Maya Jama has reflected on her experience getting her first tattoo at the age of 15, an age below the legal limit for tattooing in the United Kingdom. The television and radio presenter shared details of the illegal tattoo during a behind-the-scenes feature for a photoshoot with Office magazine.

Jama revealed that she and her friends were tattooed at a private residence in Bristol by a woman who was not legally permitted to tattoo minors. The presenter described that the setting included a parrot flying around the room, emphasizing the informal and unauthorized nature of the session. In the UK, it is unlawful to tattoo anyone under 18, regardless of parental consent.

Her first tattoo, located on her thigh near the bikini tie area, features an Arabic phrase translating to "Love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like nobody’s watching." Jama said she lives by this message, highlighting that dancing and loving freely are important to her. She noted her tattoos are often discreet, usually visible only when she is wearing bikini or underwear, with many placed on her ribs, hip, and thigh.

In addition to discussing her initial tattoo, Jama spoke about a wrist tattoo that conceals a previous design dedicated to a former partner. After her relationship ended, friends helped transform the original tattoo—a matching infinity sign—into small emoji-like faces. Jama’s past relationships include high-profile figures such as rapper Stormzy, basketball player Ben Simmons, and more recently Manchester City and Portugal footballer Ruben Dias, with whom she ended a relationship in April due to their busy schedules.

Jama, 31, was also promoting her involvement in an Agent Provocateur campaign while sharing these personal anecdotes. The current series of Love Island, which she hosts, has been widely successful, with the show’s episodes streamed 90 million times on ITVX, including the popular Casa Amor episode aired in early July.