Bristol TV presenter Maya Jama has spoken out about her first love being shot dead while in Bristol almost 10 years ago.
During a candid interview with the Guardian, the former BBC Radio One star also talked about what is was like to have a dad in prison while she was growing up.
Maya said the death of Rico Gordon in 2011 made her more determined to get the most out of her life.
The 25-year-old was on the phone to Rico, 21, when he was killed during a shooting between two gangs.
Several bystanders were injured during the shocking event on July 3 outside of the Black Swan pub, in Easton.
The following year, Maya appeared on Crimewatch to hunt down Rico's killers. Two men, Shakah Adams, from Neasden, London, and Rickel Anderson, of no fixed address, were later convicted by a jury after a five-week trial.
“That changed my life completely,” Maya told the Guardian. “Losing somebody close to you as a teenager, particularly your first love, rocks your whole world and you are forced to see life differently. And you feel like life is too short.
"I don’t want to look back and not have done everything I wanted to do.
"He was an innocent man who lost his life instantly at 21, and that shocks you and it also makes you snap up, like, no, I’m not wasting time any more.”
Maya stopped seeing her dad when she was 10 years-old.
She said: “I realised that I don’t want to dedicate my time to visiting somebody who doesn’t want to dedicate their time to staying out of jail.”
