Who is Maura Higgins? Dancing on Ice contestant who's dating Love Island's Curtis Pritchard

The grid girl has been announced as one of the contestants on Dancing on Ice
New girl: Maura Higgins has entered the Love Island villa
PA
Natasha Sporn|Tom Herbert20 December 2019

Irish beauty Maura Higgins has swapped the Love Island villa for an ice rink after signing up for Dancing on Ice.

The reality star shot to fame after starring on this summer's Love Island, becoming hugely popular with viewers for her witticisms and cutting comments.

Her popularity with viewers back home led to her finishing fourth with fellow villa star Curtis Pritchard, and since the show ended has taken on a number of different projects.

The 28-year-old got tongues wagging recently with a series of provocative shots that caused some people to believe she could be replacing Caroline Flack as Love Island host, but these rumours appear to have been put to bed by Curtis.

With the brunette bombshell set to star in the upcoming series of Dancing on Ice, here's all you need to know about Maura Higgins...

Who is Maura Higgins?

Maura, from County Longford in Ireland, is a 28-year-old grid girl and model. Her career has taken her to glamorous shoots, including one with One Direction star Liam Payne, and seen her mingling with A-Listers up and down the country.

She also worked as a ring girl before entering the Mallorcan villa this summer and she made waves as soon as she walked in, showing a particular interest in Tommy Fury first before moving onto Tom Walker and then Curtis.

She stayed with Pritchard until the end, eventually coming fourth in the series which Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea won.

Since leaving the island, she has won several endorsement deals, including becoming a brand ambassador for BooHoo, an agony aunt on This Morning and has begun a podcast.

She revealed she was taking part in the programme with Michael Barrymore on This Morning. She said: "I've skated once in my life for fun, so I've no experience at all. I'm up for the challenge. I'm more excited than scared. I'm competitive so I think that will drive me."

Where in Ireland is she from?

Maura hails from County Longford, slap bang in the middle of the country in the province of Leinster.

When was Maura on Love Island?

Maura was unveiled as the new bombshell to enter the villa back in June 2019, alongside Elma Pazar, and lasted until the final of the show after coupling-up with Curtis.

How long has she been dating Curtis Pritchard?

The couple have been an item since leaving the villa way back in the summer, but have said they want to take things slowly as the adjust to life outside Love Island.

Who was she engaged to before?

Speculation over Maura’s relationship status spread on social media after an old Instagram screenshot revealed that she was engaged three years ago.

The screenshot, found on her Depop profile, shows Maura listed as engaged – complete with the ring emoji – in the first line of her biography.

The budding reality star used to be in a nine-year relationship, which ended a few years ago, before getting with another guy until the end of their romance “quite recently”.

First date: Tommy Fury and Maura Higgins
ITV

Who is Maura partnered up with on Dancing on Ice?

Maura is set to be partnered with Alexander Demetriou, from Blackpool. who only joined the show last year.

Does she have Instagram?

She does, and she has 2.6 million followers online.

You can follow her on Instagram @maurahiggins to keep up with all the gossip from her life.

What was Maura looking for in the villa?

Maura revealed that she was "looking to find love” under the Spanish sun because she “hates” being single, having been in relationships for years before.

The 28-year-old said that she would be a “loyal” partner, having never cheated before but, sadly, has had it happen to her.

“If I’m in a relationship with someone, I’m loyal. That’s it. I’ve never cheated. I’ve been cheated on. I will trust someone until they do something wrong to me, I’m very much like that,” she said.

“I think if you’ve put a label on something, boyfriend and girlfriend, then you just don’t go there. If there is a girl and a guy in there and they’ve put a label on it, I would never go there and I would hope that no one would do it to me.”

Love Island 2019: Series 5 - In pictures

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