Maura Higgins’ incredible journey from fiery Love Island contestant to Hollywood darling as she bags an invite to the Golden Globes after string of successful TV stints

It’s hard to forget Maura Higgins’ iconic entrance to the Love Island villa back in 2019.

Strutting her stuff through the doors of the Mallorcan mansion in a figure-hugging white mini dress, the bombshell confidently called out: ‘Hi boys!’ in her thick Irish accent.

The Ballymahon native, 35, was an instant hit on the ITV2 dating show thanks to her fiery arguments, hilarious one liners and no-nonsense attitude towards the men in the villa.

What would follow is one of the most successful post Love Island careers of all time, perhaps only rivalled by her close pal Molly-Mae Hague.

Since being thrust into the spotlight on the show she has gone on to present Love Island USA: Aftersun, star on I’m A Celeb and most recently take part in The Traitors US.

And now odds have her at 2/1 to land a role in a major Hollywood movie.  

Her work in the US appears to have culminated with her bagging an invite to the prestigious Golden Globes in LA on Sunday night where she mixed with the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone. 

There she exuded the air of any other A-lister as she confidently walked the red carpet in an elegant black gown. 

Despite being surrounded by Hollywood stars, The Traitors US star Maura still found herself stopped for a photograph by one of the attendees – none other than Snoop Dogg. 

After mostly focusing on influencer and fashion work for the first few years after the show, in 2023, Maura jumped the Atlantic and became a social media presenter and guest hosted a challenge for Season 5 of Love Island USA. 

In October of the same year, she was made a social media presenter for Love Island Games. And in 2024, she became the host of Love Island: Aftersun. She also took part in Dancing On Ice in 2020.

This properly kickstarted her TV career after racking in the cash with clothing and makeup deals after leaving the villa.

Maura has been a regular feature of Love Island USA’s spin-off Aftersun and now gracing American screens again in the current series of The Traitors US. It will be available to watch in the UK later this year.

She finished in fourth place on Love Island UK season five alongside ex-boyfriend Curtis Pritchard in 2019. 

Her plans to crack America are obvious with the star signing with public relations agency, Align, which specialises in growing careers in the US, last year. 

The Daily Mail understands that Maura chose to sign with Align due to her growing work in the United States, including her appearance on The Traitors US. 

Maura also recently revealed that she has signed with a major US talent agency, Creative Artist Agency, whose glittering list of clients includes big names like Lady Gaga. 

It was revealed in June that Maura had been replaced as a host on Love Island USA’s Aftersun, with her decision to relinquish her role reportedly coming as she was unable to continue due to scheduling conflicts.

But the long-standing Love Island favourite insisted it was not the end of her affiliation with the show and she was named as the host of Love Island Games’s new Aftersun a few months later after she impressed bosses on the regular show.

Adding another string to her TV bow, she will battle it out to win a cash prize of $250,000 for her chosen charity after signing up for the second series of The Traitors US – which is airing now. 

And just last month it was reported Maura could be heading for Hollywood stardom after ‘impressing industry insiders’ with her acting debut in Irish comedy The Spin.

Maura, who plays Rose in the feel-good road movie, received glowing feedback following a film screening. She appears alongside Pussycat Dolls singer Kimberly Wyatt and actor Brencock O’Connor.

After the screening, a source told The Mirror: ‘Everyone was talking about Maura and how great she was. She can act and people were impressed. 

‘There were a lot of important people from the film in that room and conversations were taking place about what she does next.’ 

It was reported the conversations were with big US executives who were eager to find out Maura’s plans.

On Monday after the Golden Globes, Ladbrokes gave their odds at 2/1 for her to land a major Hollywood role. 

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes commented: ‘Maura Higgins is truly making her name global at the moment. 

‘She is grasping the limelight again and it looks like she may land in a Hollywood role at some stage soon.’ 

Just last week Maura celebrated her new US fame as she stepped out wearing tights embossed with the message ‘Mom, I am a rich man’.

