She also reveals what reality competition show she wants to do next. The Traitors star Maura Higgins has still not received her Birkin bag from Rob Rausch She also reveals what reality competition show she wants to do next. By Dalton Ross :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/DaltonRossauthorphoto2e15b12006e2438a99fb06db6d682421.jpg) Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. Survivor is kind of his thing. EW's editorial guidelines March 2, 2026 11:43 a.m.

She also reveals what reality competition show she wants to do next.

*The Traitors *star Maura Higgins has still not received her Birkin bag from Rob Rausch

She also reveals what reality competition show she wants to do next.

By Dalton Ross

Dalton Ross is a writer and editor with over 25 years experience covering TV and the entertainment industry. *Survivor* is kind of his thing.

EW's editorial guidelines

March 2, 2026 11:43 a.m. ET

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Maura Higgins on 'The Traitors'. Credit:

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

*"Oh my god, I'm so stupid. I was so fooled by you. You absolute a--hole. You pinky promised! You're a piece of work. I was so convinced. You've embarrassed me."*

Suffice it to say, Maura Higgins was none too pleased in the final minutes of *The Traitors* season 4 finale after being informed by her fellow *Love Island*-er Rob Rausch that he was indeed a Traitor and had been lying to her since day 1 of the game. Maura was absolutely stunned, especially after doing Rob's bidding all season to help eliminate all his competition along the way — including his fellow Traitor, Eric Nam, so he did not have to split any of the $220,800 prize pot.

While a clearly agitated Maura instructed Rob to "don't speak, please stop talking" after he revealed his ruse, she eventually came at least a little bit around. "I mean, fair play though," she told her ally-turned-nemesis. "You know what, if I was a Traitor, I would have done the same. No hard feelings."

But what happened once the cameras turned off? What was it like once the TV turned *on* and she had to watch it all play back every painful minute-by-minute? And did she ever receive that Birkin bag from Rob? We caught up with Maura to ask all that and more.

Maura Higgins on 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

**: Okay, most important question first? Do you have the Birkin bag yet?**

**MAURA HIGGINS: **I don't. Seemingly, it's in the works.

**What sort of arrangements have been made? What is in the works?**

Well, so basically, you can't just walk into Hermés and buy a Birkin. So Lisa Rinna, the queen herself, is helping Rob get the Birkin because Lisa has contacts. So I told him, "Speak to Lisa." I've sent him a picture of the exact bag I want. So now it's in his hands.

**Well, hopefully it's in *your* hands soon.**

[Laughs] Hopefully it's in my hands soon. Yeah, I deserve this.

Maura Higgins on 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

**Clearly, it was a very emotional Fire of Truth ceremony. Tell me about the rest of the night after the cameras shut off and what that was like for you.**

I was still in complete disbelief. Even to the producers, and I had to go and do a camera interview immediately. And honestly, on my life, I don't think I've ever been speechless like that in my whole life. I even said to my mom afterwards, I was like, "Mommy, I couldn't speak." And I always have something to say, always. And I genuinely was lost for words. Yeah, complete disbelief.

**What were you more upset about? Was it that this person you put all your faith in completely duped you? Or was it the fact that it was in such a public forum and on worldwide television and you knew everybody was going to be watching it happen?**

I think I was probably more upset at myself for not copping on. But then I quickly realized: Look, there were so many more grown adults in that castle, and he had the trust of everyone. Like, who voted for him? Candiace did, but Candiace knew he was a Traitor because she was a Traitor herself.

He had the trust of everyone, and no one voted for him. So when I came to realize that, I was like, *Oh, you know what? It's not just me that trusted him. Everyone did.* Look at Eric's face at the end! Like, he turned on his own fellow Traitor, Eric, and Eric's face dropped. He was as shocked as me. Well, maybe not as shocked as me, but he was shocked.

Rob Rausch and Maura Higgins on 'The Traitors'.

**I've been covering reality TV for a long time, and I'm always fascinated that you all have to go through these traumatic experiences, but then you also have to watch it play back months later. How much were you dreading having to watch the Fire of Truth ceremony back on TV?**

Also, don't forget, immediately after I filmed that, and that happened to me, I had to fly to Fiji and sit on the *Aftersun* sofa [for *Love Island*] and let on like nothing happened! How the hell did I do that? I'm still, like: How did I do that? I just was like, "Oh, whatever. It's just a game." I think for me, I genuinely went here in there knowing this is a game. It's not personal. This isn't real life. It's made up. I got over it very quickly. Like, you can see clearly on the episode, I even found it hard to watch, but you can clearly see how shocked I was. And I went through every emotion under the sun in that moment.

