MAURA Higgins is supposedly ‘lined up to be the next Bachelorette after Taylor Frankie Paul’s domestic abuse arrest & the show’s cancellation’.
Love Island icon and Traitors US star Maura, 35, is reported to be among the names lined up for Bachelorette after the show’s upcoming season was abruptly cancelled.
Season 22 of The Bachelorette was supposed to premiere on March 22, with Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, as the leading lady.
But the network cancelled the show altogether when a horrifying video, recorded by her ex, circulated just days before.
Gossip site Deux Moi has now posted an anonymous tip they received, hinting that Maura could replace Taylor, off the back off her success in the States.
The tipster claimed: “ABC exec friend said that they are looking into getting Maura Higgins to be the new Bachelorette and do a live shooting of it.
“They shut down Layla and Miranda as a dual season and are trying to steer away from the SLOMW girlies.”
The Sun reached out to Maura’s representative for comment.
Reacting to the news, one person penned: “This would be soooo good.”
“Best idea they’ve ever had – I’ve loved her since love island UK,” said another.
“I don’t watch the Bachelorette but I’d watch a season with her leading it. So much charisma,” added a third.
“She’d be perfect,” gushed a fourth.
A fifth then added: “She’s such great TV. A traitors MVP.”
While a sixth said: “If anyone watched her iconic Love Island series, they know she should’ve been 1st choice for The Bachelorette.”
Maura herself even commented on the post with an eye emoji, which of course garnered even more speculation.
“What do you know?” asked one fan replying to Maura’s comment.
While another begged her to “spill the beans”.
Mormon Wives star Taylor has since temporarily lost custody of her 2-year-old son, Ever, whom she shares with her ex Dakota, 33.
She is also in jeopardy of being fired from her Hulu show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, due to her actions in the video, which surfaced after another allegedly violent incident occurred between the exes last month.
On Thursday, shortly after ABC announced it’d canceled The Bachelorette, Taylor’s reps released a statement to The U.S. Sun, thanking the network for its support.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security.
“After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
The statement continued, “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives.
“Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming.
“She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
This comes as The Bachelor franchise faces its most dire moment yet, with insiders warning it could be axed for good after more than two decades on air following the most recent explosive scandal.
The fallout surrounding Taylor’s scrapped Bachelorette season and her ongoing domestic violence controversy may have pushed the franchise past the point of no return.
“Finding another Bachelorette and filming a new season is not at all being considered right now.
“The amount of money it takes to put a whole season together is too high and it would take too long to scramble that together.
“To be frank, as of right now, there’s a huge likelihood the franchise is dead,” an insider told The U.S. Sun.
