Maura Higgins has ignited a feud on Dancing With The Stars before even stepping onto the dancefloor, after publicly slamming one of the professional dancers. The former Love Island star, who has become a hit in the United States, is set to join the show—the American equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing—in the coming months. However, she has made it abundantly clear which dancer she does not want as a partner.
Maura's Preferred Partners
During an interview, Maura expressed her desire to work with Mark Ballas or Val Chmerkovskiy, but firmly ruled out Gleb Savchenko. She stated: "To be honest, I'm okay to have anyone else—I just don't want Gleb. That's the main thing for me, you know?" When pressed for an explanation, she cited her close friendship with Brooks Nader, who had a tumultuous relationship with the dancer. "It's just because I get on with [Brooks], and that's that. I'm on Brooks' side. I'm a loyalist, okay," she added.
Background of the Feud
Brooks Nader and Gleb Savchenko partnered on the show in 2024 and began a relationship. After their messy breakup, Gleb made controversial comments, claiming their intimate life was "the worst sex of his life." He said: "When I dated her, it was pretty bad. Probably the worst sex of my life. She was so f***ed up. She wanted to make out with me, and I was like, 'That's not my vibe. She choked me, pushed me against the wall, chipped my tooth.'"
Brooks later shared her side on Olivia Attwood's podcast, branding him "bitter" and describing their relationship as "toxic." However, she had more positive remarks about their physical connection, stating: "We started being intimate on day one. Before Good Morning America, like the day I met him, the meet-and-greet. I was nearly divorced and so I was like—and I told them to give me the hottest, douchiest guy and they gave me Gleb. And I felt as though there was so much sexual tension on the first day we met that it would just get worse and worse and I just wanted to see what we were working with. It was great. My god. Dancers know how to move."
The couple dated on and off from October 2024, eventually splitting in April 2025 after allegations of cheating, which Gleb has denied. Maura's loyalty to her friend has now set the stage for potential drama on the dance floor.
