Love Island kicked off its hugely-anticipated event tonight as Casa Amor finally reopened its doors. But fans were more interested to see the return of another icon on their screens.
In tonight's episode, the Islanders prepared for their latest challenge, 'Touch of Love', in which the girls would be tested on how well they know their partner. They waited with their noise cancelling headphones and blindfolds, unaware that a different type of test was on its way.
The boys soon received a huge shock as host Maya Jama entered the villa, ready to wave them off to Casa Amor. But as the boys were whisked away to meet the new girls, fans were distracted by Maya's presence.
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After launching the new series earlier this month, the host has been largely missing from the Villa, with viewers wondering where she has been. They took to Twitter/X to share their delight at her return, overshadowing the hype Casa Amor usually generates.
"Maya has risen, it's been a while," said one, alongside a screenshot of the star from the episode.
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"MAYAAA WELCOME BACK," wrote another, with a third echoing: "We finally have maya jama on our screen. welcome back sexy gyal."
Other fans pointed out just how long it's been since she was last in the Villa, with one declaring she's been "MIA [missing in action]" and second joking that "there was a search party out for her".
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"First time seeing maya in weeks hey girl," said a second, while a third added: "MAYA'S F**KING ALIVE GUYS".
Meanwhile, it's not just viewers who have noticed Maya's absence, as the host posted some photos of herself ahead of her entrance, with the caption: "Heard you missed me.. back on your tv tonight at 9pm."
"You literally haven't been on since the first episode lol," commented a fan, to which Maya replied: "Yeah girl it's not up to me shit I missed the villa too."
"We need more of our girl Maya! She is the vibe setter. She is the villa," another viewer urged ITV.
Love Island airs from 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.
