Yes, Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan may have been the official winners of Winter Love Island 2023, but let's honest, fans knew early on that there was only one real winner of the hit dating show...

That is, Maya Jama.

When the first episode of Winter Love Island aired what seems like years ago at the start of January, the show gained much more attention that any recent summer series. The villa was impressive, being described as the ‘best villa yet’ by producers. The cast seemed decent – nothing too groundbreaking, but time would tell.

But when it came to Maya Jama, the new host injected more life into Love Island that Maura Higgins, Megan Barton Hanson, and Ekin-Su Culculoglu combined.

Within the first four episodes, Maya had already been granted 50 percent more airtime. Harking back to the OG Love Island days where so much of the show rested on the shoulders of charismatic presenters, Maya has stepped into some very high heels – and absolutely smashed it.

Despite being deemed the worst series of Love Island ever, the iconic ITV dating show still managed to rake in views – but we’re guessing not everyone was tuning in to see Terrace Tom’s antics.

Long-time fans of the show have been vocal that, actually, everyone tuned in to see Maya.

From her slow-mo strut to infinite fashion inspo, Maya appearing on our screens was never dull.

Sharing the love on Twitter, one fan wrote ‘Maya Jama is my Love Island Season 9 winner.’

And echoing a sentiment that was no doubt felt across the UK as we watched our winners be crowned, another fan wrote ‘Can we just choose Maya Jama as the winner of this years’ Love Island and call it a day?’

Before Maya landed the role, Love Island was thought to be, by many, a lost cause. A result of carbon copy casting, strict rules, and a set up that lacked the passion needed, the show had lost its spark. Maya has brought back the heat to what was once considered TV’s greatest show.

Put simply, Maya is the embodiment of Love Island. Breathtakingly beautiful with a fiery side, the presenter warned contestants during her big debut: ‘Don’t forget finding your perfect match is never that simple, trust me I know…’

Love Island needs Maya Jama far more than Maya Jama needs it. Whether all your eggs are in the show’s basket or not, there’s no denying that Maya Jama is everyone’s type on paper – with no exceptions and we can't wait to see what she brings to the villa next month with the summer series of Love Island 2023.