Who Is Maura Higgins? All About the ‘Love Island’ Star on ‘DWTS’

• Maura Higgins, 35, is an Irish TV personality who became famous on Love Island in 2019 and later hosted Love Island USA: Aftersun.
• She was the runner-up on The Traitors US earlier this year, after winner Rob Rausch betrayed her in the finale.
• On Dancing With the Stars season 35, she and Mark Ballas topped the women’s premiere night with a 21.

Maura Higgins walked into the Dancing With the Stars ballroom as one of the best-known reality stars of season 35 — and walked out at the top of the leaderboard.

The Irish TV personality, 35, and pro Mark Ballas scored 21 out of 30 for a foxtrot to Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” on Sept. 16, tying Harry Shum Jr. for the best score of premiere week. Here’s everything to know about her.

Who is Maura Higgins?

Higgins is a television personality and presenter from Longford, Ireland. Before TV, she worked as a model and a grid girl.

She has built a career on reality competition shows on both sides of the Atlantic, including Dancing on Ice in 2020 and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2024.

How did Maura Higgins get famous?

Higgins broke out on the fifth season of the U.K.’s Love Island in 2019, where she made the final.

The franchise brought her to the U.S.: she became the host of Love Island USA: Aftersun, the companion show to the Peacock hit, and also hosted Love Island Games: Aftersun.

What happened between Maura Higgins and Rob Rausch on ‘The Traitors’?

Higgins made it to the end of The Traitors US earlier this year, but finished as runner-up when fellow finalist Rob Rausch betrayed her and took the win.

Rausch made it up to her on Watch What Happens Live on March 4, handing her a burgundy Hermès Birkin as an apology. He later credited castmate Lisa Rinna for helping him get the bag: “She’s a very well-connected woman, and she did it.”

There are no hard feelings now. Rausch and Rinna were both in the DWTS audience cheering for Higgins on premiere night, according to the show’s official Instagram.

Who is Maura Higgins’ partner on ‘Dancing With the Stars’?

Higgins is paired with Mark Ballas, a three-time Mirrorball champion who was also her castmate on The Traitors.

She had told Ballas during The Traitors that she wanted to do Dancing With the Stars, and said she never expected they’d end up partners. Their foxtrot earned her the first straight sevens from the judges for a woman this season.

How can you vote for Maura Higgins?

Ballas spelled it out on Instagram: text MAURA to 21523 during the live show. Fans can also vote online on ABC’s voting site. Our full guide to voting on DWTS has the deadlines.

See all the couples in our DWTS season 35 cast guide, including Julia Stiles’ feud with Andy Cohen, and who’s gone home in our elimination tracker. More in TV & Reality.

Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+ and streams the next day on Hulu.

— Bruno Monteiro

Sources: ABC’s live broadcast of the season 35 premiere (Sept. 16, 2026); Dancing With the Stars (@dancingwiththestars), Mark Ballas (@markballas) and Maura Higgins (@maurahiggins) on Instagram; Watch What Happens Live (March 4, 2026). Background as reported by RTÉ, E! News and TMZ.