Maura Higgins’ new backstage drama on US Strictly revealed as she’s branded ‘ruthless and desperate’ behind the scenes

SHE has fast become one of America’s hottest new stars after landing a string of top US-based shows. But the shiny exterior of Maura Higgins’ stateside success could be about to unravel as her past scandals are exposed across the pond. As she prepares to make her debut on the US version of Strictly, Maura, 35, is said to have earned herself a reputation as “ruthless and desperate” by the furious partners of the male show pros, who have only just learned of her kiss with married McFly star Danny Jones. Maura Higgins has already begun to stir up trouble on the US version of Strictly Credit: Getty The glam star is the talk of the town Credit: Getty Landing a spot on hugely popular Dancing With The Stars – where she is partnered with Shirley Ballas’ son Mark and is expected to be paid £280,000 – should be a career high for the Irish diva who shot to fame on Love Island six years ago. And her American takeover is set to continue, as shortly after her role on the dance contest was confirmed, she was announced as the new host of the US reboot of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. Despite being a ratings juggernaut in the UK, the US version has failed to take off, and streaming site Peacock – home of The Traitors in America where Maura has also appeared – will be hoping she can be the jewel in the crown that finally makes it a success. However, all that could all be derailed thanks to the backstage gossip emerging on Dancing With The Stars. We’ve been told many of the cast have only just learned of Maura’s infamous kiss with married boyband star Danny at the Brit Awards in 2024 – and it’s not left a good impression. Our insider told us: “Maura has already become very unpopular behind the scenes. Her impending Dancing with the Stars stint could spell trouble Credit: @dancingwiththestars / instagram She is currently in rehearsals for the show Credit: @markballas / instagram US Tv execs have been obsessed with Maura since The Traitors Credit: Getty She will then host I’m A Celeb in the USA – but the roles could come under fire Credit: Rex “The wives and partners of some of the cast and pro dancers are absolutely terrified of her, they see her as ruthless and desperate. “They only just found out about the Danny Jones situation when the Dancing With The Stars line-up was announced and they started Googling Maura. “They were sending it around their group chats saying, ‘OMG, have you seen this?’ It’s caused a real stir. “There’s already a feeling among some of them that they don’t want to see Maura win and they’ve vowed to do everything they can to stop that happening.” But while some of the cast may have already made up their minds about Maura, our insider says she’s determined to win them – and America – over. “Maura desperately wants people to love her,” we are told. “She’s worked incredibly hard to put the Danny situation behind her and rebuild her image, and now she’s finally cracked America, something very few people manage to do. “She absolutely does not want anything to derail that. “She’s pulling out all the stops to make people fall in love with her and prove that the Danny situation is firmly in the past.” However, she might need to work a little harder. Maura is now being branded ‘ruthless and desperate’ Credit: Instagram Some of her comments have not gone down well Credit: Getty As her role was announced, Maura was embroiled in a spat with pro dancer Gleb Savchenko, the ex of her close pal, model Brooks Nader, 29, which led to some branding her “a mean girl.” Brooks and Gleb were paired together on the 2024 season and began dating behind the scenes, but their romance was on and off after they left the show. In April 2025, Brooks called time on the relationship for good, branding it a “disaster” and alleging that Gleb had cheated on her – claims he has denied. So when Maura was asked who she wanted to be partnered with, she made her feelings clear, saying she would be “happy [to be partnered] with anyone but Gleb”. Throwing further shade at Gleb, she said in another interview: “I don’t really like the way he speaks about women.” Ultimately, Gleb was not included in the latest series. Her previous comments about Gleb are starting to come back on her Credit: Disney He has since left the programme Credit: Getty With old scandals and fresh spats, it’s unlikely Maura will be happy with how her second major US TV gig after The Traitors America is shaping up so far. It’s understood her future success Stateside is all riding on her doing well on the show – something that now appears to be under threat. Our source says: “Dancing With The Stars is a huge opportunity for her, but there’s even more riding on it because she’s going on to host I’m A Celebrity…US. “She needs the public to get behind her and the last thing she will want is old drama coming back to haunt her just as she’s making such a big breakthrough in America.” The Sun has contacted a rep for Maura for comment.