Will I'm A Celeb's AJ Odudu replace Maya Jama as Love Island presenter?

Having just wrapped up work co-hosting the most popular series of Big Brother in recent years, will AJ Odudu's next move be to replace Maya Jama as the presenter of Love Island? She's been listed as a strong contender by bookmakers, and now she's addressed the speculation herself.

AJ, who also finished third on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, has just been unveiled as a contestant on this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, and was asked about Love Island by The Sun as she touched down in Australia.

"Do you know something I don’t?" she responded, before adding: “Who doesn’t love love! That’s what I’ll say.”

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So far, so coy, but earlier this week, William Hill made AJ the sixth favourite to take over from Maya, behind only Olivia Attwood, Maura Higgins, Vick Hope, GK Barry and Indiyah Polack.

Other names in the frame according to the bookies are AJ's fellow campmate on this season of I'm a Celebrity, Chloe Burrows as well as Vicky Pattison, Emily Atack and Sian Welby.

Fresh from reaching the final of The Celebrity Traitors, Maya announced her departure over the weekend, marking the end of a tenure that lasted nine seasons.

"What an incredible era and what an unforgettable time I’ve had," she wrote. "It’s been far too much fun to put into words or a video... but as all good things must come to an end, it’s my time to step down as the host of my beloved Love Island."

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She added: "I started hosting the show aged 28 and during the 9 incredible series met the most wonderful humans along the way. I’ve loved every slow-mo walk, fire pit and live show. I’ll forever be grateful for the experience.

"But I’ve always believed that to truly grow, you have to take a leap every now and then, and now is my time to throw myself into something new."

Meanwhile, AJ will be joined in the jungle by a line-up that includes football legend Wayne Rooney, radio host and former Love Island star Chloe Burrows, Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson, and Gavin and Stacey icon Joanna Page.

Paralympian Ade Adepitan, content creator Sharky, comedian Jack Skipper, model and TV host Leomie Anderson, ex-Coronation Street star Claire Sweeney and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup complete the set.

I'm a Celebrity 2026 begins on 16 November at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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Shaun is an Evening News Editor at Digital Spy, with over a decade of experience reporting on all things pop culture. He has written for outlets including Metro, Attitude, Huffington Post, The Mirror, Yahoo!, Pink News and Express Online, specialising in TV, movies, soaps, music and LGBTQ+ issues. He is also a BAFTA Rocliffe-winning scriptwriter, having written episodes of the soap Hollyoaks, the official Steps musical Here & Now and multiple Offie Award-nominated plays. He studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia, and will happily talk at length about Desperate Housewives to anyone who'll listen.