Maura Higgins’ new Dancing With the Stars partnership has been framed as both a strong competitive match and a resolution to her stated wish to avoid one particular professional dancer. Mark Ballas’ experience offers a contrast to the recent personal friction surrounding Gleb Savchenko.

The pairing, announced on Good Morning America, puts Higgins alongside a three-time winner of the US competition and the son of Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas. For Higgins, who previously competed on Dancing on Ice, the assignment marks another prominent step in a career increasingly focused on American television.

Right-wing coverage emphasises Ballas’ credentials: he has appeared on Dancing With the Stars for nearly two decades, won the series three times and was trained by his mother, Shirley Ballas. It also presents Higgins as gaining momentum in the US after appearing on The Traitors and hosting Love Island USA spin-off After Sun.¹

The contrast lies in how the announcement closes a previous dispute. Before the partners were revealed, Higgins told StyleCaster she was willing to dance with “anyone but Gleb.”¹ Savchenko responded that he had not heard of the former Love Island contestant and described the comment as “disappointing.”¹

The reported disagreement followed Savchenko’s bitter break-up with model Brooks Nader, though the partnership announcement itself centres on the show’s competitive format rather than that episode. With Ballas, Higgins is paired with an established ballroom performer; with Savchenko, the story had been defined by an exchange neither appeared eager to extend.¹