First of all, I was in complete disbelief. I was genuinely waiting for him to say, "Joking." I thought he was doing what I tried to do to him and trick him, and he just wasn't saying it. And I genuinely couldn't speak. I was in my brain thinking*: All right, the joke is long enough. Just tell me you're Faithful.* And then I realized: *Oh my God, he's not joking. Like, he's not actually joking*. [Laughs]

And then it kind of went to anger, and then it went to a bit of sadness. And then I came to just be like: *You know what? Fair play.* I mean, he did an amazing job. He killed it. He smashed it. And I can't be mad at that. He was a Traitor, and his job was to manipulate the Faithfuls, and he did it very, very, very well. So fair play to him.

Maura Higgins, Eric Nam, and Johnny Weir on 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

**How do you feel about Rob telling Eric that he eliminated him due to the pinky promise that he made with you, even though that clearly was not the reason, and he just wanted all the money to himself?**

So when he said, "I made a pinky promise," genuinely in my brain, I thought: *Oh my God, I've won the show! I've won! I've won!* I was so convinced I won the show, genuinely convinced. And then, it was the moment that Eric looked at me and said, "You need to look at the one person you trust the most in this game."

And I looked over at Rob, and Rob kind of made this face like, *never mind him. *And, yeah, I was a bit nervous, but you can see I kind of have a smile on my face because I'm genuinely thinking he's gonna say "I'm a Faifthful," and we're gonna jump up and down and we're gonna celebrate, and then I can tell my mommy I won. [Laughs] It just went so different to what I had in my brain.

**Tara told me she was heartbroken for you after you eliminated her because she knew what was about to happen to you with Rob's reveal. How did it feel for you having to watch back eliminating Tara obviously knowing what you know now?**

Broke my heart. Whilst I was watching it, I was screaming, going, "Oh my God! If I could just turn back time, me and Tara could have had it!" But my alliance was Rob, and he was my familiar person in there. I know there are some people online saying, "Mara is d---matized. She's so in love with Rob." Trust me, that is not the case at all. If you watch me on *Love Island*, I'm not a subtle flirt. I'm a very obvious flirt.

It genuinely just was that we're both from the *Love Island* world. He was the only familiar face to me. I had never watched any of these people on TV before, only Rob. And I had met Rob in person, and for me, he wasn't any different in the castle to what I had met on the *Love Island: Aftersun* sofa. So I was like, "Well, surely he's not lying because he'd be different." But he just played a really good game.

Eric Nam, Johnny Weir, Tara Lipinski, and Maura Higgins on 'The Traitors'.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

**Have you warned his girlfriend yet?**

No, I just look at it as a game. There are a lot of people online being like, "You shouldn't trust the man. He manipulated you." That's what Traitors do! The show is called *Traitors!* Hello? [Laughs]

**How did you feel about going back and doing the reunion?**

I didn't have a problem with the reunion. I mean, I get on with nearly everyone on the show. I've met some amazing friends, no hard feelings with Rob at all. I'm okay. I did not cry. I walked out of that castle and went straight to another job. It's just the show. It's not for your life. I'm fine.

**Listen, they have brought people back before, and I'm sure an all-stars version will happen at some point. Would you play again if they asked you?**

Yeah, I've already had that question. [Laughs] They already looked at me and went, "*Traitors All-Stars*?" And I just went, "Me? Really? Really? After what just happened to me?" Um, no. However, they might be able to convince me. If they talk to me a lot about fashion again, then maybe I will sign up again. But I don't know. I don't think these game shows are for me.

Me as a young girl going to school in Ireland, I never got the privilege of playing games. I don't play games. And I just don't think a show like that is for me really. I was in there for the fashion. I was in there to have fun, meet friends, see how, how far I could get. And look, it's a win-win for me. I won Best Dressed. Win. It's an absolute win. And I'm getting a Birkin, hopefully. So what more could I ask for? That is a win.

Maura Higgins on 'The Traitors' season 4.

Sam McElwee/Peacock

**Well, if you wouldn't go back to this show, then what would you like to do next?**

What show would I like to do? Probably *Dancing With the Stars*. Because I've never danced. I did a bit of Irish dancing when I was younger, but I've never danced in my life, and it would be a challenge, but I feel like I would enjoy it. I think I'd put my all into something like that because you get to wear gorgeous costumes and get glam all the time. And I did a bit of dancing with Mark in the castle, and I had a lot of fun with it.

**Well, I have a sneaky suspicion we might see you back in the castle.**

Do you think I'd make a good Traitor?

**I do. And the people wouldn't suspect it.**

I do too. Did you see how good I lied to Eric? My mommy always said to me, "You are the worst liar." And when I watched that scene, I was like, "My God, I'm really good! I'm a really good liar!" [Laughs]

**It's unleashed the dark side in you!**

I'm telling you. I would've had so much more fun as a Traitor.

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Source: Reality

Published: March 2, 2026 at 02:00PM on Source: PRIME TIME

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