The former Love Islander sashayed around the city in a 1980s-style shirt dress with big shoulders and collar.
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Maura Higgins stunned in a dramatic Guinness-like black and white gown for the opening ceremony of the Cannes film festivalCredit: EPAActress Demi Moore posed in a pearl sequinned gown on the French RivieraCredit: Getty
MAURA Higgins turned heads at Cannes film festival as she was seen for the first time since quitting Love Island USA.
The brunette beauty looked as flawless as ever as she put on a leggy display in France.
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Maura Higgins flashed her legs at Cannes Film Festival as she made her first appearance since confirming she has quit Love Island USA: AftersunCredit: SplashThe 35-year-old gave the camera a sultry pout as she posed for snapsCredit: Splash
Reality TV star Maura has confirmed she’s walked away from her Love Island USA: Aftersun hosting job after three years.
It was recently revealed Maura has landed another gig in the US – a stint on Dancing with the StarsCredit: SplashMaura has been making big move in the US after her successful appearance on Celebrity Traitors USCredit: Splash
Maura kept the rest of her ensemble simple, donning a pair of matching white heels, some silver studded earrings and opted for no bag.
The Celebrity Traitors US star had her locks scrapped back into a sleek bun, leaving one piece to frame her face.
She gave the cameras a sultry pout as she posed for snaps.
Maura looked very glamourous, opting to have her makeup glowy and bronzed and finished with a nude pink lipstick.
The Irish star – who is heading for theDancing With The Starsballroom – told Vulture that she won’t be returning to Fiji for the upcoming eighth season.
She said: “You won’t. I’ve done it for three years, and they’ll always be family to me, but I think it’s time to try something different.
“I’ve got amazing opportunities coming in the door.
“I think it’s time to say good-bye. But you know what? I won’t say forever.
“I’ll still be watching from afar and I love them and miss them. It’s just time to move on.”
Maura Higgins says her soaring career has come at a cost, with high-profile exes struggling to cope with her successCredit: GettyMaura, pictured with ex Curtis Pritchard, says that her friends tell her she needs to find a partner who is quieter than herCredit: Rex
But Maura, 35, reveals that some high-profile stars actually struggle to cope with her popularity and success.
She said: “My friends tell me that I need someone quieter than me.
“Some of my ex-partners didn’t like me overshadowing them — it was probably an ego thing.
“My friends keep saying that my next partner needs to let me shine and be who I am.”
The former hairdresser and grid girl showed she was not afraid to speak her mind on Love Island seven years ago.
Fans loved her and TV companies could not wait to snap her up.
She was soon signed for Dancing On Ice, and by 2024 she was starring on I’m A Celebrity.
Now she has cracked America, too.
Maura dated Strictly dancer Giovani Pernice – before a sudden splitCredit: ErotemeShe also had a relationship with TOWIE lothario Pete Wicks – who is now dating Olivia AttwoodCredit: BackGrid
She has just been announced as a competitor on Dancing With The Stars, the US version of Strictly, which follows on from her presenting Love Island USA and finishing runner-up on the American version of The Traitors in February.
It has led to her walking some of the biggest red carpets Stateside, including at the Oscars.
And her work there has seen her gain American friends, including fellow Traitors star and Melrose Place actress Lisa Rinna.
Maura recently went to Lisa’s home for an event and was blown over by the relationship she has with husband of 29 years, Clash Of The Titans and L.A. Law star Harry Hamlin.
Maura told Cosmopolitan: “Harry gave a speech, and I sat there thinking, ‘That’s exactly what I want’. He spoke about her with so much respect, and he adores her.
“I genuinely thought, ‘That’s the type of relationship I want. I want a man to let me be me and not try to dim my light’.”
It was during her stint on the fifth series of ITV2 reality series Love Island that she began her first high-profile romance, with Curtis Pritchard.
After leaving the villa, they dated for eight months but Maura says: “I feel like starting on Love Island is why everyone is so invested in my love life and wants to know whether I’m single or dating.”
The former hairdresser and grid girl showed she was not afraid to speak her mind on Love Island seven years agoCredit: Rex FeaturesShe has become a regular on our screens since – including a stint on I’m A CelebrityCredit: Rex
It is probably also because there have been so many relationships with fellow celebrities.
Next came another ex-Love Islander, Chris Taylor, in 2020, followed by Strictly pro Giovanni Pernice in 2021.
At the time, friends said he had “never felt like this about anyone before”. But four months later it ended, leaving Maura reportedly “blindsided”.
Next came Towie lothario Pete Wicks. The pair split in February last year after a series of rows.
And on Valentine’s Day she was overheard telling a friend who asked where he was: “I don’t know, probably cheating”.
But the following month, she was caught in a cheating drama of her own — kissing married I’m A Celeb campmate Danny Jones, the McFly guitarist, at a Brit Awards after-party. He later apologised to his wife.
Maura is now becoming a star in the US – where she is cementing her place as America’s Irish sweetheartCredit: Rex FeaturesMaura is appearing on Dancing With The Stars in the US and says she cannot believe itCredit: Getty
Maura then started to spend more time in America.
