Irish television star Maura Higgins has claimed the top spot on the Dancing With The Stars leaderboard after scoring the first nine of the series during Tuesday night's live broadcast.
The 35 year old former Love Island contestant delivered a stunning classic waltz alongside her professional dance partner Mark Ballas, performing to the song If It's Over.
The pair received two eights alongside the single nine from the judging panel, marking the highest individual score awarded so far in the current season. Higgins was left open mouthed with astonishment as the scores were announced, unable to hide her disbelief at the landmark result.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised the routine during the broadcast, telling Higgins that the performance took her to another world. Fellow judge Derek Hough commended the technical execution of the routine, noting that he appreciated seeing a classic waltz presented with no gimmicks.
The high score provided a welcome boost for Higgins, who had admitted just days earlier that she was left crying in the toilets after struggling to cope with negative critiques from the judges.
Rehearsal Criticisms and Emotional Toll
Speaking to former finalist and influencer Alix Earle on her Get Ready With Me podcast last week, Higgins confessed that the relentless corrections from trainers and judges made it difficult for contestants to feel any sense of achievement.
Higgins explained her emotional reaction to the grueling schedule during the podcast conversation:
"I don't usually cry, I'm more of a suffer in silence girl. I usually wait until I get home and I can't hold in my tears and it's week two, I don't know what's happening."
The reality star revealed that while she enjoys a positive relationship with Ballas, his strict technical instruction in the rehearsal studio caused immense pressure. Higgins recalled:
"Mark will say to me, and we have so much fun in the rehearsal room but it's kind of like, 'This is an entertainment show have fun' and then he's like in the rehearsal room going, 'What's that? Why is your hand like that and what's with the pigeon feet?'"
She admitted that trying to fix multiple technical errors simultaneously left her feeling overwhelmed despite initial compliments from the panel:
"Yeah you just feel like you're s***. I'm so hard on myself anyway and then everything is wrong. I hear, 'You're doing really well but fix your arm, fix your neck, fix hips and toes,' like how am I doing well. It's a lot."
Shared Bathroom Breakdowns and Rookie Pressure
Earle offered sympathy during the podcast episode, agreeing that new contestants are often unprepared for the influx of technical criticism delivered during the early weeks of competition. Earle stated:
"You're not ready for the negative feedback in the beginning and that's all it is in the beginning because they are there to correct you but it's a lot."
Earle went on to recount her own experience from the previous season, telling Higgins that a show producer once overheard her crying inside a bathroom stall and asked to film the emotional moment for the show.
Higgins revealed that she had suffered a similar breakdown away from the cameras during rehearsals:
"Oh my god I cried in the bathroom too yesterday, they love it and I don't want to cry on camera and then I ended up breaking down. It's crazy because why am I crying and being pathetic."
Elsewhere during the podcast episode, Higgins explained that she felt extra pressure competing on the series because she had never taken a single dance lesson in her life before joining the cast.
Despite her lack of formal dance training, Higgins has been tipped as a favourite to win the competition following two successful performances earlier in the season.
Yacht Rock Night and Previous Successes
Her success on Tuesday follows an impressive showing during week three of the competition, when Higgins wowed the judges during the show's Yacht Rock Night theme.
Dancing alongside the 40 year old Ballas, Higgins performed a Quickstep set to Turn Your Love Around by George Benson. Her elegant performance prompted onlookers to hail her as an international treasure.
Higgins appeared in her element during the routine, wearing a plunging white dress embellished with silver sparkles along the neckline, complemented by long evening gloves and slicked back Hollywood waves. The performance led viewers and commentators to tip her for a place in the final.
Ciara Miller Eliminated as Show Progresses
While Higgins celebrated her top score, the episode marked the end of the road for Summer House star Ciara Miller. Miller and her professional dance partner Brian Armstrong were eliminated at the end of Tuesday's broadcast after opening the show with an energetic jazz routine.
Higgins first rose to international prominence in 2019 when she appeared on the fifth series of the British reality dating show Love Island. Since her television debut, the Irish personality has established herself as a fashion influencer, media host, and founder of the activewear brand Reale Actives.
Dancing With The Stars is a long running American reality television show broadcast on ABC and Disney+, where public figures partner with elite ballroom dancers to perform weekly routine styles. Ballas is a veteran professional dancer on the show who has won the mirrorball trophy on multiple occasions.
Earle is a popular American social media personality and podcast host who previously reached the finals of Dancing With The Stars. Miller is a reality television personality best known for starring in the Bravo series Summer House, which follows a group of friends sharing a summer residence in Montauk, New York.
