Dancing With the Stars partners Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas will not give advice to the newly announced cast of The Traitors, explaining that the reality competition is too unpredictable to offer guidance.
Speaking to E! News following their performance on Dancing With the Stars on Sept. 30, 2026, the former Faithfuls said the shifting group dynamics inside the Scottish castle make standard strategy impossible.
"I'll tell you what, it really is hard to give Traitors advice, as someone who's watched pretty much every season, because it's all dependent on the group of people," Ballas told E! News.
Ballas explained that learning how to stab a friend in the back cannot be taught step by step. "Like with this show, you can be like, 'When you get Quickstep, you gotta do this,'" Ballas said of Dancing With the Stars. "You don't know how people are going to react or what the conversation is going to be like. What the round table is going to be like, and it can flip on you at any moment."
Higgins noted that players face uncertainty from the start. "You also don't know if you're going to be a Traitor or Faithful, and then you have to play differently," Higgins said. "It's so hard."
The Traitors is a hit reality competition series set in a Scottish castle, where contestants compete to identify hidden Traitors among the group to win a shared cash prize. Both Higgins and Ballas previously appeared on the show as Faithfuls before joining season 35 of Dancing With the Stars, ABC's long-running ballroom competition pairing celebrities with professional dancers.
Reflecting on the challenge of deciding who to trust, Ballas summarized the paranoia in the castle, saying, "You don't know your ass from your elbow." By contrast, he described their routine in the ballroom as much more straightforward.
"She works really hard," Ballas said of Higgins. "Coming into this, when we talked about Maura doing this in The Traitors, I was like, 'You know it's really hard. It's longer than a 40-minute challenge.'"
Higgins affirmed, "He did warn me." Ballas added, "I have been, honestly, really blown away with her work ethic, her commitment to it. Especially as a beginner dancer."
The pair have continuously impressed judges Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba with their performances, even as the show eliminated its fourth celebrity contestant despite giving what was called their best performance.
Dancing With the Stars Season 35 Lineup
Higgins, a Love Island UK alum, revealed that joining the series fulfilled a personal goal. "I have a vision board and I redo it every year," Higgins told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
Higgins and Ballas are part of a 16-couple lineup competing on season 35 of Dancing With the Stars.
10 Things I Hate About You star Julia Stiles is saving the last dance for her pro partner Ezra Sosa. Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis is cha-cha-chopping her way onto the dance floor alongside Alan Bersten.
Former Glee actor Harry Shum Jr. is bringing his musical talents to the ballroom with Jenna Johnson. Former 1990s teen heartthrob Taylor Hanson hopes to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35 with partner Britt Stewart.
Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress Tatyana Ali is bringing fresh moves to the floor with Jan Ravnik. Actress Jenna Dewan, 20 years after starring in Step Up, is stepping up to the challenge with Val Chmerkovskiy.
Athletes, Influencers and Reality Stars
2026 Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn is taking her skills from the ice to the ballroom alongside Pasha Pashkov. Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete Ezra Frech is showing off his athleticism with partner Daniella Karagach.
Love Thy Nader star Sarah Jane Nader is trying her hand in the competition with pro Hailey Bills, following her sister Brooks Nader, who competed on season 33.
Comedian Connor Wood, known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn applause with partner Rylee Arnold. Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Conner Leavitt is following in the footsteps of his wife Whitney Leavitt, who competed on season 34, while dancing with Adele Zaikman.
Bachelor Nation star Tyler Cameron is trading roses for rumbas with Sharna Burgess. Savannah Bananas baseball player Jackson Olson is bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom floor with Emma Slater.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! star Guillermo Rodriguez is ready to learn new moves with Witney Carson. Summer House star Ciara Miller is prepping for her turn in the ballroom with partner Brandon Armstrong.
Miller exclusively told E! News in June, "Looks are not indicative of being in shape. I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
