Cliff Notes – Maura Higgins makes defiant comeback as Danny Jones skips Baftas after scandal
- Maura Higgins returned to the red carpet at the TV Baftas, showcasing a stunning baby blue gown, following her controversial kiss with married McFly member Danny Jones at a Brit Awards afterparty.
- Danny Jones, who has been married for over a decade, is expected to skip the ceremony amid ongoing marital issues, having previously apologised for the incident on social media.
Maura Higgins makes defiant comeback as Danny Jones skips Baftas after scandal
Maura Higgins made a comeback to the red carpet for this year’s TV Bafta Awards (Picture: Jeff Spicer/Bafta/Getty Images for Bafta)
Maura Higgins has made a defiant return to the red carpet for this year’s TV Baftas following her drunken kiss with Danny Jones.
In March, the Irish Love island beauty, 34, caused a stir when she and married McFly member Danny, 39, smooched during the early hours at a Brit Awards afterparty.
While Maura is single, having reportedly split from Pete Wicks around Valentine’s Day, Danny is very much not. He has been married to his wife, Georgia Horsley, 38, for over a decade. They also share a six-year-old son, Cooper.
The pair first grew close as friends while in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! camp last series, but their booze-fuelled snog stunned the nation, to say the least.
Danny later issued an apology statement via Instagram but has not spoken about the kiss since, despite his marriage allegedly being on the rocks.
Maura also chose to remain silent but looked in high spirits as she dazzled Bafta attendees on Sunday afternoon.
The Love Islander looked gorgeous in a baby blue gown (Picture: Jeff Spicer/Bafta/Getty Images for Bafta)
She had an entourage on hand to help with her train (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
The influencer flashed her pearly whites as she posed for the cameras, hands placed confidently on her hips to showcase her fancy gown in all its glory.
Maura looked gorgeous in a baby blue halterneck dress, complete with a dramatic balloon skirt and gem-encrusted bodice, each one placed strategically to protect her modesty.
She completed her outfit with statement earrings and wore her typically long locks in a slicked-back style.
The model joined the likes of Jessie J, Stacey Solomon, Emily Atack, and Tasha Ghouri leading the glamour for this year’s Baftas, where shows including Mr Bates Vs The Post Office and Baby Reindeer have been recognised for top prizes.
While her series of I’m A Celebrity is not up for a gong, presenters Ant and Dec have been recognised for ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway in the Entertainment performance category.
According to sources, Maura seemingly didn’t even contemplate sitting this year’s Baftas out, but has no intention of spilling the beans tonight, at least.
Maura showed some skin in the backless ensemble (Picture: Jeff Spicer/Bafta/Getty Images for Bafta)
Danny Jones is expected to skip the ceremony this time after his kiss scandal with Maura in March (Picture: Backgrid)
An insider told The Sun on Sunday: ‘She thinks enough time has passed. She can’t hide forever.
‘She’s going to spend all morning before the bash getting glammed up and strut down the red carpet with her head held high.’
They added: ‘She won’t be answering any questions about the kiss.
‘She’s put the whole incident behind her and feels she has nothing to be ashamed of.’
Meanwhile, pop star Danny is expected to skip this year’s ceremony, having avoided major public events since the drama began.
The All About You hitmaker won last year’s I’m A Celeb and became King of the Jungle, while Coleen Rooney placed second and Rev. Richard Coles came third. Maura was eliminated sixth.
She and Danny first grew close in the I’m A Celebrity camp last series (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock)
Danny has been married to Georgia Horsley for over a decade, and they have a six-year-old son named Cooper (Picture: Instagram)
As per the source, The Voice coach is instead ‘focusing on his family life and work.’
‘He wouldn’t do anything to make wife Georgia doubt him and doesn’t want to set a foot a wrong.’
It was previously reported that former Miss England Georgia moved out of their marital home as they ‘weren’t together,’ but wanted to work on their relationship.
The pageant queen then moved back into their West London abode.
Addressing the scandal amid the fallout for the first time, Danny had written on his Instagram Story: ‘I want to deeply apologise to my wife and family.
‘I love them so much and we’ll continue to deal with this privately.’
