was never scheduled to film all episodes of series 8, airing in 2027.’ This comes with Maya’s star on the rise after her appearance in series two of Celebrity Traitors, where she gleefully took on the role of Traitor. As such, she was the only original Traitor to make it to the final episode, outlasting Richard E. Grant and James Acaster once he’d been recruited. Maya joined Love Island in 2023 (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) In addition to her work on The Traitors, Maya joined the cast of Netflix’s The Gentlemen for its second series, which marked her acting debut. It’s a role she’s expected to reprise when the show returns, describing acting as ‘always been something in the back of my mind.’ She told Variety: ‘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 s**t, so I was like, if I’m going to do it, I want to train with someone and get as good as I can.’ Finding a sense of acclaim with The Gentlemen, it’s expected that she’ll continue acting – with Maya telling the publication that she’d love to play ‘like, a crackhead.’ She added: ‘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.’ Maya played Aisha in The Gentlemen (Picture: Shutterstock) During that same interview – published January 2026 – Maya said that she had ‘no plans to leave [Love Island] yet,’ adding: ‘It’s not my whole life, and it’s fun, so I think as long as I enjoy it, I’ll keep it up.’ However, in the wake of her Traitors success, Maya changed her tune, issuing a statement on her resignation. Announcing that she’d be leaving the role, she added: ‘I’ve always believed that to truly grow, you have to take a leap every now and then, and now is my time to throw myself into something new.’ She’s now among the favourites to take on a role in the next James Bond film, with bookies putting her at 7/1 – fifth place, ahead of Hollywood heavy hitters Zendaya and Daisy Edgar-Jones. She herself joked about the job after dangling from a helicopter during The Traitors’ finale, admitting: ‘I was low-key trying to appeal for a Bond role.’ Deals of the Day The best Black Friday beauty deals on the Dr Barbara Sturm face cream and hyaluronic serum The best Black Friday sleep deals to upgrade your bedroom with Simba’s 33% off sale Why shoppers are rushing to snap up this 99p Audible deal before Christmas 14,500 five-star reviews later, this cult sleep spray is discounted for Black Friday Shoppers ditch expensive dental work for these £19.99 MySweetSmile whitening strips Metro has reached out to Maya Jama’s representatives for comment on this story. 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