Maya Jama says she is enjoying a culinary tour of restaurants in South Africa’s ‘gourmet paradise’ as she prepares to launch Love Island All Stars
Maya Jama said she is enjoying a culinary tour of restaurants in South Africa’s ‘gourmet paradise’ as she prepares to launch Love Island All Stars.
The presenter and radio DJ, 29, has been posting pictures of her meals in the Stellenbosch wine region and was spotted enjoying a girls’ night out on Wednesday.
‘It has all been wonderful,’ she told MailOnline. ‘I love the food and the country.’
Maya, who is known for sharing snaps of herself tucking into good food, also told her three million Instagram followers: ‘The food in South Africa is 10/10 every time.’
The Love Island host, who is dating rapper Stormzy, dropped cryptic clues that the star will be joining her in the days before next week’s launch of the show.
Maya Jama told MailOnline she is enjoying a culinary tour of restaurants in South Africa’s ‘gourmet paradise’ as she prepares to launch Love Island All Stars on January 15
Maya regularly shares snaps of herself on Instagram tucking into good food (pictured eating for a BeatSquad YouTube video)
Maya posted a sultry photo of herself on Instagram on Wednesday with the message ‘Calm before the… dun dadadada’, leaving fans speculating that she meant ‘calm before the…Stormzy.’
As she settles into her plush vineyard mansion, which is overlooked by the regions mountains and has its own swimming pool, she has wasted no time in tucking into the finest food on offer.
After sunbathing in her multi-coloured bikini in the sweltering summer temperatures on one afternoon, she revealed: ‘I tan in 0.2 seconds.’
She joked with her fans by adding: ‘My hair is getting lighter and lighter in the sun. I have the pool to myself and today is a day off before you ask…Love Island’s starting soon though – just topping up my tan.’
Maya has also had fun on her evenings out and glammed up before taking herself off to the region’s top restaurants.
She enjoyed the cuisine of the lush Delaire Graff Estate, which even has its own diamond dealership on the way in for diners.
The restaurant management say it pairs innovative cuisine with award-winning wines.
‘Dining at Delaire Graff is a sensational experience,’ the restaurant claims. ‘Our two restaurants transform the freshest seasonal ingredients into accomplished, artful dishes, back-dropped by iconic Cape Winelands views’
Maya Jama looked incredible as she enjoyed a girls’ night out in South Africa on Wednesday
As the evening temperature dropped, Maya threw on a brown Adidas top with the trademark three blue stripes
On Wednesday evening, the Bristol-born star was in the Tuk-Tuk Microbrewery restaurant and bar (pictured) in Franschhoek with her agent Issy Lloyd and a female friend
Maya and her friends and TV colleagues have tucked into various dishes including lamb shanks, squid, zucchini and Ox tongue at several luxury restaurants.
On Wednesday evening, the Bristol-born star was in the Tuk-Tuk Microbrewery restaurant and bar in Franschhoek with her agent Issy Lloyd and a female friend.
Of her South Africa trip, she has said she will be enjoying ‘girls’ nights out’ regularly and making the most of the celebrated vineyards.
As they drank beer, white wine and a fruit juice and lemonade, Maya picked up her phone, slipped outside to make a telephone call.
When she returned, a passing diner walking through the busy courtyard accidentally knocked her table spilling drink on Ms Lloyd – which had Maya helping her dry her leg.
Later Maya, who was dressed in a white summer dress and mules, smiled for photos and her friend laughed and said: ‘Make sure you get a nice picture.’
Maya laughed as she added that she had jokingly posted on Instagram that she would soon be having her own reality show starring her agent too.
The trio later went onto another outside bar and enjoyed a drink under a sun umbrella before heading for dinner.
As the evening temperature dropped, Maya threw on a brown Adidas top with the trademark three blue stripes.
Maya has said she will host Love Island for as long as it remains on screens – calling it her favourite job ever (pictured on the show in July 2023)
She begins presenting Love Island next week, which she has described as her ‘favourite job ever.’
The TV presenter became the face of the ITV2 dating show when former host Laura Whitmore left in 2022 after three series.
As well as being host, Maya also turned her hand to casting this year as she helped producers choose the line-up.
She recommended they ask Hannah Elizabeth from season one to return for another shot at love, a decision which has paid off as she agreed to take part again.
The series will feature Love Island alumni continuing their quest to find their dream partner.
However the spin-off Aftersun will not air, meaning Maya can stay out in South Africa for the show’s entirety rather than having to jet back to London during the five week series.
She said of the shake-up: ‘I’m doing interviews as soon as they leave… with this new exit interview format, I feel like you’ll get the raw emotion. I’m really excited about that actually’.
Elsewhere, Maya promised she has some ‘good looks’ in store for when she enters the villa after wowing viewers with her previous racy ensembles.
The latest series will bring back past contestants and the full line-up is Georgia Harrison, Toby Aromolaran, Kaz Kamwi, Chris Taylor, Georgia Steel, Anton Danyluk, Hannah Elizabeth, Jake Cornish, Demi Jones, Luis Morrison, Liberty Poole, Mitchel Taylor.
LOVE ISLAND ALL STARS: MEET THE CAST
Liberty Poole
AGE: 24
SERIES: 7
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? I’m a lot more confident in who I am and sure about exactly what I want from a relationship. I just want to have fun and meet a lovely boy.
