Maura Higgins
Maura Higgins emerged from a small Irish town to become a household name, captivating audiences with her wit and unfiltered charm on one of television's biggest reality shows. Her journey from local hairdresser to international presenter and model is a testament to the power of personality and ambition. What began as a "bombshell" entrance on a dating show quickly evolved into a multifaceted career that continues to expand across entertainment and fashion. Maura Higgins leveraged her viral popularity on Love Island to launch a diverse career in modeling, brand partnerships, and television presenting. Her transition from a successful pre-fame modeling career to a prominent media personality showcases her business acumen and adaptability. Higgins has strategically expanded her brand, securing roles in both UK and US television, and is set to make her acting debut, signaling a continued evolution in her career.
AI Summary
Maura Higgins emerged from a small Irish town to become a household name, captivating audiences with her wit and unfiltered charm on one of television's biggest reality shows. Her journey from local hairdresser to international presenter and model is a testament to the power of personality and ambition. What began as a "bombshell" entrance on a dating show quickly evolved into a multifaceted career that continues to expand across entertainment and fashion.
- Maura Higgins leveraged her viral popularity on Love Island to launch a diverse career in modeling, brand partnerships, and television presenting.
- Her transition from a successful pre-fame modeling career to a prominent media personality showcases her business acumen and adaptability.
- Higgins has strategically expanded her brand, securing roles in both UK and US television, and is set to make her acting debut, signaling a continued evolution in her career.
The Rise of a Reality Star
Early Life and Roots
Born on November 25, 1990, Maura Higgins hails from Ballymahon in County Longford, Ireland. Growing up with two sisters and a brother, her early life was rooted in her hometown.
After attending Forgney N.S and Ballymahon Vocational School, Maura pursued her passion for beauty. She studied hairdressing in Athlone before returning to work in a local salon in Ballymahon, a quiet start for a woman destined for the spotlight.
Pre-Fame Hustle: Modelling and Promotions
Before her television debut, Maura was already building a career in the public eye. She worked extensively as a grid girl and featured in various modeling campaigns, honing her presence in front of the camera.
Her work with Monster Energy from 2014 was particularly notable. As a 'Monster girl,' she traveled globally, even going viral in 2018 for a video where she skillfully drifted a car in Abu Dhabi, inspiring women to drive and showcasing her adventurous spirit.
Maura also appeared in the visuals for Liam Payne's 2017 hit song "Get Low" and worked as a ring girl for professional boxers, including Anthony Joshua, further cementing her visibility in high-profile events.
Love Island Breakthrough
The pivotal moment in Maura's career arrived in June 2019 when she entered the Love Island villa as a 'bombshell' contestant on Day 10 of the fifth series. Her outspoken personality and candid remarks quickly made her a fan favorite.
She reached the final of the show alongside Curtis Pritchard, ultimately securing fourth place. Her unfiltered honesty and vibrant personality resonated deeply with viewers, propelling her into mainstream celebrity.
Building a Media Empire: Post-Love Island Success
Upon leaving the villa, Maura's career exploded. She quickly secured numerous brand collaborations, launching her first luxury tan collection with Bellamianta in August 2019, followed by a second collection in 2021.
Fashion and beauty brands clamored to work with her. She launched clothing collections with Boohoo.com, hosted their podcast, and unveiled her first lingerie collection with Ann Summers in November 2019, leading to multiple successful collections thereafter.
Her partnerships continued to grow, including a shoe and bag collection with EGO shoes in 2020, a 34-piece makeup line with Inglot Cosmetics, and even a quirky collaboration with Just Eat and Greggs promoting roller skate deliveries.
In December 2020, Maura launched her own false eyelashes brand, "False Flutters," exclusively with Primark. Her modeling career reached new heights when she signed with Elite Model Management in November 2021.
High-profile collaborations continued, such as pairing with Kim Kardashian's makeup artist, Mario Dedivanovic, for a social media campaign in 2022. Most recently, in January 2025, she became the face of MAC Cosmetics UK and Ireland, fronting their "I Only Wear MAC" campaign.
