aura Higgins’ effervescent, ~the world is my oyster~ vibe is immediately contagious. On Love Island UK and The Traitors, she’s a queen who stands on business, but IRL, her warm and friendly girl-next-door (albeit one who happens
maura higgins is manifesting a win
After a devastating loss on The Traitors, she’s coming for the Mirrorball.
M
to be a model) aura is completely disarming. As she stands up to shake my hand in a sunny Chelsea office, I can’t help but gush over her fit.
Everyone with even a modicum of taste recognizes the reality sensation as a fashion icon, and today, she looks especially chic in a sparkly, black-and-white button-down top paired with trendy black capris. I’m mesmerized by her soft glam look, which features subtle winged liner, long lashes, and a touch of lip gloss. Her sleek bob projects the competence of a high-powered CEO blended with the playfulness of a margaritas-and-gossip connoisseur.
This Thursday morning, Higgins is energized and eager to chat about her insanely eventful year. If you’re one of her more than four million IG followers, you know this diva’s recently been everywhere from the Scottish Highlands to Cannes to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway show… and that’s all before she makes her Dancing with the Stars debut this fall.
“I’m not really a nervous person, but for this I’m nervous,” Higgins admits about her next reality TV endeavor. Getting plucked by ABC for the opportunity to samba in front of millions can be a major inflection point for reality stars — last year’s fan favorite, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Whitney Leavitt, used her performances to catapult herself onto Broadway and start her own production company.
An undeniable ratings boon would be a rematch between Higgins and her Traitors co-star, Rob Rausch. Obviously, Higgins would enjoy nothing more than to avenge herself by beating the charming, blue-eyed snake wrangler who betrayed her in that castle. “I really would love that,” she agrees, grinning. “Imagine if it’s just him and me again, and then I win this time.”
Higgins is referring to what will probably go down in history as one of the most jaw-dropping Traitors finales of all time. After playing the entire game as ride-or-die allies with Rausch, her fellow Love Island alum, Higgins was convinced she had won once the duo voted to eliminate Eric Nam — it was a total mindfuck when he revealed he had been playing her all along.
“I surprised myself when I watched it back,” she tells me, realizing the personal growth she experienced while navigating that psychological jungle gym of a show. “The old Maura probably would have flipped out…I handled it with grace. I’m very proud of myself.” (Apparently, she even gave Rob a hug after, but that moment didn’t make the final cut.)
Higgins expertly parlayed her Traitors exit to one of the biggest PR moments of the year — getting America’s favorite overalls mascot to use his Traitors earnings to buy her a Birkin bag. She gets visibly emotional when I bring up her beloved burgundy Hermès baby. “Best gift I’ve ever gotten,” she declares. “Not even my own partners have ever gotten me a gift like that, so good on Rob.”
And it’s the bag that keeps on bagging. As we chat, we peruse Higgins’ limited-edition, luxury bag-inspired collaboration with Wingstop. The brand tapped Higgins to create a kit of “Maura essentials” to coincide with the launch of Club Wingstop, their new loyalty rewards program. I admire the green crocodile packaging, which includes a Polaroid camera, a JBL speaker, and a very Maura-coded beret and scarf. (Higgins is a diehard Wingstop fan — yes, there’s one in Ireland — and her tried-and-true order is lemon pepper with ranch and a side of fries.) “Who doesn’t want this?” She beams, admiring the undeniably stylish box.
Despite advancing from Birkin fangirl to Birkin owner, you won’t find Higgins looking down her nose at you at the country club anytime soon. She’s still the same “normal girl from Ireland” that fans fell in love with at the Traitors' breakfast table. But when you ascend into reality stardom, it’s impossible to please everyone. Higgins isn’t phased.
“Look, I look like a bitch. I do. I think I’ve got that resting bitch face,” she theorizes. “If someone meets me for the first time, they always say, ‘Oh my God, you're so much nicer than I thought you would be.’”
It’s the type of backhanded, parasocial compliment that’s all too common in today’s social media age. And sure, her Instagram is a highlight reel full of model poses, full glam, and designer clothes, but according to Higgins, “Behind all of that, I’m in my tracksuit, I have my hair mask on, no makeup, and I’m slobbing it.”
“The old Maura probably would have flipped out…I handled it with grace. I’m very proud of myself.”
When our interview wraps up and I stop recording, Higgins is told she has a few minutes for a bathroom break. She lights up, as if she’s just received a bouquet of flowers or her favorite Erewhon smoothie. “Great! I’ll take a wee. I always hold it in for like three hours. I don’t know why I do that.”
Like she promised, just a normal girl from Ireland.
BY ILANA FROST | PUBLISHED ON JUNE 25, 2026
One can predict that Higgins will be far from “slobbish” when she hits the Dancing With The Stars stage — although she confesses that pro Mark Ballas had some words about her “terrible” dance posture behind-the-scenes on Traitors.
“I know it’s going to be very tough. I just want to do well. . .it’s a show I’ve wanted to do for so long.” Still, despite “never winning anything in [her] life,” Higgins is “manifesting” the Mirrorball. And another free Birkin.
Courtesy of WIngstop
“Look, I look like a bitch. I do.
I think I’ve got that resting bitch face.”
“Behind all of that, I’m in my tracksuit, I have my hair mask on,
no makeup, and I’m slobbing it.”
TheStewartofNY/getty images
Marco Bahler/Getty Images