Los Angeles has welcomed another familiar face from the world of reality television as Maura Higgins arrives in the city for one of the biggest opportunities of her career.
The Irish television personality, who first became widely known through Love Island UK before expanding her audience through appearances on The Traitors and other television projects, has made the move to Los Angeles as she prepares to compete on Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars.
For Higgins, the arrival marks more than another television appearance. It represents a new chapter in a career that has increasingly crossed from British and Irish entertainment into the American mainstream.
Higgins documented the journey to California through social media, giving followers a glimpse of the scale of the move. According to reports, she traveled with 10 bags as she headed from the United Kingdom to Los Angeles, making it clear that this was not simply a quick visit to Hollywood. Soon after arriving, she was already stepping into professional commitments and sharing a glimpse of her first days in the city.
Her message to followers was simple and fitting for the moment. Los Angeles represented the beginning of her Hollywood chapter.
The timing could hardly be bigger.
Higgins is among the first celebrities officially confirmed for Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars. ABC announced her participation alongside Summer House personality Ciara Miller during Hulu’s Get Real House event in April. The two were among the earliest names revealed for the upcoming season, placing Higgins at the center of anticipation surrounding the show’s return.
Other confirmed contestants include Savannah Bananas player and social media personality Jackson Olson and Jimmy Kimmel Live personality Guillermo Rodriguez. ABC says the complete lineup of celebrities and professional dancers is scheduled to be announced on Good Morning America on September 2.
Season 35 is expected to begin with a two night premiere starting September 15, bringing the ballroom competition back to television for another high profile season.
For Higgins, however, the weeks before opening night could prove just as important as the competition itself.
Dancing With the Stars requires celebrities to quickly adapt to an entirely different style of performance. Contestants spend long hours rehearsing, learning choreography and developing chemistry with their professional partners before performing live in front of judges and millions of viewers.
That challenge is part of what makes Higgins an intriguing addition to the cast.
Her public image has largely been built around personality rather than traditional performance training. Audiences have followed her because of her confidence, humor, directness and willingness to speak her mind. The ballroom will now ask her to translate that personality into movement and live performance.
Higgins has already indicated that she intends to take the opportunity seriously while still enjoying the experience. She has spoken publicly about wanting to work hard and give the competition her best effort rather than allowing the pressure to take away from the fun of participating.
That balance could become central to her journey.
Viewers of Dancing With the Stars have often connected most strongly with celebrities who visibly improve throughout the season rather than arriving as polished dancers. The rehearsal room becomes part of the story, with audiences watching contestants face difficult routines, uncomfortable styles and the pressure of performing live.
Higgins enters the competition with an established international following, but the show will introduce her to another enormous section of the American television audience.
Her recent career has already helped build that foundation.
After becoming a breakout personality on Love Island UK, Higgins continued appearing in television and entertainment projects and later reached new American viewers through The Traitors. ABC officially described her as a star of both The Traitors and Love Island when confirming her participation in the upcoming season.
Now Los Angeles becomes the setting for her next transformation.
The move also places Higgins directly inside the entertainment ecosystem surrounding the show. Between rehearsals, fittings, promotional appearances, photography sessions and live broadcasts, the coming weeks are likely to make Los Angeles a major part of her daily life.
Her arrival comes at a particularly interesting moment for Dancing With the Stars itself.
The competition enters Season 35 following a milestone twentieth anniversary season. According to ABC, Season 34 delivered the program’s strongest finale in a decade and generated 72 million votes during the finale alone. The network also reported nearly half a billion votes across the entire season.
That momentum means the newest cast will enter a ballroom with considerable attention already surrounding it.
For Los Angeles viewers, Higgins’ arrival also adds another recognizable celebrity to a city that often serves as the starting point for major career transitions.
Hollywood has always attracted performers looking for their next chapter, but Higgins arrives with something many newcomers spend years trying to build: an existing international audience.
The challenge now is turning that recognition into success on one of America’s most established entertainment programs.
There are still several unanswered questions ahead of opening night, including who will ultimately become Higgins’ professional dance partner. The official professional lineup has not yet been fully revealed, adding another layer of anticipation as September approaches.
Whoever stands beside her in the ballroom will have the responsibility of preparing Higgins for a competition that demands far more than personality alone.
Each week can require contestants to master a completely different dance style while responding to judging, audience voting and an increasingly demanding rehearsal schedule.
For Higgins, that process begins here in Los Angeles.
The glamorous photographs, red carpets and television appearances will undoubtedly be part of the experience, but behind them will be hours inside rehearsal studios across the city as she prepares for the moment the ballroom doors finally open.
Whether she becomes an early favorite, surprises viewers with her dancing ability or develops into one of the season’s biggest improvement stories remains to be seen.
What is already clear is that Maura Higgins is entering a significant new stage of her career.
From Ireland to British reality television and now to a major American network competition, her professional journey continues to expand.
And for this chapter, Los Angeles is officially home.
As Season 35 of Dancing With the Stars approaches, Higgins will be trading suitcases for dance shoes and preparing to show American audiences another side of herself.
Hollywood has welcomed Maura Higgins.
Now the ballroom awaits.