Bafta TV nominations 2025
Drama series
Blue Lights – BBC One
Sherwood – BBC One
Supacell – Netflix
Wolf Hall: The Mirror And The Light – BBC One
Limited drama
Baby Reindeer – Netflix
Lost Boys And Fairies – BBC One
Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – ITV1
One Day – Netflix
Scripted comedy
Alma’s Not Normal (BBC Two)
Brassic (Sky Max)
G’Wed (ITV1)
Ludwig (BBC One)
Leading actress
Anna Maxwell Martin – Until I Kill You (ITV1)
Billie Piper – Scoop (Netflix)
Lola Petticrew – Say Nothing (Disney+)
Marisa Abela – Industry (BBC One)
Monica Dolan – Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV1)
Sharon D Clarke – Mr Loverman (BBC One)
Leading actor
David Tennant – Rivals (Disney+)
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
Lennie James – Mr Loverman (BBC One)
Martin Freeman – The Responder (BBC One)
Richard Gadd – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Toby Jones – Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV1)
Supporting actress
Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Katherine Parkinson – Rivals (Disney+)
Maxine Peake – Say Nothing – (Disney+)
Monica Dolan – Sherwood (BBC One)
Nava Mau – Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
Sue Johnston – Truelove (Channel 4)
Supporting actor
Ariyon Bakare, Mr Loverman (BBC One)
Christopher Chung, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC One
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
McKinley Belcher III, Eric (Netflix)
Sonny Walker, The Gathering (Channel 4)
Female performance in a comedy
Anjana Vasan – We Are Lady Parts (Channel 4)
Kate O’Flynn – Everyone Else Burns (Channel 4)
Lolly Adefope – The Franchise (Sky Comedy)
Nicola Coughlan – Big Mood (Channel 4)
Ruth Jones – Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (BBC One)
Sophie Willan – Alma’s Not Normal (BBC Two)
Male performance in a comedy
Bilal Hasna – Extraordinary (Disney+)
Danny Dyer – Mr Bigstuff (Sky Comedy)
Dylan Thomas-Smith – G’Wed (ITV2)
Nabhaan Rizwan – Kaos – Sister (Netflix)
Oliver Savell- Changing Ends (ITV1)
Phil Dunning – Smoggie Queens (BBC Three)
Soap
Casualty (BBC One)
Coronation Street (ITV1)
Eastenders (BBC One)
Entertainment programme
The 1% Club (ITV1)
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (BBC One)
Taskmaster (Channel 4)
Would I Lie To You? (BBC One)
Entertainment performance
Anthony McPartlin, Declan Donnelly – Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway – (ITV1)
Claudia Winkleman – The Traitors (BBC One)
Graham Norton – The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
Joe Lycett Late Night Lycett – (Channel 4)
Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett Rob & Romesh Vs (Sky Max)
Stacey Solomon Sort Your Life Out – (BBC One)
Factual entertainment
In Vogue: The 90s (Disney+)
Race Across The World (BBC One)
Rob And Rylan’s Grand Tour (BBC Two)
Sort Your Life Out (BBC One)
Reality
Dragons’ Den (BBC One)
The Jury: Murder Trial (Channel 4)
Love Is Blind (Netflix)
The Traitors (BBC One)
Daytime
Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure (BBC Two)
Loose Women (ITV1)
Morning Live (BBC One)
Richard Osman’s House Of Games (BBC Two)
International
After The Party (Channel 4)
Colin From Accounts (BBC Two)
Say Nothing (Disney+)
Shōgun (Disney+)
True Detective: Night Country (Sky Atlantic)
You Are Not Alone: Fighting The Wolfpack (Netflix)
Live event coverage
D-Day 80: Tribute To The Fallen (BBC One)
Glastonbury 2024 (BBC Two)
Last Night Of The Proms (BBC Two)
Current affairs
Life and Death in Gaza – Storyville (BBC Two)
Maternity: Broken Trust – Exposure (ITV1)
State of Rage (Channel 4)
Ukraine’s War: The Other Side (ITV1)
Single documentary
Hell Jumper (BBC Two)
Tell Them You Love Me (Sky Documentaries)
Ukraine: Enemy In The Woods (BBC Two)
Undercover: Exposing The Far Right (Channel 4)
Factual series
American Nightmare (Netflix)
Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams On Tour (BBC One)
The Push: Murder On The Cliff (Channel 4)
To Catch A Copper (Channel 4)
Specialist factual
Atomic People (BBC Two)
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love (National Geographic)
Children of the Cult (ITV1)
Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle For Britain (Channel 4)
News coverage
BBC Breakfast: Post Office Special (BBC News/BBC One)
Channel 4 News: Inside Sednaya – The Fall Of Assad (Channel 4 News/Channel 4)
Channel 4 News: Undercover Inside Reform’s Campaign (Channel 4 News/Channel 4)
Sports coverage
Euro 2024 (BBC Sport/BBC One)
Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport/BBC One)
Wimbledon 2024 (BBC Sport/Wimbledon Broadcast Services/BBC One)
Memorable moment
Bridgerton – ‘THE’ carriage scene where Colin admits his true feelings for Penelope (Netflix)
Gavin & Stacey: The Finale – Smithy’s Wedding: Mick Stands Up (BBC One)
Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – Jo Hamilton phones the Horizon helpline (ITV1)
Rivals – Rupert Campbell-Black and Sarah Stratton are caught in a game of naked tennis (Disney+)
Strictly Come Dancing – Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell Waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone (BBC One)
The Traitors – ‘Paul isn’t my son… but Ross is!’ (BBC One)
Short form
Quiet Life (BBC Three)
Brown Brit (Channel 4)
Peaked (Channel 4)