Maura Higgins has arrived for her first rehearsals for the upcoming season of "Dancing With The Stars," and has already indicated a preference to not be partnered with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko.
Higgins, who gained initial fame on the UK's "Love Island" and recently appeared on "The Traitors," cited Savchenko's past remarks about women as her reason for avoiding him. She stated her loyalty to her friend Brooks Nader, a former contestant on "Dancing With The Stars" who previously dated Savchenko.
"I'd be happy with anyone but Gleb. That's only because I'm loyal and I'm friends with Brooks [Nader]," Higgins told E! News. "I don't really like the way he speaks about women. I don't really want to spend all my time with someone like that. I'm like, no thank you."
Savchenko, a Russian professional dancer, responded to Higgins' comments, stating he had "never heard" of her and would not "lose any sleep over the opinion of someone I've never met." He added, "It's odd to publicly attack someone you've never even met, but if that's how she wants to make headlines before the show starts, that's her choice. I'll stay focused and leave the unnecessary drama to everyone else."
Nader and Savchenko's past relationship reportedly ended after a "messy" split in the fall of 2024, though they appeared to reconcile briefly before parting ways again in April of the following year. Savchenko made controversial remarks about his sex life with Nader in comments reported by Page Six. Higgins indicated a preference for being paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy, with whom she previously danced for a promotional video.
Higgins was photographed arriving at a Los Angeles dance studio for her initial "Dancing With The Stars" rehearsals on Wednesday, appearing in good spirits and waving to fans. She wore a yellow crop top, loose trousers, and carried a large Chanel bag filled with dance essentials.