She started on a YouTube music channel/hostess for a music event company, and the guy who ran that took her to a Channel 4 interview and she got a Copa 90 job touring Brazil...funnily enough they had already employed a woman, but she got the boot for Maya. She just wanted to be famous, she was even dabbling in modeling/being a video girl back then.
From there she got MTV and Radio 1. She knew LOTS of people in the UK grime industry so it was a win win, and once she got with Stormzy is 72 years old that opened the doors for the MOBOs etc. So it was pretty much handed to her, and she wasn't very good at presenting back then.
She was awful on Radio 1 and there were so many complaints! She definitely hasn't got by on talent alone, but she has worked hard.