Maura Higgins' relationship with Barry McGuigan's son Shane explained
21 November 2024, 20:30
Did Maura Higgins date Barry McGuigan's son Shane? What happened between them? Have Maura and Barry ever met? Everything you need to know, explained.
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Maura Higgins, 33, is revealed to have had a relationship with none other than her I'm A Celebrity campmate Barry McGuigan's son, Shane McGuigan.
The Love Island star turned influencer and TV personality is said to have dated Shane in 2018 for a short time, with the pair meeting when she was a ring girl, ahead of her time on Love Island in 2019.
Now, Maura is set to meet Shane's dad, Barry, for the first time, with the star revealing ahead of her entry into the jungle that she hasn't met him before.
But what happened between Maura and Shane? How long did they date for and are they friends now? Here's everything you need to know.
Maura Higgins and Shane McGuigan relationship explained
Maura Higgins briefly dated Barry McGuigan's son, Shane McGuigan, back in 2018.
The pair met in May 2018 when Maura was booked as a ring girl for the David Haye vs Tony Bellew rematch. At the time, Shane was there covering the boxing match.
The pair dated for a short time before splitting, however, they are said to have remained friends.
- Read more: Are Maura Higgins and Pete Wicks together?
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At the time of their romance an insider told The Sun: "Maura has brains and beauty and she quickly caught Shane's eye. They got chatting and had instant chemistry so of course he asked her out.
“At the time Maura lived in Ireland, and Shane was running his boxing gym in London, and she was travelling a lot for work so it wasn't easy to pull off."
They added: "There were no hard feelings when it ended. It turned out to be short lived and the spark fizzled out."
Shane, like his dad, has gone on to pursue a career in boxing. However, unlike Barry, he is not a boxer himself and instead coaches boxers, currently working in South West London.
Throughout his career he has worked with the likes of Chantelle Cameron, George Groves, Carl Frampton and Lee McGregor.
While you'd think that Maura and Barry have already met, due to her romance with Shane, it appears the pair will meet for the first time in the Australian jungle.
Speaking ahead of her stint on I'm A Celebrity, Maura alluded that she hadn't met Barry before, saying: "I reckon I'd get on really well with Barry McGuigan. You know, Irish, I think, very humorous."
During her time in the spotlight, Maura has had romances with a number of famous faces, including Curtis Pritchard, who she met on Love Island and left the show with. Sadly, their romance did not last and they announced their split in March 2020.
Later the same year, Maura started dating another Love Island co-star, Chris Taylor, who she was in a relationship with for six months before they parted ways in May 2021.
Maura then went on to date former Strictly Come Dancing professional Giovanni Pernice, confirming their romance on social media in July 2021.
Most recently, Maura has been linked to TOWIE's Pete Wicks, however, she has since confirmed they are just friends, telling the press ahead of I'm A Celebrity that she is single.
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