MAYA JAMA’S NEW JOB
Maya Jama steps in as new host of make-up reality show
Now that we’re actually allowed out of the house – hooray! – some of us are having to dig out our neglected make-up bags and try to remember how to put a face on. Luckily, the new series of the BBC’S Glow Up is returning to give us some inspo. This time around, the show that searches for Britain’s next make-up star is being hosted by Maya Jama – and the 26 year old says she was honoured to follow in Stacey Dooley’s footsteps.
“They’re massive boots to fill!” Maya tells heat. “I love Stacey, she’s my mate, actually… It has been so amazing to be a part of such an iconic and already well-established show. It felt like an honour if I’m honest.”
But the presenter tells us she’s not always had a love of make-up. “In school, I couldn’t do it at all,” Maya laughs. “Eyeliner was the only thing I actually knew how to draw on. But then, moving to London, getting into TV and actually having an excuse to dress up and be superglam just sent my mind all over the place. I’ve been obsessed with glam and beauty ever since.”
This year, there is a particularly diverse cast of hopefuls – including one make-up artist with autism, a drag queen, and a range of different cultural backgrounds – and judge Val Garland tells us that’s exactly the way they like it. “We’re extremely proud, because it is about opening the doors to anyone and everyone. And I think we’ve really pulled that off with Glow Up,” she says.
Her fellow judge, Dom Skinner, agrees. “What’s so beautiful about make-up is that it is a really accessible art form for so many people. You don’t need a massive bank balance to pop to Superdrug, pick up a palette and have a go. It allows anyone from any background the ability to be creative. Then, it’s really allowing that newly formed talent to be given the opportunities of doing a beauty shoot, or working on a TV show, or backstage at a theatre. Allowing those people to have that opportunity is going to make a bigger impression on the diversity of the industry.”
When we ask Dom if he thinks viewers will be thrilled to be getting glammed-up for nights out again, it’s a resounding yes. “To be able to whack on a bold colour to leave the house because we can is suddenly a moment to really embrace,” he says. “And I really hope people do. I hope people watch the show, are inspired by it, and walk down the street looking like a parakeet!” n