Seven years after finishing fourth on Love Island Series 5, Maura Higgins has quietly built one of the most durable post-reality TV careers in British and Irish entertainment. The Irish model and presenter has hosted multiple major ITV2 productions, survived I’m A Celebrity, competed on The Traitors US, and landed a six-figure Victoria’s Secret deal in 2026. Her estimated net worth of £4 million in 2026 is a testament to strategic career management — and to the enduring appeal of someone who refuses to dim her personality for anyone.
| Full Name | Maura Higgins |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 16 January 1990 |
| Age | 36 years old (2026) |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Profession | TV Presenter, Model, Reality TV Personality |
| Net Worth | £4 Million (2026) |
| Partner | Single (2026) |
| Known For | Love Island 2019, Love Island USA/Games Aftersun host, Glow Up, The Traitors US runner-up |
Frequently Asked Questions About Maura Higgins
What is Maura Higgins’ net worth in 2026?
Maura Higgins’ net worth is estimated at £4 million in 2026. Her earnings come from a diverse range of sources: TV presenting roles (Love Island USA Aftersun, Love Island Games Aftersun, Glow Up), brand endorsements including a six-figure Victoria’s Secret deal signed in February 2026, her Primark eyelash line, MAC Cosmetics partnership, and appearance fees from shows including I’m A Celebrity (2024) and The Traitors US (2026).
What has Maura Higgins done since Love Island?
Since finishing fourth on Love Island Series 5 in 2019, Maura Higgins has had one of the most active post-Love Island careers of any contestant. She has hosted Love Island USA: Aftersun and Love Island Games: Aftersun for ITV2/streaming platforms, judged on BBC Three’s Glow Up, competed on Dancing on Ice, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! (2024), and The Traitors US (2026) where she finished as runner-up. She has also hosted her own segment on Dancing with the Stars (Ireland/US) in 2026.
Is Maura Higgins Irish or British?
Maura Higgins is Irish. She was born and raised in Longford, County Longford, Ireland. She moved to the UK as a model before appearing on Love Island and has been based between London and Ireland since her TV career took off. She regularly represents Irish pride in interviews and is considered one of Ireland’s most successful Love Island exports.
What brands does Maura Higgins work with in 2026?
Maura’s most significant brand partnership in 2026 is a six-figure deal with Victoria’s Secret, signed in February 2026. She also maintains her Primark eyelash line — one of her most long-running partnerships — and is a face of MAC Cosmetics in Ireland and the UK. Previous notable brand deals include Ann Summers and various fashion retailers who have collaborated with her over the years.
Was Maura Higgins on I’m A Celebrity 2024?
Yes, Maura Higgins appeared on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2024. The appearance represented a significant TV profile boost, introducing her to the show’s broad mainstream audience — which skews older and more diverse than Love Island’s viewership. While she didn’t win, she was well-received by viewers and the appearance generated renewed brand partner interest in the months following.
How did Maura Higgins do on The Traitors US?
Maura Higgins competed on The Traitors US in 2026 and finished as runner-up — an impressive result for a non-American celebrity in an American-produced series with predominantly US cast members. The show is filmed in Scotland but broadcast on Peacock to American audiences. Her performance demonstrated the strategic intelligence she has shown throughout her post-Love Island career: she consistently reads rooms and adapts to competitive environments.
What is Maura Higgins’ Primark eyelash line?
Maura Higgins has had an ongoing eyelash product line at Primark for several years — one of her most commercially consistent brand partnerships. The products sit in Primark’s beauty section alongside other celebrity collaborations and are popular with Primark’s core demographic of value-conscious beauty shoppers. The deal provides steady income outside of TV appearance fees and higher-profile endorsements.
Is Maura Higgins in a relationship in 2026?
As of 2026, Maura Higgins appears to be single. Her dating history post-Love Island has included relationships with Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice (2020–2021) and a brief period linked to other public figures. She has spoken in interviews about being selective with relationships and prioritising her career. Her Victoria’s Secret campaign and Traitors US appearances have kept her firmly in the public eye without requiring a relationship as a narrative driver.
