Alert – Maya Jama and Stormzy SPLIT: Couple go their separate ways after rekindling romance as Love Island host admits they have been trying for a year to ‘make it work’

Maya Jama and Stormzy have split up a year after rekindling their romance. 

Maya, 29, and the rapper, 30, had been back together officially since August 2023 when they confirmed their relationship status during a loved-up holiday in Greece. 

But the couple revealed in an Instagram statement on Wednesday that they have once again called it quits, admitting they had been trying for a year ‘to make it work’.

‘We’ve been laughing whilst drafting this because we never, ever, in a million years thought we’d be the couple announcing a breakup, but for the sake of clarity and, more importantly, to allow us the space and grace that’s needed for us both to be able to navigate this next bit of our lives with peace, we thought it might be best to,’ Maya and Stormzy – real name Michael Ebenazer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr – told fans in the joint statement. 

‘We fell madly in love in 2014, broke up in 2019, and then spent five years manoeuvring life apart.

Maya Jama and Stormzy have split up a year after rekindling their romance, confirming the news in a joint statement on Wednesday (pictured at the British Grand Prix last week) 

‘We decided to try for the final time in August 2023, and we’ve spent this past year trying our best to make it work; however, we recently decided to call it quits.

‘We were 21 and 20 when we first met- both at the beginning of our careers – and spent five years growing together and then five years growing separately, so this final attempt required a whole lot of figuring out, relearning and unlearning.

‘We tried and it didn’t work and that’s okay. 

‘We still think the absolute world of each other, we still care and respect each other, we are still grateful for the time we’ve had together, and we are still friends and will always be friends (so if you see us having a lil catch-up at The Brits or something, don’t cause a fuss, we are dawgs!) 

‘We’re kindly asking for the grace to let both of us keep it moving and not be bothered about it (we highly doubt this’ll work, but we’re still kindly asking anyway).’

‘Love you guys and thank you for all the love you’ve showered us with, it’s been beautiful,’ they ended the post, before signing ‘Mike and MJ’.  

The couple were previously together for four years before they split in 2019 – with Maya going on to get engaged to Ben Simmons before she and the basketball star broke up.

A source has told that they split last week – with Maya being open with her pals about her now-single status.

Representatives for Maya and Stormzy have been contacted by for comment. 

Their split comes just a week after their loved-up appearance together at The British Grand Prix where Maya supported him while he performed at the event.

The TV star confirmed in an Instagram statement on Wednesday that they have once again called it quits, admitting they had been trying for a year ‘to make it work’

‘We decided to try for the final time in August 2023, and we’ve spent this past year trying our best to make it work; however, we recently decided to call it quits’ they said. Pictured in 2023

Just days before, they were also seen looking loved-up at Glastonbury and Maya also supported him at his new bar in Soho recently.

When the couple parted ways in 2019, the rapper publicly declared he has ‘never loved anyone how I’ve loved her’ and fans professed they had always hoped the pair would rekindle their love.

Maya has spoken in the past about how the couple started their romance and the fact that ‘no one cared’, so they did not feel like a celebrity couple. 

She said: ‘I didn’t ever feel like a celebrity couple. Everyone else made it like that. We just had a normal relationship. And then everyone was just talking about it.

‘We met when we were like 20, before anyone cared about us. So then it was just a normal relationship. Basically, I always said it was like a normal relationship but people wanted to look at it more and talk about it more.’

The pair first went public with their romance in 2016 after initially keeping their relationship private, and have made no secret of their commitment to each other.

The couple were previously together for four years before they split in 2019 – with Maya going on to get engaged to basketball star Ben Simmons before the pair broke up. Pictured in 2018

Just days before, they were seen looking loved-up at Glastonbury (pictured) and Maya also supported him at his new bar in Soho recently

The Love Island presenter, 29, and the rapper, 30, have been back together officially since August 2023 when they confirmed their relationship status during a loved-up holiday in Greece. Pictured last month

Things soon progressed from ‘not a celebrity couple’ to a red carpet-dwelling superstar duo, with a legion of fans and dazzling careers. 

They would frequently be pictured at glitzy events, appear on their respective social media accounts and even shared a home together in south-west London. 

Stormzy said he planned to marry Maya, telling the Sunday Mirror in February 2018: ‘I’m still so young but I want to propose, it’s going to happen and I will do it right. She is so sick, she is the best.’

But in 2019, Maya’s representatives confirmed the couple were no more. 

Maya’s representative told at the time: ‘I can confirm the relationship has ended and Maya has separated from Stormzy.’

A source close to the DJ added that she had already moved out of the home they shared, telling The Sun: ‘The decision isn’t one she has come to lightly, but ultimately the relationship has come to an end.

They were first pictured together at the Rinse FM 20th Birthday Anniversary Dinner in London in December 2014

‘She wants to focus on her TV and radio career for now.’ 

He has always denied any infidelity in the relationship but admitted he had to learn some hard lessons about his behaviour, describing it as ‘disrespectful’.

Speaking to Louis Theroux on his interview series, the rapper admitted to making mistakes during their four-year relationship but revealed he has since grown.

