Alix Earle and Maura Higgins Talk Intense ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Days on ‘Get Real With Me’

The latest episode of Alix Earle’s Get Real With Me was a mashup of SI Swimsuit and Dancing With the Stars greatness as the content creator welcomed Maura Higgins to the YouTube show. There, the duo opened up about their time on the hit ABC dance competition and how intense those performance days can be, both on and off the ballroom floor.

Needless to say, Earle and Higgins have a lot in common. Aside from being popular content creators and tastemakers, they’re both beloved members of the SI Swimsuit family. Earle has posed for the brand three times, debuting in 2024 as the cover star of the inaugural digital issue in Miami. She returned in 2025 for her sophomore shoot in Jamaica, and in 2026, she landed her first in-print cover with her beautiful Botswana feature.

Meanwhile, Higgins joined the magazine this summer, strutting her stuff on the catwalk at the 2026 SI Swimsuit Runway Show (and you can still stream the full show on Hulu and Disney+!). And of course, they both have a storied history with DWTS, which they candidly chatted about on the latest episode of Earle’s YouTube series.

For those out of the loop, Earle appeared on Season 34 of the show, where she was partnered with pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy. Throughout the competition, the duo became a hit with the judges and the audience, regularly earning a spot at the top of the leaderboard. They ultimately finished in second behind conservationist Robert Irwin and his partner, Witney Carson.

Meanwhile, Higgins hit the ballroom floor this year as part of the Season 35 cast hot off her fan-favorite showing on The Traitors. She was also one of the first stars announced for the cast during summer alongside the recently eliminated Ciara Miller. The model and her partner, Mark Ballas, have had an incredible run over the last four weeks, earning the first “9” of the season during “Mariah Carey Night” for their wonderful waltz to “If It’s Over.”

On Get Real With Me, Higgins and Earl opened up about how the program ended up being much “harder than it looks,” both physically and mentally. “It’s stressful and—besides the dances—you’re, like, filming the interviews; you’re on camera 24/7,” Earle said, in part, later adding, “You’re honestly not prepared for how much, like ... negative feedback you get because that’s all it is in the beginning.”

Earle also revealed that her favorite style to dance during the season was the pasodoble, which Higgins expressed excitement to tackle in future weeks. From there, Earle asked how Ballas was as a partner, and Higgins quickly sang his praises—though she was also cautious about future routines.

“I mean, we are having so much fun, which I’m loving. Like, I didn’t expect to have this much fun,” Higgins said. “But I have a feeling that as the weeks go on, it’s just going to get really strict.”

To watch their full episode of Get Real With Me on YouTube, click here.

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