Maura Higgins Says She ‘Never Realised’ She Was A Feminist Until She Went On Love Island

Maura Higgins says she “never realised” she was a feminist before becoming an unexpected beacon of sex positivity in the Love Island villa.

In a new interview with Grazia, the Longford woman opened up on feeling “misjudged” her whole life, and revealed that she was honestly shocked to find out how popular she was upon leaving the show.

“I mean obviously, I’m flattered,” she told the magazine. “I never realised I was a feminist! I just stand up for myself, and I won’t let anyone talk shit about me… I do talk about sex, but so do guys.”

Maura earned viewers’ respect for telling fellow Islander Tom Walker in no uncertain terms that just because she was open about enjoying sex, didn’t mean she’d be having sex with him.

She hopes younger women who watched the show will feel more empowered to talk back: “Stick up for yourself. Don’t let anyone walk all over you. Voice your opinion. There’s no point hiding away.”

Maura ended her time on Love Island very happily coupled up with Curtis Pritchard, and says things are progressing very well between them.

“We’ve spent only one night apart, and then he came to see me and had a little gift for me,” she says. “He gets up in the morning and irons my dress for me – he’s just the cutest guy in the world.”

Her mother told her that the show made it look as though she was more into Curtis than he was into her, something she says is “rubbish”.

That guy opened up to me so much in there. His nickname for me was ‘Button Nose’, but they never showed that. The viewers only see 40 minutes, we’re in there 24 hours.

She says she’s confident in how their fledgling relationship is going, despite their increasingly busy schedules.

“I feel like if we both like each other enough, we will make time for each other. I’m not a girl to be on edge all the time thinking, ‘I wonder what he’s doing’. I trust someone until they do me wrong, and if they do me wrong, that’s it.

“There are no second chances with me. You’re gone.”

• curtis pritchard
• love island
• Maura Higgins