‘Dancing With the Stars’ Contestant Speaks out About ‘Toughest’ Week on the Show 

TV personality Maura Higgins is opening up about her experience on Dancing With the Stars so far.

The Season 25 contestant, who has been paired with dance pro Mark Ballas, took to Instagram to share her thoughts on the “toughest” week she’s had in the ballroom.

“This week was definitely one of the toughest I’ve had so far. I was really unwell, running on very little energy and trying to learn two dances, but I gave it absolutely everything I had,” Higgins shared in the post, which features her in the Tinker Bell costume she wore for the show’s Disney Night.

She then wrote, “I came into this experience knowing I wasn’t a dancer, a performer or an athlete, but I wanted to challenge myself, step outside my comfort zone and give something completely new my absolute best & that’s exactly what I’m trying to do every single week. I’m learning, I’m making mistakes, I’m pushing myself and I’m growing along the way!!”

Higgins also noted that some weeks will be better than others, and she’s OK with that.

“I’m not sharing this for sympathy or to make excuses, but simply to share a little of the reality behind the scenes!” she continued. “Sometimes all you can do is show up, give everything you have and be proud of yourself for trying!!”

The Love Island alum then thanked Ballas, who she stated has been her biggest supporter throughout her Dancing With the Stars journey. “His patience, encouragement and belief in me, especially during such a difficult week, mean more than he knows. I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better person to share this experience with.”

She further thanked those who have continuously supported her. “I’m so grateful to still be here, to be learning and to have this opportunity. I’m proud that I kept going, even when things felt impossible, and I promise I’ll keep giving it everything I’ve got!! I really do love everything about this show (apart from the Jive hehe).”

“Here’s to coming back stronger,” Higgins added.

Higgins and Ballas performed the jive to Peter Pan’s “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” during Disney Night on Nov. 2. The duo earned a 32 out of 40 score, which placed them at the bottom of Week 8’s leaderboard.

Higgins told Us Weekly about the setbacks she faced before the performance. “[The dances] are all hard,” she explained. “To be honest, I’m just glad I got through it. I’m really glad I got through it because yesterday I couldn’t. And then I might have had a better dress run than the live. But that’s OK because at least I didn’t stop and give up.”

Despite her struggles, Higgins said she was proud that she kept going. “At the end, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I did it.’ Because I’m telling you now, there were so many moments this week where I was like, ‘I can’t go out there and do it.’”