Maura Higgins reached the top of the leaderboard on Dancing with the Stars on Tuesday night, scoring 25 points with partner Mark Ballas. The pair performed a waltz to If It’s Over during a show paying tribute to Mariah Carey and her 19 No. 1 hits.
Judges' praise and top score
Judge Derek Hough called the routine “pure ballroom dancing,” while Bruno Tonioli described it as “exquisite” with “royal poise.” Carrie Ann Inaba awarded the duo the first nine of the season, saying: “It was so good. The artistry, emotion. It’s like you transported me to another world. I feel like right now the world needs that kind of beauty. I thought you were excellent, excellent, excellent.”
The score of 25 placed Maura and Mark above fellow contestants Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, who scored 24. Maura, known for her appearances on The Traitors US, has been commended for her earlier routines and did it again with this performance.
New romance hint
Off the dance floor, Maura sparked speculation about a new man in her life. On Saturday, she shared a photo on Instagram Stories showing two shadows walking side-by-side, appearing to be herself and a man. She wrote: “Tink I've got the f**** flutters.”
The phrase is familiar to Love Island fans, as Maura famously used it during her 2019 appearance to describe her attraction to Tommy Fury. Six years later, she has brought the phrase back, potentially linked to a new romance.
Past relationships and trust issues
Maura has kept her love life relatively private in recent months, with her last known relationship being with Pete Wicks, who has since gone public with his romance with Olivia Attwood. Earlier this year, she revealed she had been celibate for “a year,” blaming her difficult experiences with men for her “severe trust issues.”
She said: “I've already got severe trust issues. I've been cheated on by the majority of my exes - that's the reason I've been celibate for a whole year.” She also admitted: “I don't trust men anyway.” The reality star has previously spoken about becoming increasingly suspicious in relationships, even admitting she checks a partner's phone just days into dating them.