He explained: ‘My break-up, that was probably the biggest catalyst for growth as a man. It was like, OK, you made a mistake and you lose someone you loved, someone you cared for, someone who is special to you.

‘That’s probably the biggest loss a man can have, isn’t it? Away from someone passing away, that’s the biggest loss you can have.’ 

Last year, Maya said of the reaction to her romance with Stormzy: ‘None of us really knew the level of importance it held to a certain group of people, us being together.

‘We were both super ambitious. We were both from similar upbringings and we were both just little grafters that have made something good of ourselves.’

Tongues started wagging in May 2021 that Maya had a new love in her life in the form of Ben Simmons – Kendall Jenner’s sportsman ex-boyfriend. 

Rumours began when she posted a picture of herself on Instagram in a kitchen that was rumoured to belong to Ben and was also said to be wearing shorts in which he had previously been pictured.

Ben proposed to Maya in Christmas of the same year following a whirlwind romance after she spent the festive period at his £3.7million mansion in New Jersey.

Love was lost once again however when Maya split from Ben eight months later.

The British presenter and the basketball star were said to have struggled with their busy schedules and maintaining a long distance, as Ben is based in Brooklyn, New York, while Maya lives in London.

‘While they both care for each other so much, they truly gave it their all and realise that they just come from two different worlds,’ a source told NY Post of the break-up, adding that it was ‘one of the hardest decisions of their lives’.

‘It’s been a difficult time for them,’ the insider went on. ‘They now understand they don’t have the time they thought to dedicate to this relationship.

‘After many long nights and hours of heartfelt talks, they finally realized as much as they love each other, their nonstop careers and endless travel have made it incredibly impossible to make it work,’ the source added.

Then in 2023 Maya was forced to weather rumours that she was embroiled in a union with another superstar – in the form of Leonardo DiCaprio. 

It was claimed by insiders that the duo spent time together in New York, where they were both for work. They were also pictured leaving the Le Piaf club in Paris with friends. 

Insiders claimed: ‘They both recently came out of long-term relationships so neither of them are rushing into anything — they are having fun and seeing how it goes.’ 

Despite the claims, Leo denied the string of rumours after a source told the The Sun that the star – who was also linked to Gigi Hadid at the time – and Maya ‘were in regular contact and have been on a string of dates’.

Wild speculation was a thing of the past last August when Maya confirmed her relationship with Stormzy was back on, four years after their initial separation. 

The couple were hand-in-hand as they ventured out on Hydra Island in Greece – in what was their first public appearance together since rumours of a romantic reconciliation surfaced weeks before. 

It had been claimed that Stormzy’s mum Abigail Owuo was the matchmaker who ‘motivated him to make amends with Maya’. 

A source told The Sun at the time: ‘Stormzy is really open about wanting to settle down and have kids one day and he knows Maya is “The One”.’

The pair were believed to be soaking up the sun in a £2,700-a-night Greek villa as a ‘late birthday gift’ to the Love Island host. 

When they were seen in Greece together last August, it came after weeks of speculation that they were spending time together again after reconnecting 

In May the couple marked a new milestone in their relationship after the rapper name-dropped the star is his latest song 

Speculation had been rife about whether Maya and Stormzy had reunited, after she was spotted at his All Points East show the weekend before.

Prior to the confirmation, eagle-eyed fans spotted proof of the holiday after speculation was mounting that they have reunited for a ‘lavish £2,700-a-night’ Greek getaway. 

One fan shared a video to TikTok after noticing the rapper appeared to be at the same pool location as Maya.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day earlier this year, Stormzy shared a sweet TikTok clip with Maya as the couple gave fans a rare insight into the perks of their relationship.

In the video, Maya cosied up to her boyfriend while sitting on his lap as they played the ’14 Questions You Should Ask’ trend for couples.

The duo started answering a series of questions on ‘who’s more likely to do’ something – and didn’t hold back.

Stormzy gushed over his partner and captioned the clip: ‘Mi amor – I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine’s Day.’

Starting the long list of intimate questions, the first one was ‘who apologises the first after a fight?’ which quickly pointed to the rapper.

Fans found out Maya is so far ‘the funny one’ while, surprisingly, Stormzy is the ‘romantic one’ in the couple.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day earlier this year, Stormzy shared a sweet TikTok clip with Maya as the couple gave fans a rare insight into the perks of their relationship 

In their break Maya became engaged to basketball player Ben Simmons (seen together)

Stormzy was voted more patient and the better cook but the sweetest moment was when they revealed ‘who said I love you first?.

The couple looked at each other fondly and Maya admitted she was the first to say it.

As for who takes more time to get ready in the morning, they safely both claimed it was Maya – while ‘the grumpy one’ in the morning caused a disagreement.

The British rapper was voted ‘the biggest baby when sick’.

Maya said she was ‘the social butterfly’ and the one that ‘requires more attention’, and agreed the Vossi Bop hitmaker is the one who worked out more.

Finally, they didn’t seem to agree on who was the ‘messy one’, as they hilariously started pointing fingers at each other.

In May the couple marked a new milestone in their relationship after the rapper name-dropped the star is his latest song.

Titled Cry No More, the song sees Stormzy feature as he raps in his verse: ‘My last albums cold, my new one is fire, I might call it Maya.’