Irish television personality Maura Higgins has officially returned to rehearsals for Dancing With the Stars after suffering a painful neck injury during grueling training sessions. The 35-year-old reality star was spotted heading back to the studio on Friday, putting on a brave face as she prepares to continue her journey on the hit US dance competition alongside professional partner Mark Ballas.
Concerns for Higgins emerged during Tuesday night’s broadcast, which revealed dramatic footage of the star collapsing to the floor in agony. While practicing a tango to Rihanna’s “Only Girl (In the World)” for the show’s Super Bowl Night, Higgins was seen wincing, grabbing her neck, and crying out before falling to the ground. Both Ballas and a show medic immediately rushed to her side to assist her.
Pushing Through the Pain on the Dancefloor
Speaking to the cameras during the episode, Higgins admitted that the physical discomfort had been building up over several weeks. “I’ve been having this like twinge in the left side of my neck,” she explained, noting that she genuinely felt the issue was getting worse and feared it might jeopardize her live performances.
Despite the frightening setback, Higgins pushed through the pain to deliver a stellar routine during the live show. Her tango earned a fantastic score of 33 out of 40, placing her second on the leaderboard alongside Ballas. The judges showered her with praise, though they also offered constructive criticism regarding her posture.
Judges’ Feedback and Medical Updates
Judge Bruno Tonioli described the routine as “thrilling from start to finish” and praised Higgins as “supremely elegant.” Meanwhile, fellow judge Derek Hough commended the overall elegance of the performance but pointed out a minor technical error related to her injury. “Your neck, your head in the contra check, it went too far back and it broke the line of the spine,” Hough noted.
Following her performance, Higgins shared an update on her condition with co-host Julianne Hough, expressing gratitude toward the show’s physiotherapist, Dr. Gina Minchella. “My neck is-you know, it’s been playing up for weeks and it just seems to be getting worse, but good on Gina; [she] took a look at me. Her and her magic hands,” Higgins said. “I’m just trying to do my stretches and trying to take care of it, but yeah, it’s just something that I’m gonna have to deal with.”
High Stakes in the Competition
Super Bowl Night proved to be a fiercely competitive episode. While Higgins and Ballas secured second place with their 33 points, they shared the leaderboard with Paralympian Ezra Frech and professional partner Daniella Karagach. Meanwhile, Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy claimed the top spot of the evening, earning a new season-high score with their paso doble to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”
As the competition intensifies, fans are watching closely to see how Higgins manages her physical health alongside the demanding rehearsal schedule required to maintain her front-runner status.
