Yes, Maura Higgins is going back to Love Island, but not everything is as it seems.
When the Irish star arrived on the show in 2019, she quickly became a fan choice and gave us some of the show’s most memorable scenes.
(Yes, we are still amazed by what she did to Tom Walker after he disrespected her in front of the guys.)
Fans have been speculating for days that the star would make a shocking return to the 2023 season of the ITV2 dating show. Maura herself added fuel to the fire when she posted a photo of her landing on the island with a driver holding a Love Island sign.
Just when it looked like there was no way she wasn’t getting ready to go back into the villa, her part on the show has been revealed, but there’s a twist.
Instead of entering as a competition, Maura is now a full-fledged staff member, and her new job is to be the US’s social representative.
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The series airs on in the US, and Maura is tasked with bringing fans all the juicy behind-the-scenes gossip.
Love Island USA shared the news with a post on Instagram, sharing a drop-dead-gorgeous photo of Maura alongside the words: This just in… @maurahiggins will be your social ambassador this season bringing (sneaking) you the BTS scoop all summer!’
The US series is set to start on July 18, and the contestants are being slowly revealed on the show’s social media outlets.
Maura’s arrival to the team has been very well received. One reviewer said it was the most excited they’d ever been for Love Island US.
‘This is the best news I’ve heard all year,’ another excited fan said.


Some people went even further and said she should have been a contestant on the US version or even the show.
Iain Stirling, who does the voiceover for both the UK and US versions of the show, was one of the people who congratulated the County Longford beauty. He wrote “Welcome to the team” with a heart emoji.
Fans were crazy about Maura because they thought she was going to be on a version of Love Island with some of the most famous contestants from around the world.
A source shared: ‘Love Island All Stars is in development at ITV and it is a concept they have been talking about.
‘The plan would be to invite some of the sexiest and most successful former islanders to see if they can find love for a second time around,’ they added to The Sun.