Maya Jama has proved she’s a ratings winner as the new host of Love Island.
The 28-year-old landed the coveted job after Laura Whitmore stepped away from the role last year.
According to The Sun, more people tuned in to watch Maya’s debut on Love Island’s spin-off show Aftersun than the main episode on Sunday night.
First episode of #Aftersun was so much fun – happier than I look in these posey pics but big up the glam team every time 💖 pic.twitter.com/oXZkjvKZ4e
— Maya Jama (@MayaJama) January 23, 2023
Early ratings in the UK show Sunday’s main episode of the ITV2 dating show was watched by a peak 1.51million viewers.
However, a whopping 1.82million tuned in to watch Aftersun, which received rave reviews on social media.
Viewers loved the hour-long live show, as Maya welcomed a panel made up of Radio DJ Jordan North, reality star Sam Thompson and former Love Islander Indiyah Polack.
Tasha Ghouri and Andrew Le Page, who shot to fame on Love Island with Indiyah last year, also made an appearance on the show.
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A TV source told The Sun: “Spin-off shows are certainly not meant to be the main event.”
“They sit alongside the main show to make use of extra footage, steer narrative or ramp up noise around a programme.”
“So no one ever expects the sister show to exceed the main show in figures. Maya is proving to be the shot in the arm Love Island really needs right now.”
The news comes amid reports Love Island bosses are set to offer Maya a multi-series deal, after her impressive hosting debut.
Fans rushed to Twitter after watching the launch show to praise Maya, with many branding her “the best host” the show has ever had.
A TV insider later told The UK Sun: “The reaction to [Monday] night’s launch was electric. It was the stuff that a marketeer’s dreams are made of and will undoubtedly mean a boost in viewers watching on catch-up.”
“You’d have to be living under a rock to have missed seeing a photo of Maya in that black dress and it will surely captivate those who previously only had a casual interest.”
“One thing’s for sure — there will be a lot of urgent conversations around renewing her contract already under way.”
Industry expert Jonathan Shalit added: “Maya is quite simply fantastic — a true star and now a household name.”
“She has nailed the role of Love Island host totally and shown herself to be a world A-list star. She is now a major TV force to be reckoned with.”
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