From Contestant to Presenter
Maura's television career diversified rapidly. She became a regular on 'This Morning,' presenting an agony aunt segment, and explored her homeland in the two-part series 'Maura's Ireland.'
She showcased her athleticism and competitive spirit on 'Dancing on Ice' in 2020, reaching week 7. Her engaging screen presence also earned her roles as a red carpet host for the National Television Awards and a guest panelist on 'Love Island: Aftersun.'
In September 2021, she took on a significant presenting role as the host of the Irish version of 'Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star,' further establishing her as a television personality.
Her reach expanded internationally when she became the social media presenter for 'Love Island USA' and 'Love Island Games' in 2023. By 2024, she was presenting 'Love Island USA: Aftersun' and even guest-hosted episodes of the main show.
Maura continued her reality TV journey as a contestant on 'Cooking with the Stars' in 2022, reaching the semi-final, and most recently, joined 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' in November 2024, finishing in seventh place.
Looking ahead, Maura is set to broaden her horizons into acting. She filmed her debut role as 'Rose' in the film 'The Spin,' which has already garnered awards at the Dublin and Istanbul International Film Festivals and is scheduled for cinema release in October 2025. She is also confirmed for the fourth season of 'The Traitors US' in 2026.
Personal Life
Maura Higgins moved to Essex in 2020 while training for 'Dancing on Ice.' In October 2024, she confirmed the purchase of her dream home there, cementing her roots in the UK.
Her public relationships include a brief romance with Love Island co-star Curtis Pritchard in late 2019, and a relationship with 'Strictly Come Dancing' professional Giovanni Pernice, which ended in October 2021. More recently, she dated Chris Hemsworth's stunt double, Bobby Holland Hanton, between 2023 and 2024.
Accolades
Maura's impact on television and social media has not gone unnoticed. She won 'Television Personality of the Year' at the Gossies Awards in 2020 for her role in Love Island.
In 2022, she further solidified her presenting prowess, winning 'Best Female TV Presenter' for 'Glow Up' and 'Most Stylish Lady' at the Gossies Awards, reflecting her influence in both media and fashion.
Article
Maura Higgins
Maura Higgins (born 25 November 1990) is an Irish reality television personality, presenter and model. She rose to prominence in 2019, when she was a finalist on the fifth series of ITV2 reality series Love Island. Since then, Higgins has collaborated with numerous fashion and makeup brands and went on to present the Irish version of the reality television competition Glow Up. She has also appeared as a contestant on Dancing on Ice (2020), Cooking with the Stars (2022) and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! (2024). She was the social media presenter for Love Island USA and Love Island Games (2023), before going on to present Love Island USA: Aftersun (2024–present) and Love Island Games: Aftersun (2025-present).
Early life
Maura Higgins
Maura Higgins was born on 25 November 1990 in Ballymahon, County Longford to Sharon and Seamus Higgins. She has two sisters and a brother. A former pupil of Forgney N.S, she then attended Ballymahon Vocational School. After leaving school she went on to study hairdressing in Athlone, before working at a salon in her home town.
Career
Modelling and promotions
Prior to appearing on television, Higgins worked as a grid girl and appeared in numerous modelling campaigns. In 2014, she began working for Monster Energy. At the end of 2017, as a Monster girl, she travelled to Abu Dhabi for the Formula 1 finale and in 2018, she went viral with a video of her drifting a car for Monster Energy in Abu Dhabi to inspire women there to drive. In 2017, Higgins appeared in the visuals of Liam Payne's hit song "Get Low". In 2019, she worked as a ring girl for several professional boxers, including Anthony Joshua. In August 2019, she launched her first collection of luxury tan with Bellamianta, which was followed by a second collection in 2021. In October 2019, Higgins launched a clothing collection with Boohoo.com and regularly hosted their first ever podcast called "Get the Scoop". In November 2019, Higgins launched her first lingerie collection with Ann Summers and has since done several collections.
