Maya Jama should have quit Love Island years ago – she’s too good for British TV

Maya Jama shouldn’t have any limits on her ambition (Picture: Getty) In news that surprised absolutely no one, Maya Jama has quit Love Island after four years. If anything, it’s a wonder it took her so long. The Bristolian presenter has steadily become one of the UK’s brightest stars since climbing the ranks of television, from MTV host to ITV juggernauts like Love Island and The Masked Singer. This year she was by far the breakout star of Celebrity Traitors, the single biggest show of the last decade. As a traitor, she carried this series on the shoulders of her designer jackets: she was the only turret resident who welcomed their role as a backstabbing killer, managing to be ruthless, cruel and consistently lovable when bumping her rivals off at a rate of knots. 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. It’s been two weeks since the finale and now it’s time for her to reap the rewards, starting with walking away from the ITV2 reality series and aiming higher than she ever has before. I really hope that’s the case. Jama has had a curious career. She’s graced the cover of Vogue, caught the attention of America without uprooting her entire life to move there and is by far the most in-demand presenter we have in the UK. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Yet, somehow I’ve always felt she’s undersold herself. When she was announced as Love Island host in 2022, my initial reaction was that ITV2 were fools not to have snapped her up sooner. After the arrest of Caroline Flack just weeks before the first-ever Winter Love Island was due to begin, Laura Whitmore was swiftly brought in as her replacement. Jama took over from Laura Whitmore on Love Island (Picture: WireImage) The result was predictable: Whitmore had ties to the show through her husband Iain Stirling, Love Island’s enduring voiceover, and she had Flack’s approval. By the time Whitmore quit Love Island, personally I thought ITV2 had missed the boat – Jama was surely too big for it now. To my surprise, though, Jama was thrilled to take the reins. It’s somewhat admirable that Jama didn’t know her worth when she signed up for Love Island. Jama has come a long way from her MTV hosting days (Picture: Getty Images) Not to discredit the show or its position as one of the channel’s most important brands, but even then it was clear Jama was destined for astronomical opportunities – ones I’d go as far as saying British television can’t provide. So what should she do next? She has already conquered the biggest show British television has to offer, her star has never been brighter and that’s nothing to do with her ability to tell islanders what’s going on in Casa Amor. Celebrity Traitors proved she is fiercely intelligent and has a natural warmth, and what she often lacked in strategy (recruiting James Acaster was a diabolical decision) she more than made up for with her deception, putting some seasoned actors to shame. Earlier this year, she shocked viewers as a credible talent in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, one of Netflix’s biggest shows of the last decade, packed with Hollywood star power. Maya Jama was the standout star of the Celebrity Traitors (Picture: BBC) She stars as the intellectual, gun-wielding, morally ambiguous wife of a gangster. It was her first scripted acting experience and not only does she hold her own, it’s clearly where she’s best placed. That’s been so apparent even as she’s continued to present more modest shows like BBC Three’s Glow Up. Even appearing as a judge on Saturday night blockbuster The Masked Singer has felt beneath her. Jama has been held back by Love Island when she should have spent the last four years aiming so much higher. It’s only been two months since her acting debut was unleashed onto streaming and already there are murmurs she’s being lined up as a Bond girl. Had she still been presenting Love Island, the suggestion would have been absurd – but I’ve never felt there is an ambition beyond her reach, and now we’re seeing I was bang on. It really seems like there’s nothing Maya Jama can’t turn her hand to (Picture: FilmMagic) I can barely think of anyone who ticks more boxes for a Bond girl than Jama – she has the smart, the glamour, and the sex appeal; The Gentlemen showing that she is capable of so much more than British reality television can offer. If anything, British television has held Jama back for too long. I can’t even imagine what offers are on the table after Celebrity Traitors, but I hope she truly accepts her worth now in a way that maybe she didn’t four years ago. Unless Claudia Winkleman announces she’s leaving Traitors, the BBC fires its Strictly presenters before their first series is over or Ant and Dec suddenly quit I’m A Celebrity, I don’t even know if there is a single job on the small screen big enough for Jama’s next step. Maya Jama needs to put Love Island behind her (Picture: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock) If 2026 was the year that pushed Jama out of her comfort zone and lined up an extraordinary career beyond the television she’s presented before, then 2027 needs to be the year she runs away with it. If she’s walking a red carpet, it needs to be the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty or the Met Gala at the very least. If she’s going to present anything, it needs to be so far away from Love Island she needs gloves, not suntan lotion. It needs the credibility of Traitors and it needs to be a genuinely worthy rival to it which, as we’ve seen from the countless attempts to recreate its success and magic, is essentially an impossible ask. And, more importantly, it needs to be global. Netflix clearly adores her, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s hatched a plan to launch her across the world via acting or whatever else it’s got in the works. Jama has us in the palm of her hand now. She should choose her next move more carefully than she ever has before, then go all guns blazing for the opportunities British TV just can’t provide. Deals of the Day The Orlando holiday deal Disney fans shouldn't miss We're adding this discounted NEOM gift set straight to basket Want an LED face mask for less? This Black Friday deal could save you hundreds This teeth whitening sale could save you up to 64% before Black Friday The best Black Friday sleep deals to upgrade your bedroom with Simba’s 33% off sale However big she is dreaming, I promise she can go even bigger. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. Share your views in the comments below. Arrow MORE: Romesh Ranganathan reveals ‘insane’ protest at BBC against Traitors refugee donation Arrow MORE: Love Island legend is favourite to replace Maya Jama after she quits unexpectedly Arrow MORE: Celebrity Traitors winner Romesh Ranganathan responds to people ‘kicking off’ about refugee charities TV Newsletter Sign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.