The Traitors Star Maura Higgins Reveals She Has Been Celibate For A Full Year And Explains The Reason Why

Maura Higgins came very close to winning season four of The Traitors. However, falling just short of the win is far from the only moment in her life where betrayal has played a role.

Higgins first became widely known after appearing on the fifth season of ITV’s Love Island. She made it all the way to the final of the dating show and quickly became one of the most memorable contestants, largely because of her bold personality and her now famous comments about having “fanny flutters.”

Since that appearance, her career has continued to grow. She later competed on Dancing on Ice, moved into television presenting, and most recently joined the cast of the fourth season of The Traitors, where she once again became a standout figure among viewers.

The deception and mind games that come with The Traitors — especially when Higgins discovered that fellow finalist Rob Rausch had secretly been a traitor throughout the game — were not entirely new to her.

In fact, Higgins has admitted that she already finds it difficult to trust people, particularly when it comes to relationships with men.

In an interview with Elite Daily, Higgins explained that if she had not already been familiar with “that kind of guy,” the experience might have affected her much more strongly. She said she likely would have reacted by leaving the show upset, storming out of the castle, and refusing to speak to him again.

But that reaction never came, because she already had experience dealing with situations like that.

Maura Higgins appeared on season four of the US Traitors Euan Cherry/Peacock via Getty Images

Higgins admitted that she already struggles with serious trust issues. According to her, the reason behind that is that she has been cheated on by most of her former partners.

"That's the reason I've been celibate for a whole year," she explained.

Celibacy means choosing to abstain from sex for a period of time. Some people make that decision because of religious beliefs, while others choose it after difficult relationships as a way to focus on themselves and regain a sense of balance.

For some public figures, this approach has become a way to step back from dating after negative experiences. Higgins now appears to fall into that same category, choosing to focus on her own wellbeing rather than rushing into another relationship.

During her time on The Traitors, Higgins built a close bond with fellow contestant Rob Rausch. Their interactions did not go unnoticed by viewers watching the show.

However, the story took a twist when Rausch was revealed to be one of the traitors in the game. The betrayal was part of the show’s strategy and not something that carried into their real lives.

Despite some fans hoping their connection might turn romantic, Higgins made it clear that their relationship never moved beyond friendship.

Fortunately, their friendship survived the drama of the competition and continued after filming ended, since the deception was simply part of the rules of the show.

Higgins rose to fame on Love Island Ben Symons/Peacock via Getty Images

Higgins clarified the situation by saying: "He helped me so much throughout the show, in the missions and everything. But it was always just friendship."

"Even though in the castle, a lot of the cast were saying, 'Oh, you guys should get together.' It was never anything like that."

Even after the show ended, Rausch continued to show his support for her. In fact, he followed through on a playful promise he had made earlier about buying Higgins a gift after taking the top prize during the competition.

Higgins jokingly told him that she would accept nothing less than a Birkin bag as compensation. Rausch actually showed up with one, presenting a Hermès Togo Birkin 30 when the two appeared together on Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live.

The moment brought a lighthearted ending to the situation, and Higgins quickly responded with: "You're forgiven."