Maura Higgins, the 35-year-old Love Island star and current contestant on The Traitors US, turned heads on the red carpet at the EE BAFTA Film Awards held at The Royal Festival Hall.
Elegant Red Carpet Look
Higgins wore a form-fitting red satin dress featuring structured chest detailing, delicate black beading, and a dramatic train. She paired the gown with sheer black opera gloves and minimal jewelry. Her brunette hair was styled in a sleek bun, complemented by glamorous makeup that highlighted her features.
Acting Debut in Irish Comedy The Spin
Higgins recently made her acting debut as Rose in the Irish road movie The Spin, directed by Michael Head. In the 92-minute film, she appears briefly as the onscreen girlfriend of Dermot, played by Brenock O’Connor. Her lines include: “Ah there you are, did you play already?” and “Play Coldplay!” Later, she says: “Ugh Dermot can we please just do it tomorrow because I’ve had just such a long day and I’m knackered. Yeah I’ve had just such a long day.”
The story follows music enthusiasts Dermot and Elvis (Owen Colgan), who run a struggling record shop in Omagh, Northern Ireland. Facing eviction by landlord Sadie (Tara Lynne O’Neill), they embark on a two-day road trip to Cork for rare Robert Johnson vinyls to save their business. Higgins shares the screen with Kimberly Wyatt.
Despite her brief role, industry insiders report that Higgins impressed Hollywood executives, sparking discussions about her future projects.
BAFTAs 2026 Overview
Hosted by Alan Cumming, the ceremony features stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi, and Michael B. Jordan. Presenters include Aimee Lou Wood, Alicia Vikander, Cillian Murphy, Ethan Hawke, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sadie Sink, and Stormzy. Performances highlight KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” by JAE, AUDREYNUNA, and REI AMI, plus Jessie Ware’s Barbra Streisand tribute in the In Memoriam segment.
Special awards go to Dame Donna Langley for the BAFTA Fellowship and Clare Binns for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema.
Leading Nominations
One Battle After Another tops with 14 nominations, followed by Sinners (13), Hamnet (11), and Marty Supreme (11). Hamnet, directed by Chloé Zhao and adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel, sets a record for most nods for a female-directed film.
Key races include Leading Actress (Jessie Buckley for Hamnet, Rose Byrne for If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Kate Hudson for Song Sung Blue, Chase Infiniti for One Battle After Another, Renate Reinsve for Sentimental Value, Emma Stone for Bugonia) and Leading Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio for One Battle After Another, Timothée Chalamet for Marty Supreme).
Emma Baehr, Executive Director of Awards and Content, stated: “We are delighted to welcome so many of this year’s remarkable nominees to London for the EE BAFTA Film Awards, a vibrant celebration of the creativity, craft and collaboration that goes into British and global cinema.”
The event airs at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK.
