Love Island and The Traitors star Maura Higgins is at the center of speculation amid reports she may lead a live season of The Bachelorette.
Details on why this ‘The Bachelorette’ season was canceled, and Maura Higgins ’ response to the rumors
The news comes after ABC canceled the latest season of the popular reality television series, just days before it was set to air, after its lead, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul, was dropped.
The network’s decision was based on Paul’s involvement in a violent altercation with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. TMZ shared a video of the 2023 incident, showing Paul throwing metal chairs at Mortensen while one of her children was present, according to Newsweek.
As of now, there is no word on The Bachelorette returning for a new season, but a tip from celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi shared news from an alleged network insider that it will.
“ABC exec friend said that they are looking into getting Maura Higgins to be the new Bachelorette and do a live shooting of it. They shut down Layla [Taylor] and Miranda [McWhorter] as a dual season and are trying to steer away from SLOMW girlies,” the alleged source stated in an Instagram post shared by DeuxMoi.
While Higgins hasn’t confirmed the news, she hasn’t denied it either. She responded in the comment section of the post with a side-eye emoji.
Everything to know about Maura Higgins
Higgins, 35, is an Irish reality television star from Longford, Ireland. She originally appeared in Season 5 of Love Island UK in 2019. Her infectious personality made her one of the most likable contestants on the show, earning a large fanbase and instant stardom, according to Newsweek and Parade.
After becoming a star, Higgins continued to build her career in reality television and hosting, with appearances on British shows like Dancing on Ice and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and Cooking with the Stars.
Most recently, she appeared on The Traitors alongside Love Island USA alum Rob Rausch. In February, Blavity’s Shadow and Act reported that Rausch revealed his deceitful ways during the Season 4 finale by tricking Higgins into voting off contestants Tara Lipinski and Eric Nam. However, he later revealed he was the actual traitor.
Is ‘The Bachelorette’ canceled for good?
However, the newest season of The Bachelorette, with Paul being scrapped, has left top execs wondering if they should get rid of the show altogether after more than two decades on the network.
“To be frank, as of right now, there’s a huge likelihood the franchise is dead,” an insider told The U.S. Sun. “That’s the whispers amongst the execs at the tip top that they don’t want it to come back. Ever. The new management doesn’t want this stain on their legacy and would rather just scrap this altogether.”
However, there have been rumblings online that Paul’s season could still see the light of day, and if that is the case, then the show could easily come back in a new iteration. And even if Paul’s season never airs in any form, it would be easy for the show to reinvent itself once again.