Maya Jama and Stormzy Split After Rekindling Romance
Love Island UK host Maya Jama and rapper Stormzy have announced their separation after a year of trying to make their relationship work.
The pair, who initially dated from 2014 to 2019, rekindled their romance last summer. However, in a joint statement posted to Jama's Instagram Stories on Wednesday, July 17, they revealed their decision to part ways.
"We've been laughing whilst drafting this because we never, ever, in a million years thought we'd be the couple announcing a breakup, but for the sake of clarity and, more importantly, to allow us the space and grace that's needed for us both to be able to navigate this next bit of our lives with peace, we thought it might be best to," the statement read.
They acknowledged the challenges of their rekindled relationship, stating, "We've spent this past year trying our best to make it work; however, we recently decided to call it quits."
Jama and Stormzy, whose real name is Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr., shared that their journey has been marked by both shared growth and periods of individual development. "We've spent five years growing together and then five years growing separately, so this final attempt required a whole lot of figuring out, relearning, and unlearning," they explained. "We tried, and it didnât work, and thatâs okay."
Despite the split, the British stars emphasized their continued friendship and respect for one another. "We still care and respect each other," they affirmed.
Their decision to publicly address the breakup was motivated by a desire to avoid speculation and rumors. "Announcing this feels so dramatic, but we're doing it so that it kind of takes away the drama and avoids speculation and rumors," they explained. "We're kindly asking for the grace to let both of us keep it moving and not be bothered about it (we highly doubt thisâll work, but weâre still kindly asking anyway)."
The couple expressed gratitude for the support they received during their time together. "Love you guys and thank you for all the love youâve showered us with, itâs been beautiful," they concluded, signing off as Mike and MJ.
Jama has gained recognition as the host of "Love Island UK" since taking over the role in January 2023, succeeding Laura Whitmore. She also hosted "Love Island Games" on Peacock last year.
