'Dancing With the Stars': Maura Higgins foxtrots to top of leaderboard with a Birkin in audience
Maura Higgins made her "Dancing with the Stars" debut Wednesday night in the ballroom, and danced her way to the top of the leaderboard.
"The Traitors" and "Love Island UK" star performed a foxtrot to "Black Velvet" with her pro dance partner and former "Traitors" co-star, Mark Ballas. The routine got rave reviews and positive feedback from the judges and earned them a score of 21 out of 30, securing her spot in week two of the competition.
Higgins also had some familiar faces cheering her on in the ballroom. Her "Traitors" co-stars Rob Rausch and Lisa Rinna were in the audience supporting her.
Fans quickly noticed that Rausch held a burgundy Hermés Birkin bag in the audience, with Higgins' text-to-vote information displayed on it.
Here's everything you need to know about the Birkin bag and Higgins.
What's the story behind the Birkin?
Rausch gave Higgins the Birkin after starring together in "The Traitors US" season 4. On the reality competition show, a group of contestants plays a live-action game of social deduction similar to parlor games like Mafia.
There, they are secretly divided into two groups, the Faithfuls and a small hidden group of Traitors, who meet in secret each night to eliminate a Faithful player.
Higgins came in second after Rausch in the competition, who made her believe that he was a Faithful until the very end. The viral moment became a topic of conversation for weeks after the show wrapped, with Rausch gifting her a Birkin Bag as an apology for betraying her on the show.
Were Ballas and Higgins both Faithfuls on 'Traitors'?
Yes, Ballas and Higgins both found themselves on the same team in the castle, working alongside the other Faithfuls to try to identify the Traitors among them.
How Ballas and Higgins brought 'The Traitors' to the ballroom
While Ballas and Higgins did not win in "The Traitors" castle, they won the ballroom with their "Traitors"-inspired performance, which included Ballas' wife BC Jean singing "Black Velvet" with the band.
On the show, Ballas was banished (eliminated) from "The Traitors" in a coffin. So in a full-circle moment, his and Higgins' "DWTS" foxtrot opened with Ballas emerging from one.
What was Ballas and Higgins' reaction after their performance?
After hitting the dance floor, Higgins told ABC News about how nervous she was beforehand and said that being on "Dancing with the Stars" was something she had "manifested."
"I'm so honored to be a part of it and to start the show at the top of the leaderboard is pretty crazy," she told ABC News. "I've never danced a day in my life, I don't know how this has happened."
When was Maura Higgins announced as part of the 'Dancing with the Stars' season 35 cast?
"The Traitors" star Maura Higgins and "Summer House" star Ciara Miller were announced in April as the first two cast members to join "DWTS" season 35.
Miller is paired with pro-dancer Brandon Armstrong and is also moving forward in the competition next week after also dancing a foxtrot.
"Dancing with the Stars" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
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