THEY WANT MAURA
Who is Maura Higgins dating?
Plus find out why Maura and Giovanni Pernice split up
EVER since Maura Higgins burst onto the scene back in 2019 as a sassy bikini clad babe on Love Island she has been one in demand lady.
The Irish beauty has become a sought after lingerie model with men falling at her feet - including some very famous Towie stars.
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Who is Maura Higgins dating?
Love Island legend Maura Higgins is reportedly dating Towie and Strictly star Pete Wicks
In August 2024, the pair were spotted kissing at the Broadwick Soho Hotel.
An onlooker told The Sun, Pete came to join Maura at the posh five star hotel where she had been having lunch with friends.
They said: “Maura had been sitting on the terrace with friends for an hour before Pete arrived.
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“After they’d sat there for a while Maura went in for a long kiss with Pete. It wasn’t the kind of kiss you’d give a friend, it was very passionate.
“Maura and Pete seemed to be really into each other and kept looking into each other’s eyes before kissing again a number of times.
“When it got dark they moved into the hotel’s Flute bar and Pete sat with his arm around Maura all evening.
“They were all over each other. They looked totally in love and weren’t trying to hide it from anyone.”
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What is Maura Higgins' dating history?
Bobby Holland Hanton - 2023 to 2024
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Maura started dating American stuntman beau Bobby Holland Hanton in summer 2023.
Sadly, the couple split in March 2024.
Watch sweet moment Pete Wicks first wooed Maura Higgins nearly ONE year ago on glam night out
Insiders said Maura realised there was no future for them as a couple, and that she had no regrets.
A source told The Sun: "It was really fun for a while.
"But they're different people. It's over between them."
Joey Essex - 2022
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In October 2022, Maura was linked to Towie star Joey Essex.
The pair were pictured snogging at a booze-fuelled Pride of Britain Awards.
According to sources, they "spent the night together" and "chatted into the early hours of the morning".
Maura reportedly made the first move on Joey.
A friend told us at the time: “They’ve met before on the celebrity party circuit but Monday was the first time things have turned flirty.
“They were flirting like crazy and all over each other. Eventually, Maura just grabbed Joey’s tie and pulled him in for a kiss, right in front of everyone. He loved it.”
Giovanni Pernice - 2021
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Maura and Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice teased their romance for weeks before confirming they were an item in July 2021.
Their relationship appeared to go from nought to 100 - with sources telling The Sun: “Giovanni has never felt like this about anyone before."
There's been rumours he was planning to propose, as the pair told friends they'd found "the one".
But their relationship hit the rocks days after moving in together just four months after they started dating.
By October 2021 they revealed they had split.
Giovanni has since left Strictly after coming under fire from his 2023 celebrity dance partner Amanda Abbington.
Chris Taylor - 2020 to 2021
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Maura confirmed her relationship with her fellow Love Island star Chris Taylor with an intimate snap in November 2020.
The reality stars headed to Instagram to confirm the news with their millions of followers with a photo of them leaning in for a kiss.
Chris told his following he'd "fallen in love with his best mate" alongside the snap, which saw him wrap his arms around Maura.
"Turns out I fell in love with my best mate," he wrote alongisde a black heart emoji, while Maura posted the photo with the caption: "He's mine."
The pair had been friends since their time in the ITV2 villa - but fans had always speculated there was something more between them.
Speculation began to grow in May 2020, but Maura had always denied any romance rumours until they were seen holidaying together in Dubai.
But after just a few months together, the couple called time on their relationship and announced they had split up.
Maura insisted that the pair would remain friends and that they still "loved, cared and respected each other deeply."
Curtis Pritchard - 2019 to 2020
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Maura became a household name when she appeared on Love Island, and she famously coupled up with Curtis Pritchard.
The couple continued their romance once the show was over in July 2019.
However it was revealed that they had split but split in March 2020 after a series of blazing rows and public bust-ups.
There were also accusations of cheating.
James Finnegan 2007 until 2016
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Before entering the Love Island villa, Maura was in a nine-year relationship with her car salesman ex James Finnegan, who set mat at school.
The pair were engaged in 2012 - but it wasn't meant to be and their romance fizzled out four years later before her TV appearance.
A source said: "She stayed with James as she got bigger and better at modelling and she did try to make it work.
"James was her first love and her anchor for a while but their relationship was bound to suffer as she travelled more and followed her dreams.
"He didn't want to split and was left drowning his sorrows. It will break his heart seeing her on Love Island, they'd been together since school. But they are good people and will always be on good terms."
What has Maura Higgins said about dating?
Maura told The Sun that she "falls in love easily".
READ MORE SUN STORIES
However she did reveal the secret to her success: “I’ve always been very, very confident.
“Every boy that I wanted at school, I got. I’ve never struggled with boys.”
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