Maya Jama is one of those TV presenters who you want to be friends with. While she regularly posts her nights out on Instagram, shares behind-the-scenes clips, and has a no-holds-barred attitude to her social life, her dating life has been kept much under wraps. "At the end of the day, I am a TV host. I'm a presenter, I'm not a reality star. I'm not someone that puts all my business out there. I've never really offered up my personal life, I've just done my job and that's kind of come with it. So I think I do have a right to keep some bits private," she told British Vogue [1] as she graced the cover of the August 2023 issue.
While the 28-year-old has recoupled with "Love Island" [2], she's won legions of new fans since taking the reins of the reality show, offering a slew of "Love Island" outfits [3] for fans to lust over. And the fashion world has noticed. She's the new campaign star for Dolce & Gabbana [4], an ambassador for Rimmel London [5], and has fronted one of the world's biggest fashion magazines.
While the Bristol-born star has worked her way up from a presenter on MTV's "The Wrap Up" to bagging the most desirable presenting gig in the UK, her dating life has been a little more of a rough ride. Many are likely to be familiar with her four-year relationship with rapper Stormzy, she nearly walked down the aisle with NBA player Ben Simmons [6] in 2022, and has also been linked with Drake and Leonardo DiCaprio [7].
After a stint being single, she confirmed she is back on with Stormzy on 7 October when she posted an adorable video of him meeting her at the airport after returning from Fiji where she was working on "Love Island Games" [8]. The cute post was the first time she acknowledged their romance after photos of them holidaying together and holding hands in Greece were published on 27 August. "None of us really knew the level of importance it held to a certain group of people, us being together," she said of their relationship the first time round to Vogue. "We were both super ambitious. We were both from similar upbringings and we were both just little grafters that have made something good of ourselves."
As the pair seemingly confirm they are back on, Jama's certainly in the right headspace for finding "the one". She continued to Vogue: "Actual love. That's all I ever want. Just real love. I want a best friend that I'm in love with. And I have had that before." Could she have been alluding to Stormzy? We hope so!
Read ahead to take a look back at Jama's confirmed and rumoured romances.
Stormzy (2023)
After weeks of rumours surrounding a reconciliation between Jama and Stormzy, the pair looked back together when photos were published of them holding hands on holiday in Hydra Island in Greece. POPSUGAR reached out to reps for them both but did not immediately receive a response, but on 7 October, the pair first acknowledged their relationship. Jama posted an Instagram story, showing Stormzy greetign her at the airport holding a banner reading: "Maya Jama #1 Fan". Too cute!
Leonardo DiCaprio (2023)
Rumours began circulating on 3 April when The Sun [9] reported that Jama was dating Leonardo DiCaprio [10] after the pair were spotted partying together over BAFTA weekend in Feb. They then reportedly met up in New York weeks later, and were photographed leaving Le Piaf nightclub in Paris in March. The gossip was further fuelled over Easter weekend when Jama was spotted wearing a gold necklace that spelt out "Leo".
However, Jama took to social media to put the rumours to bed a week later when she explained the necklace in question was actually her star sign. "I've been minding my business on holiday & said I wouldn't respond/pay attention to any of the silly stories anymore but you need to stop now, that is literally my star sign. We are not dating. Move on please," the TV presenter tweeted [11] on 11 April.
Ben Simmons (2021-2022)
Jama confirmed her romance with American basketball player Ben Simmons with a kiss during Wimbledon in July 2021. The lovebirds moved quickly, with the TV host fuelling speculation she was engaged to the athlete as she flashed a massive diamond ring during a coffee date in Philadelphia in January 2022 on her Instagram stories.
On Valentine's Day that year, Jama took to her Instagram Story to confirm her engagement with a photo of a necklace with the date "12/18/21" engraved on it.
Unfortunately, following the supposed engagement at Simmon's lavish £2.7 million New Jersey mansion, the pair struggled with making long-distance work as well as aligning their hectic schedules. A source told the New York Post [12] that "while they both care for each other so much, they truly gave it their all and realise that they just come from two different worlds." They officially split in August 2022.
In Jan 2023, it was reported in The Sun [13] that Jama had been sent a legal letter demanding she return the £800,000 engagement ring that Simmons gave her last year. The demand was said to have left her shocked.
A representative for Jama confirmed the situation to the Mail Online [14], stating: "Maya received a request from Ben's representatives on Friday afternoon, asking her to return the engagement ring that he gave her as a gift last year.
"This was the first time that she has been asked by Ben to return it and, for the avoidance of any doubt, she has never refused to return it. Maya is making arrangements to return the ring to Ben and wishes him all the best."
Drake (2018)
Romance rumours between Jama and Drake began when he name-dropped her on Headie One's song "Only You". He rapped: "Chubbs might jam this yute for a chain / And give it to a sweet one, called that Maya Jama", sending the rumour mill spinning.
Following this, Drake allegedly began following Jama on Instagram back in 2018, according to reports [15], and even sent her private DMs while she was with Stormzy, which went ignored on Jama's end.
A source told The Sun [16] at the time that Drake "definitely appeared to have a soft spot for Maya". However, the "Love Island" star was not interested in the rapper, with the source adding: "Maya wasn't going to entertain any form of contact. Even when she split with Stormzy, it's not something Maya wanted to pursue, and she has left it."
Stormzy (2015-2019)
Jama's most famous relationship was with Stormzy [17], whom she dated for four years beginning in 2015 when she was only 20-years-old. The couple met at a Red Bull Culture Clash event when Stormzy had some underground success and Jama was making waves with MTV, but both were still relatively unknown to the wider public.
The pair parted ways in 2019 to a barrage of speculation that the "Vossi Bop" hitmaker had cheated on her. However, he quickly shut down the speculation on Charlamagne tha God's YouTube channel [18] in 2020, "Do you know what? I actually didn't cheat. I swear to God, I didn't cheat. So we had broken up, and I was out publicly being a rapper, being very inconsiderate to the fact that I've just come out of the most public relationship.
"We'd broken up, and I went out, and I acted disrespectfully. I was just out in clubs. I knew the world still thought I was in a relationship and I was out looking like I didn't give a f**k. . . It didn't need to be cheating for it to be disrespect."
They were briefly rumoured to be back together in 2022 after being spotted at the same event. However, Jama's representatives quickly confirmed the rumours were false, but added that the pair remain "great friends".
Rico Gordon (2011)
Jama has spoken previously about her boyfriend Rico Gordon, who was tragically killed when she was a teenager during a gun battle in Bristol in 2011 following the St Paul Carnival celebrations.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan [19], Jama discussed the trauma of losing him: "When I was 16, I went through a lot. With my boyfriend passing, it gave me a fearless approach to things. I felt like life was really short."
Jama added: "Out of everything that [has] happened in my life, that was a reality check on a massive scale. At 16, you think the world is a fairytale, and it took me out of that. It made me even more determined."