Maya Jama Biography
Maya Jama is a British TV presenter and radio DJ who was the host of the BBC Three competition Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star.
Jama also co-presented BBC One’s Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer alongside Peter Crouch and Alex Horne.
Maya Jama Age
Jama was born on 14 August 1994 in Bristol, England. She is 29 years old as of 2023.
Maya Jama Middle Name
Jama’s full name is Maya Indea Jama.
Maya Jama with Mother
Jama is very close to her mother, Sadie, who raised her as a single parent. The two often appear on talk shows together and attend private celebrity events. Sadie is also very supportive of Jama’s career and achievements and has defended her from online trolls and critics. Jama has said that her mother is her best friend and her inspiration.
Maya Jama and Stormzy
Jama dated British rapper Stormzy for four years, from 2015 to 2019. They had moved in together in 2016 and supported each other’s careers. Stormzy dedicated his song “Birthday Girl” to Maya Jama on her 22nd birthday and also featured her in his music video for “Big For Your Boots”. They, however, split up in August 2019. The couple rekindled their romance in 2023. Stormzy had spoken about how much he regretted losing Maya after he “acted disrespectfully” towards her.
Maya Jama Boyfriend
As of October 2023, Maya is dating British rapper, Stormzy. The couple broke up four years ago but later rekindled their relationship in 2023. They went public in August 2023 after they were photographed holding hands on a romantic walk in Greece.
Maya Jama’s Past Boyfriends
Before dating Stormzy, Maya had another boyfriend. His name was Rico Gordon and he was from Bristol. They dated for three years until he was tragically killed in a shooting in 2011. He was 21 years old at the time. She was devastated by his death.
Maya Jama Husband
Jama is not married and has never been married.
Maya Jama’s Life Story
Jama had a difficult childhood, as her father was in prison for most of her life for violence-related crimes such as pub brawls and fights. She decided to stop visiting him when she was 12 years old. She said she did not really notice it being a problem: “It was normal for me. My dad’s side of my family was super-supportive and they did everything in their power to make me and my brother not feel like we were missing out on anything”.
Jama moved to London when she was 16 years old to pursue a media career, first as an actress, then as a presenter and model. She began her presenting debut as a teenager, presenting the weekly music video countdown on JumpOff.TV, and later worked for Sky UK on TRACE Sports. Jama also co-hosted the Copa90 nine-part World Cup Taxi series dedicated to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Rise to Fame
She rose to fame in 2015, when she co-hosted Trending Live! on 4Music with Jim Hill. She also hosted #DriveWithMaya on Rinse FM from 2014 to 2017. In 2017, Jama joined BBC Radio 1 as the co-presenter of Radio 1’s Greatest Hits on Saturdays and Sundays, and later got her own show, Maya Jama, on Fridays and Saturdays. She left Radio 1 in May 2020 to focus on other projects.
Maya Jama on This Morning
In September 2020, Maya made her debut as a guest presenter on the popular ITV daytime show This Morning, alongside Phillip Schofield. Jama said she was “over the moon” to be on the show and hoped to return in the future.
Maya Jama on Glow Up
In April 2021, Maya took over as the host of the BBC Three competition Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star, replacing Stacey Dooley. The show features aspiring make-up artists who compete in various challenges to showcase their creativity and skills. Jama said she was a fan of the show and was excited to join the judges Val Garland and Dominic Skinner.
Maya Jama on Lessons
Jama launched her own podcast called Lessons, in partnership with Spotify in October 2020. The podcast features Jama interviewing celebrities and public figures about the life lessons they have learned from their experiences. Some of the guests include Clara Amfo, Munroe Bergdorf, Mo Gilligan, and Nicola Adams.
Maya Jama on Hide and Seek
In August 2021, Jama starred in a comedy short film called Hide and Seek, directed by Aneil Karia and produced by BBC Films. The film follows Jama as she plays a game of hide and seek with her boyfriend (played by Kayode Ewumi) in their apartment, but things take a dark turn when she discovers a hidden secret. The film is part of a series of short films called On The Edge, which explores themes of mental health, identity, and social issues.
Where is Maya Jama From
Jama was born and raised in Bristol, England, where she attended Cotham School. She is of Somali descent on her father’s side and Swedish descent on her mother’s side. Her mother, Sadie, was 19 when she gave birth to Jama, and she named her after the US author and poet Maya Angelou. She also has a brother.
Maya Jama What Does She Do
Jama is a television presenter and radio DJ who has worked for various channels and stations, such as BBC One, BBC Three, ITV2, Channel 4, MTV, 4Music and Rinse FM. She has hosted shows such as Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer, Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star, Love Island, The Circle, True Love or True Lies, Cannonball, and Trending Live! Jama also has her own podcast called Lessons and starred in a short film called Hide and Seek.
Maya Jama on Love Island
In June 2021, Jama made a surprise appearance on the ITV2 dating reality series Love Island, as she hosted a pool party for the contestants at the villa. In October 2021, it was announced that Jama would be taking over as the host of Love Island from Laura Whitmore, who decided to step down after five series. Jama said she was “beyond excited” to be the new host and that she could not wait to get started.
Maya Jama with Michele Morrone
In July 2021, Jama sparked romance rumors with Italian actor Michele Morrone, who is best known for his role in the Netflix erotic thriller 365 Days. The two were spotted together at the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show in Venice, where they posed for photos and exchanged flirty messages on social media. However, Jama later denied that they were dating, saying that they were just friends and that they had met through their mutual work with Dolce & Gabbana.
Maya Jama as Love Island Host
Jama made her debut as the host of Love Island in January 2022, when the show returned for its eighth series.
Maya Jama and Ben Simmons
Jama dated Australian basketball player Ben Simmons for a few months in 2020, after meeting him at a party in London. The two were seen together on several occasions, such as at a restaurant in Mayfair, at a park in Philadelphia, and at a Halloween party in Los Angeles. However, they reportedly split up in December 2020, due to their busy schedules and long-distance relationship.
Maya Jama and Devin Booker
In February 2021, Maya Jama was linked to another basketball player, Devin Booker, who plays for the Phoenix Suns. The two were seen leaving a restaurant together in New York City.
Maya Jama in Drake’s Song
One of the rumors that sparked after Jama’s breakup with Stormzy was that she was dating Drake, the Canadian rapper and singer. This was based on the fact that Drake had followed her on Instagram and had invited her to his show in London. However, Maya clarified that she was just a fan of Drake and that they were not dating.
Drake also mentioned her name in one of his songs, “Only You Freestyle”, which he released with British rapper Headie One in 2020. In the song, Drake raps: “Chubbs might jam this yute for a chain / And gave it to a sweet one, called that Maya Jama”. Maya said that she was surprised and flattered by the shout-out, but that it did not mean anything more.
Maya Jama Bake Off
Jama is a fan of baking and has participated in several baking shows. In 2019, she appeared on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer, where she competed against other celebrities such as Russell Brand, Jon Richardson, and Rylan Clark-Neal. She impressed the judges with her chocolate cake and her biscuit tower but lost to Russell Brand who made a vagina-shaped cake. In 2020, she hosted The Big London Bake Off with Tom Allen, where she helped amateur bakers create various cakes and desserts.
Maya Jama Net Worth
Jama has an estimated net worth of around $1.5 million.
Maya Jama Instagram