While “Love Island U.K.” host Maya Jama’s entrance to the dating show’s villa has come to signify an ominous elimination or a shakeup to vulnerable islanders, she’s getting a front seat to all the laughs and drama hosting Peacock spin-off “Love Island Games.” She couldn’t be more thrilled.
“I always feel a bit like, ‘Oh, I want to go in [to the villa], hug you, have a laugh with you and just have a bit of banter,’ but most of the time when I go in it’s a serious poker face — someone’s going home,” Jama told TheWrap. “It was really nice for me that I could … be a bit of a hype man at points and have a laugh with them.”
“Love Island Games,” which premieres Nov. 1 on Peacock, branches out from the traditional “Love Island” format by incorporating high-stakes contests for all-star islanders from across the world, including the United States, U.K. and Australian iterations of the franchise. In this version, challenges dictate “everything” — including who the islanders couple up with and whether they stay in the villa, Jama explains in an exclusive clip shared with TheWrap. You can watch the full video above.
Whereas most “Love Island” drama was stirred up during truth-telling challenges or mundane conversations-turned-fights, “Games” enables islanders to tap into their most competitive selves as they battle other couples to win the $100,000 grand prize.
“I sometimes wish that I had my girls next to me, because otherwise it’s just me stood in front of them, mouth open,” Jama said, noting there are “so many jaw-dropping moments” this season. “There’s more conniving, because the only thing you can really do to betray someone in ‘Love Island’ is take their partner, whereas on this one, you can backstab them a bit more in terms of the challenge.”
As compared to its predecessor, “Games” requires a “massive shift in mind states,” according to Jama, as the islanders put on their game face and sort out their strategy for staying in the villa.
“I think there were a lot of battles between who’s going to go with their heart and who’s going to go with the game plan,” Jama said. “It was interesting to see which islanders took which route … because obviously they want to win the money [and] they want to get to the final, but it wouldn’t hurt if you find the love your life at the same time.”
Without naming any names, Jama teased that some islanders who came in with “just games on their mind … ended up finding somebody,” while “some that came in for love didn’t end up finding anybody, but succeeded in the challenges.”
The islanders must balance their desire to find a cheeky romance and win the season as they decide which fellow “Love Island” alum they’d like to pair up, as Jama adds, “I keep joking and saying it’s a bit like choosing your partner for a sports day where you’re, ‘I kind of like him, but I need to know if he can win the race.’”
On top of considering their romantic desires, the challenges themselves require a fair bit of strength and exertion, according to Jama. She applauds the islanders as “tough cookies.”
“I don’t think I was ready for the level of fitness that it took,” Jama said. “At some points during [challenges] I’d be like, ‘I’m so proud of you,’ because there’s no way I would be able to do any of these things. … They are fighters and soldiers … not just islanders in their bikinis.”
With “Love Island All Stars” confirmed to debut in 2024 through ITV Studio’s Lifted Entertainment and GroupM Motion Entertainment, Peacock’s “Games” stands as a precursor to watch international “Love Island” alum mingle. Jama, as a “Love Island” franchise fan herself, said it “didn’t disappoint.”
“That was one of my favorite bits of ‘Games,’ was just seeing how the U.K. lot would get on with the U.S. lot and how the Australians blend in with the French and Germans,” Jama said. “It was so interesting — knowing some of the characters from previous series outside of the U.K. — [seeing] how [they] get on and who’s going to fancy who.”
For Jama, who began hosting “Love Island U.K.” in its ninth season, being chosen to front the spin-off was a “special feeling.” She was excited to take on hosting duties from the concept alone.
“It’s the first show that I’ve done that shows in America, and as much as the U.K. “Love Island” brand is so big, I know a lot of people around the world watch it,” Jama said. “This is going to be kind of my baby, because I’m used to normal ‘Love Island,’ but my new baby because it’s never been done before.”
“Love Island Games” premieres Wednesday at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on Peacock, with new episodes dropping six days a week.