How will you feel if you come across an ex in the Villa or someone you’ve dated from the show since appearing? It’s always going to be awkward isn’t it, it’s always going to be weird seeing someone that you’ve been with getting with someone else. I wish my exes nothing but the best. I’m going to be focused on my own journey.
Kaz Kamwi
AGE: 29
SERIES: 7
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? To be totally honest, I actually really want to find love.
I had a great time last series but I want to have an even better time.
How will you feel if you come across an ex in the Villa or someone you’ve previously dated from the show? The thing is, I’m a bad b*tch so I will handle it with as much grace as I can.
Georgia Harrison
AGE: 29
SERIES: 3
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? This is the last year of my 20s so I want to go in the Villa and have some fun and hopefully meet someone that I can fall in love with. I’m lucky in the sense that I’ve got everything in my life that I could possibly wish for, apart from love.
If you had to pick your top Islanders from Series 1 to 10 to couple up with who would they be and why? Chris Taylor, he’s hilarious and the main thing I’m attracted to is a man who can make me laugh. What a fun guy and like I said, I’m looking for someone to TikTok with so I reckon he’d be game for that sort of stuff!
Demi Jones
AGE: 25
SERIES: 6
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? I lost a lot of confidence with my health issues over the last couple of years but I’ve been smashing the gym this year, finding my confidence again and I’ve got it back. So, let’s find a man!
How will you feel if you come across an ex in the Villa or someone you’ve dated from the show since? It will be interesting to see if old flames get reignited. Naturally with Love Island paths are very much crossed and believe me, I have some paths!
Hannah Elizabeth
AGE: 33
SERIES: 1
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? I’m returning to the Love Island Villa because I did it eight years ago and what an opportunity I never thought I’d get again. I’m not very good at finding love but I had a ball the first time, so I’m going to have a ball again.
You got engaged on the show last time, do you think wedding bells could be on the cards again this time round? Absolutely not, not in the Villa no. Maybe when I get out, but I’d need to give it a bit of time.
Georgia Steel
AGE: 25
SERIES: 4
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? I’m 25, I have a house, a cat, a nice car – I have everything in life but a boyfriend, so why not give it as go.
You’ve been brave and honest in opening up about being conned by a former partner. How has this experience impacted the way in which you now approach dating?
I take that experience as a really positive reflection now. I look at it as something I had to go through to make me stronger and learn things in life for me to be able to learn what I want in my next partner.
Jake Cornish
AGE: 26
SERIES: 7
How will you feel if you come across an ex in the Villa or someone you’ve dated from the show since appearing? Well there is only one and that’s Liberty. We never ended with any bad blood between us and everything happens for a reason. We just become two different people in the end.
What will you do differently this time round? When it comes to people’s opinions, I don’t sit on the fence anymore. That is my way of life now, so I will take that into the Villa.
Toby Aromolaran
AGE: 24
SERIES: 7
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? If I’m Single and Love Island is an opportunity for me, how could you turn down the chance to find love again?!
You were in a long term relationship with Chloe Burrows, what do you think her reaction will be when she hears you are going into the Villa? I don’t know how she would take it. We will always have love for each other and I think she would wish me the best of luck, as I would certainly do the same.
Chris Taylor
AGE: 33
SERIES: 9
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? Last time I was only there for 15 days, so I want to do it and enjoy it all again. I am 33 now and getting on a bit – I am getting ear hair! It would be nice to have a girl to keep my ears trimmed for me!
How did the Barbie Movie come about? I was invited to an afterparty by Margot Robbie and then ended up at an after party with her. I started to panic and make conversation with her, just having really stupid chats. All I can assume is that my silly chat made an impression on Margot Robbie. 18 months later I got an email from Warner Brothers asking do you want to try out for this role as Ken – it was a tumble dryer of emotions.
Luis Morrison
AGE: 29
SERIES: 1
Why are you returning to the famous Love Island Villa? It was the best experience of my life. I found love in the Villa before and who knows if I can find love in there again?
What will you do differently this time round?
I’m a lot older and wiser, so I know what I am getting myself into. I don’t have a game plan at all – I am an open book so I will go with the flow and see what happens.
Anton Danyluk
AGE: 29
SERIES: 5
Why are you returning to the Love Island Villa? For me it was a no brainer. I got the call and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and probably the best summer I have ever had in my life. Getting the chance to do it twice is going to be unbelievable.
Why do you think the Love Island Villa is the perfect place to find love?
I think this time with Love Island: All Stars, things will be different, as we all understand what it’s like to go on Love Island and the only thing now missing is finding a partner.
Mitchell Taylor
AGE: 27
SERIES: 10
Why are you returning to the Love Island villa? I think I went in with my heart on my sleeve the first time and got hurt and this time I am just going in to enjoy myself and if a connection happens, a connection happens.
In the summer you were given the name ‘Messy Mitch’, and a name that you have taken on as your own, can we expect more of the same in the series? I’ll be honest, I don’t really plan on being ‘Messy Mitch’. It just depends on what day of the week it is. I wear my emotions on my sleeve and what you see is what you get. I am very honest and very opinionated and I think that’s what people like me for. If I don’t agree with something, I’m not going to hold it back.