In April 2020, Higgins launched a 15-piece shoe and bag collection with EGO shoes, where she did a video shoot in Dubai for a TV-commercial. In June 2020, she launched a 34-piece makeup collection with Inglot Cosmetics. In September 2020, Higgins collaborated with Just Eat to promote Greggs being delivered via roller skates in the UK. In December 2020, Higgins launched her own False eyelashes brand called "False Flutters" exclusively to Primark. In November 2021, It was announced that Higgins signed with Elite Model Management in order to further her modelling career. In November 2022, Higgins paired up with Kim Kardashian's make-up artist Mario Dedivanovic for a series of videos and reels for Social media promoting his new range of make-up products. In January 2025, Higgins became the face of MAC Cosmetics UK and Ireland, fronting their new make-up campaign called "I Only Wear MAC".
Television
In June 2019, Higgins entered the Love Island villa for its fifth series. She entered the villa on Day 10 as a bombshell, reaching the final alongside Curtis Pritchard and finishing in fourth place. After leaving the villa, she began appearing regularly on This Morning, presenting an agony aunt segment. She also presented a two part series called "Maura's Ireland", which saw her travelling around Ireland showcasing the beauty of Ireland. In January 2020, Higgins won "TV Personality of the Year" at The Gossies Awards, held by Goss.ie. She was then announced as the red carpet host for The National Television Awards and was a guest panellist on Love Island: Aftersun. In the same month, Higgins was a contestant on the twelfth series of Dancing on Ice partnered with Alexander Demetriou. She was eliminated in week 7 after losing the skate-off to Libby Clegg. In July 2020, Higgins fronted her own show on ITV2 titled Maura Higgins: You're Joking Me!. She was a guest panellist on Loose Women. Her other television appearances include on The Late Late Show in Ireland and Jeremy Vine. She has also appeared on several celebrity game shows including Supermarket Sweep, Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow, Celebrity Juice, I'll Get This and The Wheel.
In September 2021, it was announced that Higgins would be presenting the Irish version of Glow Up: Britain's Next Make-Up Star. In April 2022, Higgins won "Best Female TV Presenter" and "Most Stylish Lady" at The Gossies Awards held by Goss.ie. The same year, Higgins was a contestant on the second series of Cooking with the Stars. She reached the semi-final and was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated, finishing in fourth place overall. In October 2022, she appeared in an episode of Shopping with Keith Lemon. In July 2023, Higgins was announced as social media presenter for the fifth series of Love Island USA. She also appeared on the show to guest host a challenge. In September 2023, Higgins announced that she was set to make acting debut in a film titled The Spin, written by Colin Broderick, directed by Michael Head and produced by Edward McCaffrey, in which she portrays a character named Rose. It was filmed in Northern Ireland and was scheduled for release in 2025. In 2024, The Spin film won Best Irish Feature Film Award at Dublin International Film Festival. It has also won Best Feature Film at Istanbul International Film Festival. The film is scheduled to premiere in cinemas from October 2025. October 2023, Higgins was announced as the social media presenter for Love Island Games, a global spin-off show, which saw her guest present three episodes. In 2024, Higgins began presenting Love Island USA: Aftersun and also guest presented two episodes of the main show during the sixth season. In November 2024, Higgins was a late arrival in the twenty-fourth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She joined camp on Day 5 alongside Rev. Richard Coles. Higgins was the sixth celebrity to be voted out of the camp on 5 December, in a double elimination alongside Barry McGuigan, ultimately finishing in seventh place. In June 2025, she was confirmed for the fourth season of The Traitors US, ultimately finishing as the runner-up to winner Rob Rausch.
Personal life
Maura Higgins
Higgins resides in Essex, having moved there in 2020 whilst training for Dancing on Ice. In October 2024, she confirmed she purchased her dream home there.