Now, the announcement that she will star in the new series of the US dance show cements her place as America’s Irish sweetheart.
But many people are now commenting on her accent, with American fans on social media joking about her saying, “tink”, instead of “think”.
Maura told Cosmo mag: “Everyone’s spelling it T-I-N-K! Even I’m doing it now.
“My Irish fans — they’re all DM-ing and making videos. I’ve seen a few Irish people get defensive and say, ‘You shouldn’t be doing this’.
“But look, if I’m OK with people making fun, then I tink it’s fine.”
After she landed the job on Dancing With The Stars she told fans: “I tink I’m very excited.” And she told American TV show ABC News how she “manifested” her appearance on the dance show.
She said: “I was asked to do Dancing With The Stars Ireland when I first came off Love Island. But around that time there was a lot going on.
Maura says she was previously tempted to do Strictly – but wanted to save herself for the US versionCredit: Rex FeaturesMaura says when she is feeling at her best she is ready to take on the worldCredit: Rex
“And then when Strictly came about I was very tempted because I always wanted to do a dance show.
“I dunno, like my sights were always set on Dancing With The Stars America and I didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardise that position.
“It’s something I’ve been manifesting. I’ve had it on my vision board for the past couple of years.
“And now it’s actually happening. I cannot believe it.”
Maura revealed that although she rarely cries, she was overcome with emotion when she landed the gig.
She said: “I don’t get like that about anything. I don’t think I’ve ever had a moment like that, but because I really wanted it . . .
“If I could get to the finale I’d be over the moon. Obviously I’d love to win. I’ve never won a show in my life.”
It does mean, though, that she will be spending more time in America — and less in the £1.25million home she bought last year in a gated community in Essex.
Maura was so excited when she got the keys that she set up her own Casa A’Maura Instagram — a nod to the Casa Amor villa on Love Island.
But since then she has barely been at the house and only posted twice — one picture of her bean bags in an empty lounge and a second of her cooking pasta, with Sex And The City playing on a TV in the background.
She previously revealed she has not had time to furnish it as she has not been home due to her hectic schedule.
As well as her TV career, Maura has also landed lucrative tie-ins with brands including Primark, L’Oreal Paris, Mac, Ann Summers, Victoria’s Secret and Uber.
Her face may be everywhere, but it has also come under scrutiny on social media, with some asking if she has had tweakments.
Others have commented about her weight loss since her days on Love Island.
Maura told Allure mag: “I have never in my life had cheek filler. If they’re talking about Botox, however, yes, I do get Botox.
“But the only filler I’ve ever had was lip filler, and I’ve not had it in years.
“I’ve had my teeth done. I had Invisalign when I came out of Love Island, and then I had bonding over my teeth, which obviously is going to change my face a lot.”
But one thing she is never without is a spray tan — something that will hold her in good stead as she competes for the glitterball as Ireland’s current hottest export.
She said: “When I’m tanned I feel good, and I’m ready to take on the world”.
Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins will be among the stars competing for the Mirrorball Trophy.
“Summer House’s” Miller and “The Traitors” contestant Higgins — both publicly betrayed by men they trusted on their shows — are the first celebrities joining Season 35 of “Dancing With the Stars.” Disney announced the new season Wednesday during Hulu’s Get Real House event in Los Angeles.
Miller joins the cast less than a month after it was revealed that her “Summer House” castmate and ex-boyfriend, West Wilson, was dating her friend on the show, Amanda Batula. She teased her “DWTS” news with an Instagram video in which she wrote out her “Next Chapter 2026” to-do list, which included “prioritizing” herself, “taking risks” and “Dancing With the Stars.”
Higgins, who lost Season 4 of “The Traitors” in the finale after being blindsided by her friend and co-star Rob Rausch, rose to prominence on “Love Island” in 2019. Higgins shared her excitement in a video on Instagram, saying, “Please pray for me.”
“Get me on that dance floor. I want to win the trophy,” Higgins said. “I’ve manifested this.”
Higgins told reporters at the Get Real House event that Mark Ballas is her dream partner.
The announcement comes after a landmark season of “DWTS,” which saw a record-breaking number of fan votes. In November, The Times spoke with “DWTS” showrunner Conrad Green, who attributed the ratings spike to reviving “communal viewing experiences.”
“It’s been largely a question of keeping our existing audience and then finding a new audience of 18- to 30-year-olds. That’s partly fed by social media. It’s partly fed by a desire to have communal TV viewing experiences,” Green said. “That was something everyone had with ‘American Idol’ and ‘Dancing With the Stars’ 20 years ago, but TV doesn’t lend itself to that so much anymore.”
During the event, Disney also announced a new spinoff series, “Dancing With the Stars: The Next Pro.” “DWTS” Season 34 winner Robert Irwin will host the show. According to the synopsis, it “features 12 exceptional up-and-coming dancers who move into one house and compete in a grueling audition process, all vying for a coveted spot as a pro dancer on Season 35 of ‘Dancing with the Stars.’”
“DWTS” pro and three-time Mirrorball champion Ballas will host the show alongside his mother, former ballroom dancer Shirley Ballas. The series will premiere July 13 on ABC.
