Maya Jama says Love Island UK finale will change format
Maya Jama told Deadline the Season 13 final will use a different format, with the ITV2 episode due July 27 and Hulu stream July 30.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
The Love Island UK finale is getting a format tweak, according to host Maya Jama, who told Deadline that producers have warned her Season 13’s last episode will not follow the usual pattern.
Jama said she still has not been told exactly what the change will be. What she does know, she said, is that the final will have “a different format,” and that she expects to return to the Mallorca villa before the season wraps, possibly once or twice.
What is changing in the Love Island UK finale?
Jama told Deadline that the show is “shaking up the format” for the Season 13 final, but she did not give details on what part of the episode will change. The host said the producers have not let her reveal more, and she does not yet know the exact plan herself.
The final is scheduled for Monday, July 27, on ITV2 in the UK. Viewers in the United States can stream the final episode on Thursday, July 30, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
Jama also said live television is where she feels most comfortable because it gives her room to speak more freely. She told Deadline she enjoys being able to go off script without an edit cutting the moment out later.
Why has Maya Jama been away from the villa?
Jama’s appearances inside the villa have been a talking point among viewers this season, and the host said she had wanted to be there more often. She told Deadline she was “upset” by the lighter villa schedule, adding that she was ready to go in but believed producers already had plenty happening with the Islanders.
The show’s setup means Jama splits her time between Spain and the UK. The main villa is in Mallorca, while she hosts the weekly companion show Love Island Aftersun from London every Sunday.
Jama said her villa appearances depend on what is happening in the season. She told Deadline she remains on standby during the two-month run and may get notice roughly a week ahead, or sometimes only a few days before producers want her to fly in.
How is Love Island UK reaching US viewers?
Love Island UK airs on ITV2 in Britain and streams on Hulu in the United States. Jama told Deadline she does not receive Hulu’s audience figures, but she has noticed more American fans contacting her online.
She said friends in the US have sent her photos of Hulu billboards promoting the show, including ads featuring her in major cities. Jama described the experience to Deadline as “wild,” especially as her profile grows with American viewers.
The presenter also discussed how she handles emotional moments in the villa. Jama said Love Island hired her knowing she was not a presenter who only reads from a script, and she tries to respond to Islanders as people when difficult moments happen.
Outside the show, Jama has been running a mentorship program for young women who want to work in entertainment. She told Deadline the program is aimed at women from less privileged backgrounds and said some participants have gone on to jobs in the fields they hoped to enter.
Jama said people interested in the mentorship program should look to her social media accounts for sign-up information.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.