Maura Higgins has said the neck injury that saw her collapse in rehearsal for Dancing With the Stars is 'getting worse', even as she continues to compete on the US show's 35th season.

The Irish reality star, 35, was filmed crying out and dropping to the floor as she and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, prepared a tango for Super Bowl Night. She still performed the routine live on 13 October, earning 33 points out of 40. No diagnosis has been made public. The programme, now in its 35th season, airs on ABC.

What the Rehearsal Footage Showed

The footage, aired before the couple's fifth performance of the season, showed Higgins wincing and grabbing the left side of her neck as she ran through the choreography. At one point she was heard yelling, 'Ah, my neck!', but she carried on.

The pain eventually became too much, and she was seen crying out and falling to the floor, hunched over with both hands at the back of her neck. Ballas crouched beside her as a medic hurried over.

Speaking to camera, Higgins said: 'I've been having this like twinge in the left side of my neck.'

After the live show, she told co host Julianne Hough the problem had been 'playing up for weeks' and 'just seems to be getting worse'. She said a colleague called Gina had examined her, referring to 'her and her magic hands', and that she was doing stretches to manage it. 'It's just something that I'm gonna have to deal with,' she added.

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Judges' Verdict on Maura Higgins' Tango

It was the show's first Super Bowl Night, with every couple dancing to a song from a past halftime performance. Higgins and Ballas danced a tango to Rihanna's Only Girl (In the World). Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each awarded an 8, while guest judge Joe Buck gave a 9. His presence moved scoring on to a 40 point scale for the night.

Some viewers noted she appeared slightly stiff but otherwise continued with the routine. Buck, who admitted he knew little about the technical side of dance, said even he could see how strong her posture was, and that the dance made him 'proud to be Irish'.

Tonioli called it 'thrilling from start to finish'. Inaba praised a 'beautiful performance' but said Higgins's movement needed to be more 'punctuated' in Latin dances.

Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach, and Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, topped the leaderboard on 36. Guillermo Rodriguez and Witney Carson were eliminated after scoring 22. Higgins and Ballas were among the first couples announced safe.

Season So Far and What Comes Next for Maura Higgins

Higgins, who rose to fame on Love Island in 2019, is partnered with professional dancer Mark Ballas on Dancing With the Stars. Earlier in the series she revealed she had chipped his tooth with an elbow during rehearsals for their second week cha cha. In week four, the pair received the first 9 of the season, from Inaba.

Several contestants have been hurt in training this series. Higgins and Ballas banged heads before the premiere, while Tyler Cameron and Sharna Burgess had a similar collision.

Higgins attended the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles on Sunday, arriving in an all white PVC outfit.

Asked about the look, she joked: 'Hello. Yes, I cannot breathe. My ribs are currently broken.' Higgins has since been photographed returning to rehearsals ahead of Dedication Night, smiling as she headed into the training room dressed in all black.

Ten couples remain in the competition. Dedication Night airs on Tuesday 20 October, with former Dancing With the Stars professional Kym Johnson joining the judging panel as a guest.

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