The reality star has proven to be hit with fans in the states as she made her glamorous debut on The Traitors US.

And after sharing her plans to crack America, Maura enjoyed all her glory as she posed for pictures at the viewing party in West Hollywood with her co-stars.

Maura looked the ultimate It girl in her glamorous ensemble, which she teamed with towering black YSL court heels and a dramatic faux fur coat.

And her latest stint on The Traitors US is already looking like a success as fans heaped praise on the glamorous star.

Just one episode in, Maura has vowed to bring the drama with a ‘devious’ strategy to take down her co-stars one by one.   

Scottish actor Alan Cumming, who hosts the Peacock show, revealed Candiace Dillard Basset, Lisa Rinna and Rob Rausch as the season 4 Traitors.

Like the UK version, one secret Traitor is set to be revealed in episode three – with Maura, who has shared her hopes of being a traitor, secretly hoping it will be her.

Fans obsessed over the Irish influencer on X: ‘Maura Higgins is such a baddie’, ‘All in love with Maura Higgins’,

‘Maura higgins is serving face so hard she’s gorgeous #TheTraitorsUS’,

‘if natalie anderson and maura higgins don’t walk out of that castle locked arms with $250k in their pockets i don’t want it #TheTraitorsUS’.

Last summer Maura’s hard work since being on Love Island paid off as she finally fulfilled her life-long ‘dream’ as she was seen moving out of her humble home into her plush £1.25million mansion in Essex.

She always dreamed of making the big time – and thanks to Love Island – she has amassed an estimated £3.2million after breaking America with huge TV roles.

She always knew she wasn’t destined to stay in rural Ireland, marry her teenage boyfriend and open up a hair salon.

‘But that’s not what I wanted. That was not my dream. That was my father’s and boyfriend’s dream. I wanted to do more,’ Maura has previously declared.

The girl from remote County Longford splashed her hard-earned cash on a five-bedroom semi-detached house, Daily Mail revealed last year. 

Maura has been sharing glimpses of her new abode after finally moving in.

Last August after moving in she posted a picture of stunning black French doors looking on to a garden, with a huge bouquet of glowers in a vase, Ferrari sparkling wine and a Diptyque candle. 

‘After the busiest few months… she’s finally in,’ the former Love Island star captioned the snap.

Sharing another snap of the kitchen featuring her pal, celebrity hairdresser Carl Bembridge, she wrote: ‘No chairs yet but he always finds something to sit on.’ 

Her riches have allowed the presenter to upgrade from her previous one-bedroom property in Essex to one with an en-suite master bedroom with four further rooms.

Overjoyed, Maura shared to her Instagram followers a picture of her new kitchen with a chandelier and grey floors, which she bought in October, with the caption ‘Bought my dream house’.

An expansive kitchen, with an island, leads out past the dining area, out bi-folding doors to a large walled garden with a neat lawn.

Maura’s previous home was raided by three-masked men and so the Love Island star has ensured her new home was in a gated development which provides privacy and security.

Maura also gained yet more fans with her stint on I’m A Celeb in 2024.

Viewers loved her close friendship on the show with Reverend Richard Coles and she finished in seventh place.  

Maura showed off her jaw-dropping figure in an elegant black gown as she attended the 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. 

She made sure to turn heads in the off the shoulder figure hugging dress as she posed on the star-studded red carpet at The Beverly Hilton.

Adding to her sophisticated ensemble, Maura draped a dramatic crinkled gold shawl off her shoulders which cascaded behind her as she posed for photos. 

The reality star styled her bobbed brunette tresses in voluminous curls and accessorised with a dazzling diamond necklace. 

Elevating her frame in a pair of towering heels, the Irish model, who was overwhelmed with excitement to be attending the awards, completed her look with a glamorous palette of makeup. 

Maura looked thrilled to be rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities during the evening after proving to be a hit with fans in the States after she made her glamorous debut on The Traitors US this week.