Net Worth Breakdown
| Income Source | Estimated Amount | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV Presenting (Love Island USA/Games Aftersun, Glow Up) | £400K–600K/year | Annual (personal) | Multi-series hosting contracts; steady ITV2/streaming income |
| Victoria’s Secret Brand Deal (2026) | £150K–250K | One-time (personal) | Six-figure deal confirmed in press, Feb 2026 |
| MAC Cosmetics Partnership | £100K–150K/year | Annual (personal) | Ongoing ambassador role for Ireland and UK markets |
| Primark Eyelash Line | £80K–120K/year | Annual (personal) | Royalties + licensing; consistent multi-year partnership |
| Reality TV Appearances (I’m A Celeb, Traitors US, Dancing on Ice) | £300K–500K | Cumulative | Appearance fees across 2023–2026 productions |
| Instagram Sponsorships | £150K–200K/year | Annual (personal) | 3.3M+ followers; selective brand campaigns |
| Estimated Total Net Worth | £4 Million (2026) | ||
Career Overview
Maura Higgins entered the professional world as a model in Ireland before moving to London to pursue a wider career. She built a steady modelling career over several years before Love Island gave her a national platform. Her arrival on Love Island Series 5 in 2019 — as a bombshell late entry — immediately changed the dynamic of the series. Her unapologetic confidence, witty one-liners and fearless approach to the villa’s social politics made her a fan favourite despite finishing fourth.
Her post-Love Island career has been distinguished by genuine presenting ability. Unlike many reality TV alumni who struggle to transition into professional TV roles, Maura demonstrated on-screen chemistry and professional competence that led ITV2 to cast her as host of Love Island USA: Aftersun and Love Island Games: Aftersun. These were substantial professional engagements, not celebrity cameos — they required her to interview contestants, manage live TV discussions, and anchor hour-long broadcast programmes.
Her Glow Up judging role on BBC Three added a further dimension: editorial credibility beyond the reality TV world. Glow Up is a prestige beauty competition series with a serious craft focus. Being cast as a judge represented a genuine expansion of her professional portfolio.
The 2024–2026 period has seen her pivot toward international TV — first with I’m A Celebrity in the UK, then The Traitors US. Her runner-up finish on the American show is likely to generate further US casting interest, potentially positioning her for a longer-term transatlantic career trajectory.
Early Life
Maura Higgins was born on 16 January 1990 in Longford, County Longford, a rural town in the Irish Midlands. She grew up in a farming community, which she has spoken about with pride — her down-to-earth, no-nonsense personality is widely attributed to her rural Irish upbringing. She pursued modelling from a young age, eventually moving to London to develop her career in a larger market.
Before Love Island, she was known primarily within the modelling and influencer community in Ireland. Her Love Island appearance transformed her from a moderately followed social media figure into one of Ireland’s most recognised TV personalities — a transformation that happened rapidly and, by her own account, required significant adjustment.
Why Maura Higgins Is Different from Most Love Island Alumni
The typical Love Island career arc peaks at 12–18 months post-show and then declines sharply as the next series delivers a fresh batch of influencers. Maura Higgins has defied this pattern almost entirely. The key differentiator is professional television skill: she genuinely knows how to present live TV, conduct interviews, and hold a studio audience’s attention — skills that require training and experience, not just a social media following.
Her presenting career has grown more valuable with each passing year, because TV production companies cannot simply replace her with a newer face. A Love Island contestant with Instagram reach is interchangeable; a competent, proven live TV presenter with 3 million followers is not. This distinction has given Maura leverage that most reality TV alumni never achieve.
The Victoria’s Secret deal in 2026 is indicative of her trajectory: VS doesn’t sign struggling or declining personalities. The brand researches its ambassador choices carefully and invests in faces with broad aspirational appeal. Maura signing with Victoria’s Secret at 36 — later in a career cycle when most reality TV stars have faded — suggests her commercial value is still rising, not declining.
Little-Known Facts
- Maura grew up in Longford, a small town in rural Ireland — about as far from the glam of Love Island as it’s possible to get.
- She originally went on Love Island for reasons beyond romance, as she has revealed in interviews — partly as a career move and partly to prove a personal point to herself.
- Her eyelash collaboration with Primark was one of the first celebrity beauty deals Primark signed with a Love Island alumna.
- She is one of only two Love Island UK Series 5 contestants to have appeared on American television (alongside Tommy Fury on the boxing circuit).
- Her runner-up finish on The Traitors US in 2026 makes her one of the highest-placing non-American contestants in the show’s American franchise history.