I'm A Celeb star Maura Higgins barely recognisable in resurfaced photos from before Love Island

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! star Maura Higgins looks barely recognisable in throwback photos from her pre-fame days.

The 34-year-old reality star shot to fame in 2019 as a contestant on season five of ITV's dating show Love Island - where her no-nonsense approach to romance won her an immediate fanbase. The Irish beauty is now winning over even more fans - including The Reverend Richard Coles - with an impressive stint inside the I'm A Celeb jungle.

Maura has screamed her way through trials and wowed in the jungle waterfall shower - but resurfaced photographs may leave some fans struggling to recognise the woman they see on their TV screens today. Fans today will note Maura typically parts her hair and allows it to cascade over her shoulders.

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But back in the day, she was in favour of a heavy fringe and tied the rest of her hair back. On social media, the star has poked fun at her own past appearance - sharing a school yearbook image with the simple caption: "Oh". While other snaps showed her wearing simple clothes that are far removed from the glamorous outfits she sports these days.

Since appearing on Love Island, Maura has been bombarded by rumours that she has gone under the knife in pursuit of beauty - an allegation she has strongly rejected. She previously told the Daily Mail: "I got my lips done three months after coming out of Love Island, and lip fillers last five to six months. I haven't had anything done since then; I just let it dissolve.

"But people still assume I've had my lips done, Botox. People are even saying I've had my nose done when I've not actually had any work." She explained: "I had braces on for a long time, and since my teeth have moved, they've actually pushed my lips out slightly. I feel like I don't need it. If I were to get my lips done now with my straight teeth, it just wouldn't be a good look."

TV fans were shocked to hear Maura confirm she turned 34 on Sunday as she tried to celebrate her latest year around the sun while in the I'm A Celeb camp. One shocked viewer wrote on X: "How is Maura Higgins 34!!! I thought she was 28 tops." Another typed: "Maura Higgins is 34??? Thought she was about 22/23." Another wrote: "Would never have thought Maura was 34. She looks much younger." And a further disbelieving fan wrote: "No way is Maura 34? She looks so much younger."

While Maura was excited to turn 34 in the camp, she was not given an easy ride for her birthday. Instead, she had to take on a horrific trial alongside her fellow stars. All 12 contestants were crammed into the Fright Bus where they had to endure being covered in insects and gunk. The highlights of the encounter aired on I'm A Celeb on both Monday and Tuesday night.

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