Maura Higgins Earns Top Score on Dancing With The Stars Before Shock Elimination

During week four of ABC's Dancing With The Stars, Irish television personality Maura Higgins achieved the season's first score of nine from a judge. However, this high mark was not enough to prevent her and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, from facing a surprise elimination from the competition.

The theme of the week was Mariah Carey night, with contestants performing routines inspired by the music icon's hits. Higgins and Ballas danced a waltz to Carey's "If It's Over." The performance was met with positive feedback from the judges. Carrie Ann Inaba described the dance as taking her "to another world," while Derek Hough praised it as a "classic waltz with no gimmicks." Despite receiving two eights and a nine, placing them at the top of the leaderboard for the night, Higgins was ultimately eliminated.

The evening saw other notable performances. Summer House star Ciara Miller and her partner Brian Armstrong opened the show with a jazz routine to "Emotions," earning a score of 21 out of 30. Despite their energetic performance, they were also among the couples in jeopardy and were eliminated at the end of the episode.

Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach performed a rumba to "Anytime You Need A Friend," receiving a score of 24 out of 30. Grey's Anatomy star Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson danced a tango to "It's Like That," earning 24 out of 30, with judge Carrie Ann Inaba calling their performance "masterful and beautiful."

Step Up star Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy danced a rumba to "My All," receiving a perfect score of 24 out of 30 from the judges, who praised Dewan's performance.

Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess performed a foxtrot to "Beautiful." Cameron shared personal reflections about his late mother and his journey on the show, earning a score of 21 out of 30.

Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson danced a samba to "Obsessed," receiving a score of 13 out of 30. Jackson Olson and Emma Slater performed a waltz to "Without You," scoring 21 out of 30.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik danced a jazz routine to "Fantasy," earning 20 out of 30. Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold performed a rumba to "Touch My Body," receiving 19 out of 30.

Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa performed a Viennese waltz, with judges noting her "wonderful movement" and "elegance and grace." They scored 21 out of 30.

Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov danced to "Hero," earning a score of 23 out of 30. Inaba commended Glenn's "powerful and divine" movements.

With 11 couples remaining, next week's theme for Dancing With The Stars will be Super Bowl Night.