Maura Higgins has been confirmed as a contestant on the upcoming season of "Dancing With The Stars," where she will be paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas. Higgins, a reality television personality who gained fame on "Love Island," and Ballas, son of "Strictly Come Dancing" icon Shirley Ballas, are already familiar with each other, having appeared together on the U.S. version of "The Traitors" earlier this year.
Higgins announced the partnership on her Instagram page, sharing a photo of herself and Ballas. Friends from "Love Island," including Amber Davies and Tasha Ghouri, have offered their congratulations.
The Irish star arrived for her first "Dancing With The Stars" rehearsals last month, expressing enthusiasm for the new challenge. However, Higgins also indicated a preference regarding her professional dance partner, stating she hopes not to be paired with Gleb Savchenko. Higgins cited her loyalty to her friend Brooks Nader, Savchenko's ex-girlfriend, and her disagreement with "the way he talks about women" as reasons for this preference.
Savchenko responded to Higgins' comments, stating he had never heard of her and would not be concerned by the opinion of someone he does not know. He suggested Higgins might be seeking attention ahead of the show's premiere. Savchenko and Nader's past relationship, which began when they were partners on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2024, ended with a public split in October 2024. An insider told US Weekly that their relationship became too serious too quickly, concerning Nader's close circle. Despite a brief reconciliation, they ultimately parted ways again in April of the following year, a move Savchenko stated caught him by surprise.
Higgins has previously expressed a desire to be partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, having danced with him for a promotional video.