People / Maya Jama
From inner-city Bristol to Radio 1
Radio 1’s newest DJ grew up in Bristol with a father in and out of prison, and a boyfriend who was shot dead on Stapleton Road.
Maya Jama will host Radio 1’s Greatest Hits show on Saturdays, and will also co-host a Friday afternoon show with Scott Mills and Chris Stark.
The 23-year-old of Somali and Swedish heritage, who is in a relationship with grime star Stormzy and appeared in a glowing joint interview with him in this month’s Vogue, moved away from inner-city Bristol to London when she was 16.
The move came soon after her boyfriend at the time, Rico Gordon, was murdered in the early hours of July 11 2011 after that year’s St Paul’s Carnival.
Jama, who was speaking to Gordon on the phone at the time of his death, later appeared on Crimewatch in an emotional appeal to try to find his killers.
Gordon died after being caught in the crossfire following a row between two rival gangs from north-west London in the Black Swan pub.
Shakah Anderson, 31, of no fixed address, and Rickel Adams, 27, of Neasden, north London, were found guilty of his murder following a five-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Speaking about the murder to The Guardian last year, Jama said: “That’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me. It was unreal – the sort of thing that happens in films.
“That experience gave me so much motivation to push with my career. At the time, work was the only thing that made me happy, so I just kept on going with it.”
After moving to London, she set up her own YouTube channel before becoming a presenter for MTV. She co-hosted the MOBO Awards last year and currently co-presents Trending Live! on 4Music and Cannonball on ITV.
Maya was unveiled as one of BBC Radio’s next generation of presenters after making her TV debut as a presenter on ITV1 show Cannonball.
Last year she made a critically acclaimed documentary, When Dad Kills: Murderer in the Family for Channel 5 about children of fathers who are in prison or drug addicts.
Read more: Transgender Bristol teen wins Radio 1 award
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
