Why did Laura Whitmore quit Love Island and what is she doing now?

Why did Laura Whitmore quit Love Island is the question many fans want answering, as the grand Winter Love Island final arrives on screens.

Laura Whitmore quit Love Island in a shock announcement that came not long after she'd been in sunny Mallorca filming the 2022 show. Almost immediately, rumours began to circulate about who would replace Laura Whitmore - with much of the speculation landing on ex-BBC Radio 1 presenter Maya Jama.

Now that it's been confirmed - with Laura Whitmore sharing that she's "delighted" for the new host - Love Island fans have been asking who is Maya Jama. But that's not the only question on viewers' lips, with many still wondering why did Laura Whitmore quit Love Island and what is she doing now?

Why did Laura Whitmore quit Love Island?

Laura Whitmore said she made the decision to quit Love Island "due to the format". Taking to Instagram, Laura uploaded a snap of her entering the villa and explained some of the factors behind her exit. 

She wrote: "Some news! I won’t be hosting the next series of Love Island. There are certain elements of the show I’ve found very difficult that cannot be changed some due to the format, including the flying back and forth to South Africa along with my new conflicting projects."

Laura, who gave birth to her daughter Stevie Ré in 2021, used to jet out for filming with her baby.

She added to the post: "I wish it was still possible but know you’ll be in safe hands. I was only planning to fill in for Caroline for a series and it turned into 3 series. I hope I did you proud Caroline."

However, since this initial announcement Laura Whitmore has gone into more detail about her experience presenting the show, seemingly making a dig at ITV bosses. In a recent interview, she said: "If I could have done things the way I wanted to, I'd probably still be doing it."

She went on to explain that she was forced to 'stay quiet' when it came to sharing her opinions with the islanders, and admitted that she struggled to stay impartial.

Her exit from the show means she isn't welcoming the Winter Love Island cast to the villa in 2023, a role which new host Maya Jama has taken over instead.

Former Love Island contestants showed their support for Laura, with winner of the first Winter Love Island, Paige Turley, commenting, "Gutted to hear this. You were amazing!! ❤️💔" and 2022 winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu adding: "You the best Laura 🔥❤️love you xx".

Equally, there has been an outpouring of support for Maya Jama in her new role. 2019 finalist Molly-Mae Hague commented on Maya's Instagram post announcing her takeover, saying, "You’re going to be amazing 😭", with Laura herself writing, "Yes girl!! So delighted for you! You’re gonna be fab".

What has ITV said about Laura leaving Love Island?

Following Laura's announcement, an ITV spokesperson said the channel is "grateful for everything she has brought to the programme," and that they "look forward to working with her on upcoming ITV projects."

They added: "Laura has been a fantastic host across the last three series of the show."

Following the news that Maya Jama had been appointed the show's new host, the channel's Director of Reality Programming, Paul Mortimer, said: "Finding a new host to follow the wonderful Laura Whitmore was never going to be easy. 

"In Maya Jama though, we have another high profile fan of the show who’ll be a great addition to the Love Island family. 

"Cool, charming and charismatic, I speak for us all when I say Maya will also bring a unique presenting style to the show, as did Laura and, of course, the very much missed Caroline Flack."

What is Laura Whitmore doing now?

Laura Whitmore is staying in the TV industry, but has made the move to investigative journalism after sharing that she is working on a new TV project called 'Laura Whitmore Investigates'.

The show will launch on ITV's new free streaming platform, ITVX, and takes on a series of controversial issues that have an impact on our lives across the UK and further afield.

Speaking of the project, Laura said: "It’s a dream come true to have this platform and work with a brilliant team at ITV through this series of investigative films.

"Getting back to my journalistic roots, I hope we can shine a light on some really important topics and issues, and delve into a variety of serious and interesting real-life subjects."

Laura also hosts a true crime podcast with husband and Love Island voiceover Iain Stirling, called 'Partners in Crime'. New episodes air every Thursday and see Laura and Iain "uncover the most infamous and bizarre cases in true crime history."

Partners in Crime is exclusively available on Spotify.

How much was Laura Whitmore paid for Love Island?

According to the The Sun, Laura Whitmore is though to have been paid £600,000 to present the 2022 series of Love Island.

The figure left many shocked, as she appeared on screen for just under 14 minutes in total during the first few weeks of the show - which at that time had broadcast roughly 27 hours of footage in total.

However, she was live in the villa during the Love Island final at the end of the series, and also hosted the spin off show Aftersun, which aired every Sunday evening and interviewed the islanders alongside celebrity guests.

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