Winter Love Island 2023 will heat up our television screens in a few days, and it isn't just fans who are excited to see things play out. Tanya Manhenga, one of the new cast members entering the villa, has shared what she's most excited for on the reality show.
"I think I'm more excited for Maya Jama than anything else, honestly," Tanya told Digital Spy and other outlets.
"I'm obviously excited for the boys, but Maya Jama is gonna be a babe.”
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Bristol-born presenter Maya is the new Love Island host, having taken the reins from Laura Whitmore in October 2022. Laura hosted the show's sixth, seventh, and eighth series between January 2020 and August 2022.
Tanya's adoration of Maya clearly runs deep, and she's predicting she'll be nearly speechless when they meet.
"I can just imagine her holding the cards and she's like: 'Are you ready to find love?'" said Tanya, a 22-year-old biomedical science student and influencer from Liverpool.
"She's so stunning and I feel like she's tall and I'm just gonna be like: 'Wow'."
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Tanya isn't alone in feeling especially excited to meet and interact with Maya. Fellow Love Island contestant Lana Jenkins, a 25-year-old makeup artist from Luton, is also expecting to "fangirl" over the host.
"I think it's the best thing ever. I'm such a Maya Jama fan. I always have been since the beginning, and I think meeting her, I'm gonna be so starstruck," Lana said to Digital Spy and other press.
Like Tanya, Lana anticipates that Maya will catch her eye more than the boys will.
"I think I'll be fangirling the whole time. I'll probably be looking at her more than the boys," she shared.
The boys of the cast are teacher Kai Fagan, financial advisor Ron Hall, farmer Will Young, airport security officer Shaq Muhammad, and TV salesman Haris Namani. Only time will tell whether Maya will outshine them all.
Love Island starts on Monday, January 16 with new host Maya Jama. It airs on ITV2, and is available via catch up on ITVX and BritBox.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
