Maya Jama lands huge Netflix deal following shock Love Island exit

Maya Jama has landed a huge Netflix deal following her surprise exit from Love Island after nine seasons. The news was first reported by Variety, with the deal marking her return to the streamer after starring in the second season of The Gentlemen.

Details on her new Netflix projects are under wraps for now, but it's reported that she has a "number of new projects in the works".

"I'm absolutely buzzing to be working with Netflix! There are some really exciting things coming and I can't wait for everyone to see what we've been working on. I can’t give too much away just yet, but I'm so excited for this next chapter. Watch this space!," Maya said in a statement.

Anne Mensah, Netflix's vice president of UK content, said: "Maya is fabulous. She has an infectious energy and an ability to captivate audiences. We adored working with her on The Gentlemen, and we're absolutely delighted for her to be an even bigger part of the Netflix family."

Related: Maya Jama QUITS Love Island to "throw myself into something new"

After coming close to winning The Celebrity Traitors season two, Maya announced last night that she was stepping down as host of "my beloved Love Island" in a post on social media.

"I started hosting the show aged 28 and during the 9 incredible series met the most wonderful humans along the way. I've loved every slow-mo walk, fire pit and live show. I'll forever be grateful for the experience," she added.

"But I've always believed that to truly grow, you have to take a leap every now and then, and now is my time to throw myself into something new."

Turns out we didn't have to wait too long to find out what that "something new" was, even if the actual Netflix projects she's working on have yet to be announced.

Following her exit, a source told Digital Spy that her departure is "all very amicable" and did not come as a surprise due to "her very busy schedule". A search for her replacement on Love Island has begun "now" with names such as GK Barry and Olivia Atwood in the mix.

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Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.