Maura Higgins Cites Judge Criticism as Source of Stress on Dancing With The Stars

Maura Higgins, a favored contestant on Dancing With The Stars, has shared that she is finding it difficult to cope with the negative feedback from the show's judges and her professional partner, Mark Ballas. Higgins stated that the constant instruction to "fix everything" has led to her experiencing emotional distress, admitting to crying in the toilets during rehearsals.

Speaking on influencer Alix Earle's podcast, "Get Ready With Me," Higgins explained that the relentless criticism, even when paired with positive reinforcement, makes it challenging to feel a sense of accomplishment. "I don't usually cry, I'm more of a suffer in silence girl," Higgins said. "I usually wait until I get home and I can't hold in my tears and it's week two, I don't know what's happening."

Higgins described her partner's feedback as a mix of encouragement and detailed critique, which can be overwhelming. "Mark will say to me, and we have so much fun in the rehearsal room but it's kind of like, 'This is an entertainment show have fun' and then he's like in the rehearsal room going, 'What's that? Why is your hand like that and what's with the pigeon feet?'"

Earle, a former finalist on the show, acknowledged the initial difficulty of receiving constant correction. "Your not ready for the negative feedback in the beginning and that's all it is in the beginning because they are there to correct you but it's a lot," Earle commented.

Higgins added that the constant corrections make her feel inadequate. "Yeah you just feel like you're s***. I'm so hard on myself anyway and then everything is wrong. I hear, 'Your doing really well but fix your arm, fix your neck, fix hips and toes', like how am I doing well. It's a lot."

She recalled a recent instance of emotional breakdown during rehearsals. "I cried in the bathroom too yesterday, they love it and I don't want to cry on camera and then I ended up breaking down," Higgins said, questioning her own reaction. "It's crazy because why am I crying and being pathetic."

Higgins also noted the added pressure of participating in the competition without prior dance training. Despite these challenges, Higgins has been a standout performer. In a previous week, she received high praise and topped the leaderboard with her Quickstep. Judges lauded her performance, with Derek Hough describing her topline as "exquisite" and the dance a "masterclass in elegance," while Bruno Tonioli noted her classic Hollywood glamour. The duo scored 22 out of 30 points, placing second on the leaderboard that week.

In a separate development from the show, Taylor Hanson, along with his professional partner Britt Stewart, became the fourth celebrity pair to be eliminated from the competition.