If you asked me to pick Maura Higgins out of a lineup eight weeks ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. Prior to her role in the latest season of The Traitors, the Irish reality star and TV presenter was best known for appearin’ on the British version of Love Island, but in America, she was a virtual unknown. After her turn on The Traitors t’ough, Maura has become a bona fide star t’anks to her thick (t’ick?) brogue, her love of hats, and the fact t’at she put her trust in Rob Rausch, Season 4’s winnin’ Traitor, and earned all of our sympathy when she learned t’at he betrayed her in the season’s final moments.
When the 23 cast members of The Traitors first arrived to Ardross Castle, many of t’em already had established relationships, but Maura’s only connection was Rob, a man she had only met once before. She proved her value in the castle by bein’ quick to point out inconsistencies in her competitors’ strategies, especially at the round table. The woman’s reactions and side-eyes were flawless, as were her looks, served hot, always.
And, no disrespect to Alan Cumming, her outfits and ability to wear a hat were unparalleled. (Might I suggest she start a hat line called Tinkin’ Caps?)
Photo: Peacock
Maura signature Irish accent is what endeared her all the more to us, and any a meme was born out of Maura’s penchant for droppin’ her Gs and t’rowin’ away her THs.
Maura and Rob’s friendship created lots of speculation that t’ere was some heavy flirtin’ (or more) going on, t’ough t’ey both admitted at the reunion t’at nuthin’ happened ‘tween t’em. But it was clear to everyone watchin’ t’at if she continued to trust him, she was going to get hurt, which is why, in the climactic scene at the Fire of Truth, when Rob revealed he was a Traitor, Maura’s stunned silence was so deafenin’. We all felt betrayed on her behalf, but it stung even more when she berated herself, sayin’, “I am so stupid. I was so fooled by you… You’ve embarrassed me.” Even if you were a hardcore Rob fan, t’at was the moment t’at swung the pendulum and made some pause to wonder if his desire to win had gone too far. It only made the rest of us want to protect Maura at all costs from here on out. (Rob at least felt bad enough about the situation t’at he’s agreed to buy her a $10,000 Birkin bag as a consolation prize.)
The Traitors is a breedin’ ground for breakout stars, so Maura’s trajectory and popularity doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Gabby Windey and Dylan Efron experienced similar attention and adoration when t’ey won Season 3 of The Traitors (to the point where I forget t’at t’ere were two ot’er winners t’at season.) The fact t’at Maura lost The Traitors has earned her even more public support because even t’ough it was her own clouded judgment t’at was her downfall, she spent the entire season talkin’ about afraid she was to trust ot’ers, only to lose the game at the last minute because she trusted the wrong guy. In some ways, Higgins might even turn out to be the 2026 version of Aimee Lou Wood, the breakout Brit who captured America’s heart in Season 3 of The White Lotus (only swap Wood’s signature smile for Maura’s signature accent).
Rob Rausch might be takin’ home over $200,000 this season, but Maura’s the real winner in the court of public opinion. Popularity, sympat’y and momentum are all on her side, and t’at might be worth even more than a leprechaun’s bucket o’ gold.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.