Maura Higgins has been hit by claims she split with Curtis Pritchard after rowing over her friendship with Dancing On Ice partner Alexander Demetriou.
MailOnline exclusively revealed that Maura, 29, and Curtis, 24, had parted ways earlier this week.
And now it has been reported that the former couple had a series of rows over her ‘closeness’ with the skating professional, 28, before their split.
Claims: Maura Higgins has been hit by claims she split with Curtis Pritchard after rowing over her friendship with Dancing On Ice partner Alexander Demetriou (Maura pictured in a recent Ann Summers campaign)
It has also been claimed by The Sun that Alex’s friendly relationship with Maura has caused arguments with his Dancing On Ice skater wife Carlotta Edwards, 34.
It was reported last month that Carlotta had been left troubled by their ‘close relationship’ and was worried Maura ‘had turned her husband’s head’.
A source told The Sun: ‘Maura spent hours and hours with Alex in rehearsals for weeks and they have got really close.
‘They have grown very friendly and it’s not gone unnoticed with the rest of the cast and crew — or Carlotta.
Split: MailOnline exclusively revealed that Maura, 29, and Curtis, 24, had parted ways earlier this week (Maura pictured with Alexander on Dancing On Ice in February)
Rows: And now it has been reported that the former couple had a series of rows over her ‘closeness’ with the skating professional, 28, before their split (Maura and Curtis pictured on Love Island over the summer)
‘She is furious about their increasingly cosy relationship which has continued despite Maura being knocked out of the competition.’
MailOnline has contacted Maura’s representative and Dancing On Ice for comment.
The new report comes after Maura was spotted having a catch-up with her Dancing On Ice partner Alexander on Tuesday following her split from Curtis.
‘Arguments’: It has also been claimed by The Sun that Alex’s friendly relationship with Maura has caused arguments with his Dancing On Ice skater wife Carlotta Edwards, 34 (pictured in December)
The ‘upset’ reality star was seen grabbing a coffee with the professional skater in Chelmsford, Essex on Tuesday.
The dancing duo were eliminated from the ITV skating show last month but have remained good friends.
A source told The Sun: ‘Maura seemed upset and was deep in conversation with Alex over coffees in the cafe.
Friends: The new report comes after Maura was spotted having a catch-up with her Dancing On Ice partner Alexander (pictured on show) on Tuesday following her split from Curtis
‘It’s an unlikely place to see a star, but there is an ice-skating rink there so I imagine they were there for a skate.’
It comes after Maura and her now ex-boyfriend Curtis were hit by claims that they secretly split three months ago.
The former grid girl, 29, allegedly felt pressured to stay in her relationship with the professional dancer, 24, in a bid to boost their profile, despite only announcing their split on Monday – claims that Curtis strongly denies.
It comes after Maura reportedly confronted Curtis over claims that he had cheated on her with dancer Amber Pierson, just hours after MailOnline exclusively revealed that they had parted ways.
Shocking: It comes after Maura and her now ex-boyfriend Curtis were hit by claims that they secretly split three months ago (pictured in January)
According to a source speaking to The Sun, Maura and Curtis’ relationship turned sour following their row at the National Television Awards in January.
The couple were reportedly told that if they stayed together they could make millions.
The source said: ‘Maura felt pressured to stick with him. They had booked jobs together, parties they had to attend.
‘When they met in Love Island it was genuine. But when the showbiz treadmill started on the outside, it was a sham.’
A representative for Curtis told MailOnline that Curtis had not been unfaithful to Maura and the pair had not faked any aspect of their relationship.
Upsetting: It’s been claimed that the former grid girl felt pressured to stay with with the professional dancer to boost their profile, despite claims they only split on Monday
On Monday a source confirmed to MailOnline that Maura and Curtis had officially split, just eight months after they met in the Love Island villa.
Just hours later Maura was spotted tearing up on the phone after allegedly confronting Curtis over claims he cheated on her with another dancer.
The Dancing On Ice beauty, 29, feared the worst after being tagged in a tweet that claimed Curtis, 24, had been ‘hugging and kissing’ Amber Pierson, 20, who is performing on his Strictly brother AJ’s live tour.
A tweet from an anonymous account alleged that they had seen Curtis with fellow dancer Amber at Freedom Bar in London’s Soho on Saturday, as Maura enjoyed a separate night out at a different club.
Anonymous: An anonymous account tweeted that Curtis had been ‘kissing and hugging’ fellow dancer Amber Pierson
Night out: Curtis posed for pictures with Amber and AJ, as well as other performers on the tour at Freedom Bar in London’s Soho
Curtis denied any wrongdoing after being questioned by Maura – but sources say it was the final straw for the couple, who confirmed their split on Monday.
An insider told MailOnline: ‘Maura and Curtis hadn’t been right since the night of the National Television Awards.
‘First it was a video of Curtis looking close to a girl on New Year’s Eve, which was published the same day as Maura’s first live performance on Dancing on Ice. Then their fallout at the NTAs.
‘But the tip of the iceberg for Maura was having to confront Curtis over a tweet which said he kissed Amber, who he performs with on tour. It seemed to be following a pattern.
Party ready: Professional dancer Amber, who performs with Curtis on the AJ Live tour, shared a picture on her Instagram story ahead of her night out on Saturday
‘After their separate nights out on Saturday, Maura tried to text Curtis but he didn’t reply. He called her instead and said it wasn’t true.
‘It wasn’t enough for Maura so they came to a mutual decision to end their relationship.