In late 2019, Higgins briefly dated Curtis Pritchard, after reaching the final of Love Island together. She announced the breakup early March 2020. Higgins was previously in a relationship with Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice. The relationship ended in October 2021. Between 2023 and 2024, Higgins was in a relationship with Chris Hemsworth's stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton.
Filmography
Film
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2026</td><td>The Spin</td><td>Rose</td><td>Irish comedy</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
Television
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2019</td><td>Love Island</td><td>Contestant</td><td>Series 5; finalist</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>This Morning</td><td>Agony aunt</td><td>Segments</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>This Morning</td><td>Presenter</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Supermarket Sweep</td><td>Special guest</td><td>Cameo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jeremy Vine</td><td>Guest panelist</td><td>1 episode</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Late Late Show</td><td>Guest</td><td>Irish talk show</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Celebrity Juice</td><td>Guest panelist</td><td>Series 22; episode 3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Love Island: Aftersun</td><td>Guest panelist</td><td>Spin-off</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Loose Women</td><td>Guest panelist</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>Love Island: What Happened Next?</td><td>Herself</td><td>Series 1; Episode 3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dancing on Ice</td><td>Contestant</td><td>Series 12; 6th place</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Maura Higgins: You're Joking Me!</td><td>Herself</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>I'll Get This</td><td>Guest</td><td>Christmas special</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Wheel</td><td>Celebrity expert</td><td>Series 1; Episode 3</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow</td><td>Herself</td><td>Celebrity special</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>Glow Up</td><td>Presenter</td><td>Irish version; 8 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>On Yer Bike</td><td>Herself</td><td>Charity cycling series</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Cooking with the Stars</td><td>Contestant</td><td>Series 2; Semi-finalist</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Shopping with Keith Lemon</td><td>Guest</td><td>Series 3; Episode 8</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>The Late Late</td><td>Guest</td><td>Valentines special</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Love Island USA</td><td>Social presenter</td><td>Season 5</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guest presenter</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Love Island Games</td><td>Social presenter</td><td>Season 1</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Guest presenter</td><td>3 episodes</td></tr><tr><td>The Late Late Show</td><td>Guest</td><td>Christmas special</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024–present</td><td>Love Island USA: Aftersun</td><td>Presenter</td><td>Spin-off show</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Love Island USA</td><td>Guest presenter</td><td>2 episodes</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!</td><td>Contestant</td><td>ITV1; series 24</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025-present</td><td>Love Island Games: Aftersun</td><td>Presenter</td><td>Spin-off show</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>Love Island Games</td><td>Guest presenter</td><td>Episode 13</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>The Traitors US</td><td>Contestant</td><td>Season 4; (11 episodes) Runner-up</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Drew Barrymore Show</td><td>Herself</td><td>Season 6; episode 177</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen</td><td>Herself</td><td>Interview</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
Awards and nominations
Maura Higgins
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Award</th><th>Category</th><th>Work</th><th>Result</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2020</td><td>Gossies Awards</td><td>Television Personality of the Year</td><td>Love Island</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>VIP Style Awards</td><td>Most Stylish Newcomer</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>Extra.ie</td><td>Irelands top Influencer</td><td>Social media</td><td>First place</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>VIP Style Awards</td><td>Most Stylish Woman</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>Gossies Awards</td><td>Best Female TV Presenter</td><td>Glow Up</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Most Stylish Lady</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Won</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Most Stylish Lady</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>Best Female TV Presenter</td><td>Love Island USA: Aftersun</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>TRIC Awards</td><td>Social Media Broadcaster</td><td>Social media</td><td>Longlisted</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>National Television Awards</td><td>Reality-competition</td><td>I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!</td><td>Won</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>Gossies Awards</td><td>Most Stylish Lady</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Nominated</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
Discography
Maura Higgins
<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Artist(s)</th><th>Album</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2017</td><td>Get Low</td><td>Zedd and Liam Payne</td><td>LP1 (Liam Payne album)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>"How the Fire Started"</td><td>Eric Nam</td><td>Single</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>