Maura Higgins’ exes are set to cash in on her I’m A Celeb success – as THREE lovers past and present appear on hit shows all at once

Maura Higgins made serious waves when she burst into the Love Island villa in 2019 and cemented herself as reality TV royalty.

The Irish beauty’s rise saw her compete on I’m A Celeb last year, where she won the hearts of the nation – and also caught the attention of TV bosses.

Her time in the jungle coincided with TOWIE star Pete Wicks’ Strictly Come Dancing stint – as rumors of a romance between the pair swirled.

Maura didn’t shy away from talking about Pete on the ITV show and it’s even suggested the pair spent their first Christmas together.

But as they look set to become Britain’s next TV power couple, Maura’s ex-boyfriends could be hot on her heels and ready to take center stage.

With Curtis Pritchard returning to screens next week for Love Island: All Stars and Chris Taylor hitting the rink on Dancing On Ice – has Maura’s stardom helped her exes to primetime success?

Curtis Pritchard (2019-2020)

Maura, 34, and professional dancer Curtis, 28, first met on the fifth series of the original Love Island in 2019, where they ultimately finished in fourth place together.

Despite their initial spark, the romance fizzled out and they split just eight months later, amid rumors of infidelity on both sides – accusations they have both denied.

Curtis has enjoyed several TV appearances over the years, including as a guest choreographer on Drag Race UK, starring in a docuseries called The Boxer and The Ballroom Dancer with Tommy Fury, as a receptionist on BBC’s The Greatest Dancer and in the competition The challenge Britain.

And he will now return to UK screens next week in series two Love Island All Stars.

But his foray into acting was not that successful then, iIn 2021, he and his brother AJ played twins Marco and Jacob in Hollyoaks.

In February that year, it was announced that the brothers would join the cast of Hollyoaks as twins who would help open a dance school on the soap.

Their scenes quickly went viral due to their ‘wooden’ acting. IIn particular, Curtis’ rendition of the line “How’s Trish?” mocked by viewers who were unsure whether the brothers were planning to kill off longtime character Trish Minniver or throw her a surprise party.

Maura is said to be ‘concerned’ that her Curtis could reveal secrets about their past relationship during his appearance on the upcoming Love Island All Stars.

A source said The sun: ‘Signing Curtis for All Stars is beyond awkward for Maura, just as she fell for Pete and they finally made their love public.

‘Her breakup with Curtis wasn’t the best and Maura was always worried he would be the ex who could talk.

‘It’s also not ideal as she hopes to build on her I’m A Celebrity profile and progress her career.

‘Love Island bosses are in the process of confirming the Islanders who will launch the January show and Curtis may not make that line-up, but he is in the cast of bangers who will land later in the series.’

Maura explained on social media at the time that their split had been a joint decision by the couple to separate.

She said: “Curtis and I have made the decision to part ways. We enjoyed a wonderful experience during our time at the villa and would like to thank everyone for supporting our relationship.

‘There is no easy way to get through a breakup and no bad feelings on either side. We tried to make it work, but it wasn’t to be, and I wish Curtis nothing but the best for the future.”

Chris Taylor (2020-2021)

Maura and Chris met on the 2019 series of Love Island but didn’t get together in the villa due to the Irish beauty’s romance with Curtis.

Their friendship blossomed in the months after Maura split from the dancer – and the duo went public with their romance in November 2021 after months of secrecy.

But Maura and Chris split just six months later in May 2021, saying they were better as friends.

Although Chris hasn’t gone public with a girlfriend since Maura, the star’s career has gone from strength to strength, even landing a role in the 2023 Barbie movie thanks to Oscar winner Margot Robbie’s fascination with Love Island.

The TikTok star played one of several Kens alongside the likes of Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa and Simu Liu, as well as Ryan Gosling in the lead role.

Margot, who hosted a Love Island themed party to celebrate turning 30, met Chris at a film premiere after party where the two got to know each other better and she expressed her love for the show.

A year later, Chris was contacted for a role in Barbie and later to attend the star-studded European premiere in London with A-list guests including Dua Lipa, America Ferrera and Sam Smith.

As well as his blockbuster film, Chris has also made regular TV appearances in the years since he met Maura on the ITV dating show.

Just months after leaving the villa, Chris starred in a special Love Island episode of Supermarket Sweep, and the following year he starred in Dinner Date.

Also in 2020, Chris starred in the MTV series Living The Dream, which focused on the reality star and his Love Island co-stars Michael Griffiths, Danny Williams and Jordan Hames moving in together.

In the months following his Barbie cameo, Chris returned to screens in the first series of Love Island All Stars in January 2024. That summer he joined Celebs Go Dating in yet another search for love.

And after a break for the past six months, Chris will return to primetime TV to take part in this year’s series of Dancing On Ice.

Announcing her split from Chris in May 2021, the Irish beauty wrote: ‘It breaks my heart to even type this but I just wanted to let everyone know that me and Chris have made the mutual decision to end our relationship…

“There has been no wrongdoing on either side… we still love each other, care about each other and respect each other deeply.

‘From the moment we met we have been very good friends and that will never change. There are no regrets, life is about taking risks.

“We wanted to make this work, but we’ve realized we work better as friends. While I appreciate people speculating or creating false stories, this is the truth.

“I wish Chris nothing but the best and I will always be one of his biggest supporters. Thank you for all the love and support.”

Pete Wicks (2024–present)

Maura and Pete Wicks were the talk of TV before Christmas when rumors of a romance between them started doing the rounds – while she was on I’m A Celeb and he was on Strictly.

The pair have become something of a powerhouse after Maura’s I’m A Celeb performance received rave reviews and Pete’s huge fanbase took him to the semi-finals of Strictly.

The Irish star may have met her match in Pete, who, like her, has a thriving career.

Pete’s TV career began in 2015 when he joined the cast of The Only Way Is Essex, and he became a frontrunner storyline-wise as a result of his relationship with Megan Mckenna.

His foray into other reality TV shows came three years later when he joined as a contestant on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls in 2018, followed by slots on Celebrity MasterChef, The Celebrity Circle and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, among others. as seen three times on Celeb’s Go Dating.

And Pete has also been co-hosting the podcast Staying Relevant since 2022 with his best friend Sam Thompson, who joined him on tour last year.

The reality star is also currently starring in his own show, Pete Wicks: For Dog’s Sake.

Pete and Maura were first linked in August and seemingly confirmed their relationship in October when they packed on the PDA during a date in London.

But when Pete started Strictly and met his dance partner Jowita Przystal, Maura reportedly gave up all hope of the relationship lasting.

And when she was interviewed before joining I’m A Celeb, she left Pete heartbroken when she declared she was single.

However, Pete continued to show public support for Maura during her jungle stint, as she opened up more and more about their connection during the ITV show.

While leaving the jungle, Maura spoke about her romance with Pete on the Coming Out show, which follows this year’s stars in their first moments after leaving the Jungle.

Not long after leaving camp, Maura wasted no time in questioning her friend Talia about what Pete was up to, asking, “Is Pete still on the show?”

In the car she says: ‘If you miss someone, you miss someone and that comes out. And I do too, I miss him. Yes, I really miss him.’

The pair quickly reunited when Maura returned to Britain, and were later rumored to have spent Christmas together.

Pete and Maura left fans speculating that they spent Christmas together after the new couple posted photos in what appeared to be the same pub.

The former Love Islander and podcaster were also seen beaming as they loaded luggage into a car together a few days earlier, in preparation for a festive outing.