Maura Higgins Teases "Constant Mind Games" Filming The Traitors Season 4 (EXCLUSIVE)
After hosting Love Island: Aftersun for the second season of Love Island Games, Higgins will appear on the star-studded cast of Peacock's The Traitors in 2026.
As Host of Love Island: Aftersun, Maura Higgins is incredibly well-versed in the world of reality competition shows, and now she's spilling plenty of tea about the upcoming season of The Traitors.
The 34-year-old model and presenter recently teased Season 4 of The Traitors to NBC Insider. After all, Higgins was announced as apart of the all-star cast (which filmed earlier this year) scheduled to air in 2026. Fans will be happy to know that it will deliver all of its trademark hijinks once again — and so much more. Other celebs set to appear alongside Higgins include Bravo Real Housewives Candiace Dillard Bassett and Dorinda Medley, Travis Kelce's mother Donna Kelce, and Love Island USA Season 5's Rob Rausch.
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From being an Islander in Season 5 of Love Island UK to hosting Love Island: Aftersun for both Love Island USA and Love Island Games, Higgins has plenty of experience. But according to the star, her time on The Traitors stands out the most.
"As much as Love Island had its challenges, living in that environment, navigating relationships, and constantly being on camera, I think The Traitors was more demanding," Higgins confessed. "Love Island is light-hearted and playful in many ways, but The Traitors pushes you into a space where every move matters."
The two shows couldn't be more different, and Higgins went on to admit that the constant strategizing required while filming The Traitors led to many sleepless nights. Unlike Love Island, where securing a relationship is one of the smartest ways to make it through the competition, The Traitors requires next-level scheming to survive.
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"It's mentally exhausting and thrilling at the same time because you're second-guessing everything and everyone, questioning loyalties, and trying to stay one step ahead," she continued. "The intensity of the strategy literally kept me up at night as well as the suspense of not knowing who to trust. The constant mind games and backstabbing made it such a unique and challenging experience."
Maura Higgins compares Love Island to The Traitors
When asked whether she prefers the world of Love Island or The Traitors, Higgins couldn't pick a favorite.
"I don't prefer one to the other," she explained. "You have to approach these things with an open mindset. Love Island was my first ever TV gig, so that came with its own pressures but also a lack of expectations… I wanted to see how far I could push myself on a show that is totally different from everything else I have done before, and The Traitors was a whole new thing for me."
However, Higgins has a preference for one of the series' shooting locations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she has an opinion on whether she enjoys filming in beautiful Fiji or in an old castle in Scotland.
"If you're asking me which climate I prefer — not Scotland!" she quipped.
Reporting by Stephanie Gomulka.
