Maya Jama: It feels like I’m finally getting recognition for my hard work

PA

Maya Jama has said she is finally getting recognition in her own right.

The 25-year-old TV presenter broke up with rapper Stormzy, 26, last year after four years together.

Asked if it was difficult to be seen as the grime star’s girlfriend when she had her own career, Jama told the Guardian: “I understood at the time. He was – he is – massive in the public eye and a lot of people didn’t know who I was.

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If I’m honest I’ve not felt like myself recently with everything that’s going on in the world & it’s been hard to think of anything else but trust me I am having those conversations behind the scenes about what we can do in TV and production to make a permanent change towards ending racism ❤️ This is one of the biggest moments of my career so far and I know those of you who have followed me for a longtime will know what this means to me, I’ve kept it kind of quiet what my next step would be after radio but you will be able to see me every Saturday night at 9:15pm on @bbcone starting tonight 😭 a whole Saturday night prime time TV show host is wild, tune in if you can & let me know what you think ❤️🙏🏽 #saveoursummer @fulwell73productions

A post shared by Maya Jama (@mayajama) on Jun 6, 2020 at 4:50am PDT

“But now I do feel people know my name separately, and it does feel like I’m coming into my own. It feels like I’m finally getting recognition for my hard work.”

The former Radio 1 DJ is now co-presenting BBC One’s new Saturday night show, Save Our Summer, with ex-footballer Peter Crouch.

“When we filmed the first episode … because I hadn’t done telly in such a while, it felt like it was my first time. I remember feeling so nervous,” she said.

“I went into the toilet and I had to give myself a little debrief – ‘Maya, you’re meant to do this, you’re supposed to be here, feel confident’.”

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