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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

All Maya Jama's 'digs at her exes' as fans spot shade at Stormzy and Ben Simmons on show

Love Island fans are convinced new host Maya Jama has been throwing a little shade in the villa.

ITV2 viewers were quick to spot the popular presenter seemingly taking a swipe at her famous exes when she opened this year's series on Monday night, as she related to the islanders about how hard it is to 'The One'.

"Don't forget finding your perfect match is never that simple," Maya told Love Island's new batch of singletons. "Trust me, I know."

It's not the first time the former Radio 1 DJ, 28, has opened up about her personal experience with heartbreak, after previously dating Stormzy, 29, and enjoying a brief engagement to basketball player Ben Simmons.

The new Love Island presenter is 'really, really single right now' (ITV)

The new Love Island presenter split from NBA star Ben in December 2022, with it reported their clashing schedules on opposite sides of the Atlantic put a strain on their relationship.

Maya and Vossi Bop hitmaker Stormzy dated from 2016 until Maya moved out of their London home in 2019 - with the rapper going on to admit he "made mistakes" throughout their relationship.

The former couple seem to have managed to rekindle their friendship over recent months, with many fans hopefully speculating the two exes have even secretly reunited.

Maya wore a huge diamond engagement from sports star prior to their split ((Photo by David M. Benett/Getty Images))
The presenter's split from Ben caused fans to wonder if a Stormzy reunion was on the cards (mirror.co.uk)

But Maya quickly shut down those rumours earlier this month, telling The Times : "I’m really, really single right now.

"Newly single. It’s only been a month.. but it’s nice."

She went on to recall her relationship with Stormzy with the publication, seemingly playing down how serious the romance was due to their ages at the time.

"We were so young when we met, just beginning our careers. I was starting at MTV. He’d not even released a single at that point. We were just little babies," she explained.

'We were just: we’re young and in love' (WireImage)

"I don’t think either of us knew it was going to be such a big thing. We were just: we’re young and in love and we’re going to go for it and work really hard. We’re just together."

Last year, Stormzy reflected on how his 2019 from Maya left him devastated.

"I think my break up with Maya was still really heavy on my heart," the award-winning artist told GQ. "I’d never experienced a breakup and the feelings that come with a breakup. And I never wanted to ever be in a position again where I felt what I was feeling."

While Maya has kept pretty quiet about their break-up over the years, Stormzy has frequently discussed his regrets about how the relationship ended.

Stormzy has spoke of his regrets over his relationship with Maya ending multiple times (WireImage)
The TV presenter very rarely discusses her exes publicly (Getty Images Europe)

Stormzy’s apology album Heavy Is The Head was released in 2019 and included a track called Lessons, a song about his regrets over how he treated his ex-girlfriend at the end of their relationship.

The lyrics include, "I knew a woman more wonderful than a Disney one."

The song’s second verse goes: "fast forward now; my nephew’s still asking for his Auntie Maya; guess this is the karma for what I did to Maya I just stood and let it burn."

Maya has never publicly acknowledged or commented on her ex's award-winning heartbreak album.

One year on from their split, Stormzy admitted he has "never loved anyone how I've loved her" in a 2020 YouTube interview with Charlamagne tha God.

"I love her wholeheartedly. I've never loved anyone how I've loved her," he confessed during the candid chat.

The BRIT-nominated star went on to voice his doubts over whether Maya would take him back, saying: "I would love for that to happen but I don't know...

"I would love to be the man who she needs, I would love to do all the things that make this work. I want to marry her, I want to have her children."

As speculation Maya and Stormzy had got romantic once again last year, the new Love Island presenter was quick to set the record straight.

"The reports about the romance being rekindled are untrue," a representative told the press in November 2022 as the rumours swirled online.

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