Maura Higgins is returning to Dancing With the Stars after a devastating neck injury.
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The "Dancing With the Stars" Contestant Returned to Rehearsal
As the Daily Mail reports, the 35-year-old Higgins returned to rehearsals on Friday. The Love Island star was seen entering the studio in an all-black outfit wearing Alo trainers.
Many fans of the reality competition show have picked Higgins and her partner, Mark Ballas, to win this season. However, a neck injury has threatened her rise to the top.
In footage shown during last Tuesday's episode of Dancing With the Stars, Higgins was seen performing a tango to Rhianna's "Only Girl (In the World)." She then grimaced in pain and grabbed her neck.
Higgins shared that the pain had been worsening as the season went on, and it eventually became too much. She yelled out, fell to the floor, and began squirming as medics examined her.
"I've been having this like twinge in the left side of my neck," she said to the cameras. "I genuinely feel like it's getting worse."
Maura Higgins Still Impressed the Judges
Despite the injury, Higgins and Ballas came in second on the leaderboard for "Super Bowl Night." Judge Bruno Tonioli described the routine as "thrilling from start to finish." He added that Higgins was "supremely elegant."
The other two judges shared Tonioli's sentiment. Higgins then updated them on her neck, admitting she had felt painful twinges for several weeks and thanking the show's physiotherapist, Dr Gina Minchella, for her help.
"My neck is - you know, it's been playing up for weeks and it just seems to be getting worse, but good on Gina," she said. "[She] took a look at me. Her and her magic hands. But yeah, I'm just trying to do my stretches and trying to take care of it, but yeah, it's just something that I'm gonna have to deal with."
You can watch Higgins on Dancing With the Stars below.