‘In the weeks leading up to their breakup they had hardly seen each other, with Curtis on tour and Maura performing on Dancing On Ice.
‘But she has been so upset since, this is her normal life and she did truly love Curtis.’
An anonymous Twitter user claimed he saw Curtis kissing Amber, who is believed to have a boyfriend, at Freedom Bar in a tweet posted at 2am on Sunday.
The same account has since liked several tweets in reference to the couple’s split, which was first revealed on Monday by MailOnline.
The couple’s relationship was first rocked in January after a video of Curtis getting close to another woman on New Year’s Eve emerged.
Curtis claimed he’d done nothing wrong, saying at the time: ‘You can’t hug somebody or talk to somebody in this day and age without something coming out.’
On Monday a source exclusively revealed to MailOnline that Maura and Curtis had split, though at the time it was claimed that they had only just called it quits after eight months together.
A source told MailOnline: ‘It’s going to be a tough time for Maura. She really tried to make things work with Curtis but unfortunately they’ve gone their separate ways.
‘Most of her family and close friends are in Ireland, which will make this even more difficult for her.’
A representative for Maura confirmed the news to MailOnline.
The Dancing on Ice star took to her Instagram stories on Monday evening to explain it had been a joint decision for the pair to part ways.
She said: ‘Curtis and I have made the decision to separate. We enjoyed a great experience from our time in the villa and want to thank everyone for supporting our relationship.
Parted ways: On Monday MailOnline exclusively revealed that Curtis and Maura had split just eight months after they met in the Love Island villa (pictured on the show over the summer)
‘There is no easy way to get through a break up and no bad feeling on either side. We tried to make it work but it wasn’t to be, and I wish Curtis nothing but the best for the future,’ followed by a broken heart emoji.’
Curtis, who’s the brother of Strictly professional dancer AJ, is yet to comment on the split.
The former couple only made their romance ‘official’ in October 2019, meaning they were in a committed relationship for just 20 weeks in total.
Their split comes the same day The Sun alleged the reality stars were ‘still together’ despite the pair not being pictured together for over a month.
Love Island fans suspected they had called it quits after Maura and Curtis enjoyed separate nights out in London over the weekend.
Maura partied at London nightclub Luxx with former Love Island co-stars Chris Taylor and Joe Garratt while Curtis was spotted at Freedom bar with brother AJ and a group of professional dancers.
It was feared their relationship could be in trouble at the point of the National Television Awards when it was reported that the ex-couple had a heated argument behind-the-scenes.
Insiders said the dancer claimed him and Maura only secured the red carpet presenting gig at the ceremony because of his fame, despite the pair both rising to prominence on last year’s Love Island.
The Irish star is said to have told friends she felt ‘used’ and ‘like a d*** for trusting him,’ before leaving the party in tears.
Over: Maura took to her Instagram stories on Monday evening to explain that it had been a joint decision to part ways
The insider also insisted minders attempted to escort the ballroom pro out the bash, with Curtis refusing to leave and letting loose with his pals instead.
They added: ‘Things were clearly very frosty between them. Curtis seemed to be so drunk he had no idea Maura was just meters away from him.’
Since their stint in the villa, the media personalities have gone on to lead successful careers in their own right.
Until recently, the model was competing on this year’s Dancing On Ice, and often serves as a showbiz correspondent on This Morning.
She is a brand ambassador for fashion retailer Boohoo, lingerie company Ann Summers, and luxury tanning brand Bellamianta.
Choreographer Curtis, meanwhile, starred as a receptionist on BBC One’s The Greatest Dancer and was a guest judge on Ru Paul’s Drag Race last year.
Throwback: The former grid girl and professional dancer began dating after they met during the summer of 2019 on Love Island series five. The exes came in third place on the ITV show
Earlier this month, their romance was rocked by cheating claims on Curtis’ part but he firmly denied the rumours.
Appearing on Lorraine, he addressed a video which emerged of him hugging a woman in a club on New Year’s Eve.
Curtis said at the time: ‘[The] new year photos [are] nonsense, you can’t hug somebody or talk to somebody in this day and age without something coming out!’
‘Me and Maura are completely fine. I was there watching her on Dancing On Ice yesterday.’
The final photo: On Valentine’s Day, Curtis shared this snap of himself and Maura, along with the hashtag #loveyou, but she failed to wish him a Happy Valentine’s Day on social media
During a recent appearance on Heart Radio’s Capital Breakfast, Maura outlined the three main reasons why they have managed to stay together.
She said: ‘I think trust one another, don’t believe everything you read in the press and one main thing – don’t let fame get to your head. You just need to stay grounded.’
Prior to coupling up with Maura, Curtis was in a relationship with Celebs Go Dating star Amy Hart.
But he broke her heart after returning from Casa Amor claiming that his feelings had changed and it wasn’t long before his attention turned to Maura – causing Amy to walk from the villa.
A case of the ex: Prior to dating Maura, Curtis was coupled up with Amy Hart in the Love Island villa and famously had his head turned leaving the blonde beauty devastated
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, former Love Island star Montana Brown claimed many couples stay together after meeting in the villa for the sake of earning more money.
Speaking prior to Maura’s split from Curtis, she said: ‘People worry they won’t do as well on their own. It’s also a really overwhelming time so it can be good to have someone by your side.
‘People feel a lot of pressure to stay in their couples when they come out the villa.
‘They think we will make more money this way and it’s a good look. But being together can also feel like a comfort blanket. It’s definitely a daunting time.’
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