Maya Jama breaks down in tears as she reveals childhood tragedy and heartbreaking moment with her dad

MAYA Jama broke down in tears as she recalled her childhood trauma and her boyfriend who died when she just 16.

The Love Island host weeped on TV as she explained how her first romance ended in tragedy — when Rico Gordon died in a shooting in a pub in Bristol.

Her boyfriend was shot dead by a bullet meant for someone else.

Rico was killed in 2011 at the age of 21 by a ricocheting bullet during a fight in Bristol.

Maya, 28, said: “I got to 16 and I met a boy. He was killed in the summer I was supposed to move to London — and that was my first love.

“So then your whole world just changes as you’re a little girl and you realise, ‘All right, this is adult stuff going on.’ I was devastated, I was so sad.”

Maya, who went on to date rapper Stormzy for four years, also brushed away tears as she spoke of her father Hussein being jailed for bottling a man.

She told how her dad being in and out of jail when she was a child had made her stronger.

Hussein was caged for bottling a man when she was three-years-old.

She added: “I had a situation where my dad was in and out of jail from three. At the time, I didn’t think it bothered me. It was all I knew so that was normal.”

Forcing a smile, the star went on: “I don’t like crying about that stuff. I have to laugh or I get emotional.

“I’m OK now, but obviously I’m sad for my little, younger self that I had to deal with that.

“I feel happy that I made a good situation out of some bad ones.”

Maya opened her heart in Jason Fox’s Fearless 48 Hours, which aired on Channel 4 in 2021.

She shared the clip of her most vulnerable TV moment on Instagram last night.

Maya wrote over the top of it: "Realised you can't click on it, when it's a repost but a rare vulnerable me on tv.

"Dno (don't know) if it's a Leo thing but I haaaate crying infront of people an he got me."