“Dancing With the Stars” season 35 has found its first competitors. “Love Island” star Maura Higgins and “Summer House” star Ciara Miller will join the ballroom in the fall.
The full cast list won’t be out for several more months, but Maura Higgins has already started fantasizing about her perfect dance partner.
Maura Higgins Boldly Declares She Wants to Partner With Mark Ballas
“Dancing With the Stars” pro Mark Ballas met Maura Higgins while filming “The Traitors” season 4. Mark was “murdered” in the season finale while Maura went on to finish in second place. They formed a unique bond, and Maura would love to see that carry over into DWTS this fall.
“The people (Maura and I) have decided: this is the pairing! Above, #MauraHiggins tells Bustle she wants her fellow #Traitors co-star #MarkBallas as her partner on the upcoming season of #DWTS,” the official Bustle Instagram account shared.
“Mark. I want Mark as my partner,” the 35-year-old firmly declared in the Instagram video. “I’m gonna be happy you know with… Well I won’t say anyone. But I’m not gonna be upset if I get ‘not Mark.’ But Mark would be perfect.”
“That’s the dream because we both already have that like, brother sister relationship. We have a lot of fun together,” the Irish reality star continued. “We would just have such a laugh and I feel like Mark understands me. Like, if he knows I’m getting in my head, he’d be like able to get me out of it. It makes sense right? I don’t feel like that’s really a leg up. We did one show together and I’ve never danced so it’s gonna be hard work either way.”
In the comments, fans readily agreed.
“It has to be Mark!!!!🔥” one Instagram user noted. Plenty of others added they wanted them to be partners just so they could hear Maura say his name in her accent.
The Irish Model Recalls Being Overcome With Joy Over Landing a Role on DWTS
In another Instagram video, Maura recalls the moment she learned that she would be part of the upcoming “Dancing With the Stars” season. Her agent called while she was in the middle of the airport, and she completely froze amid the hustle and bustle. Maura burst into tears with excitement over the news.
The Irish model went on to say that she really only ever wanted to compete on “The Traitors” and DWTS. After this fall, she might take a step back from reality competition shows. Dancing with her friend Mark Ballas would be an excellent way to end her reality TV career.
Mark Ballas hasn’t publicly stated if he plans to return for another season of “Dancing With the Stars.” He previously said he wanted to retire after winning season 31 with influencer Charli D’Amelio. After stepping away for a few seasons, he returned to compete with reality star Whitney Leavitt for season 34.
It’s entirely possible Mark would come back if Maura Higgins specifically requested him as her partner.
Fans can expect “Dancing With the Stars” to premiere on ABC sometime this fall.
