Inside Maura Higgins' relationship with Barry McGuigan's son Shane

22 November 2024, 12:24 | Updated: 25 November 2024, 12:13

Maura Higgins' relationship with Barry McGuigan's son Shane explained
Maura Higgins' relationship with Barry McGuigan's son Shane explained. Picture: Getty / Instagram

By Abbie Reynolds

Here are all the details on Maura Higgins' relationship with fellow I'm A Celeb star Barry McGuigan's son Shane.

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Those ITV producers love a bit of drama, don't they? They turned up the heat when they threw Irish bombshell Maura Higgins into the Love Island mix back in 2019 and now they've put her in a jungle with her ex's Dad!

That's right, as news of Maura entering I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! surfaced so has her dating history. Not only has she revealed one ex wronged her so badly she scrubbed the toilet with his toothbrush, but news that she dated fellow camper Barry McGuigan's son back in the day has also come out.

Prior to her Love Island fame, Maura was a ring girl and, with Barry being a legend in the field of boxing, it's no surprise their paths have crossed but who knew it'd be in this way.

Here's everything we know about Maura's relationship with Shane McGuigan.

Barry McGuigan and son Shane McGuigan
Barry McGuigan and son Shane McGuigan. Picture: Getty

When did Maura Higgins date Shane McGuigan?

Maura Higgins, 33, briefly dated Barry McGuigan's son, Shane McGuigan, 36, back in 2018 after meeting while Maura was working as a ring girl, a year before she went on Love Island.

Maura was booked as a ring girl for the David Haye vs Tony Bellew rematch and Shane was doing the commentary for a radio station.

How long did Maura Higgins date Shane McGuigan date?

It's been said their romance was "short-lived" so, although we don't know the timeline for sure since Maura entered Love Island the year after they dated, it's safe to assume they were together for less than a year.

Maura dated her campmate's son
Maura dated her campmate's son. Picture: ITV

Why did Maura Higgins and Shane McGuigan break up?

According to a tabloid source they broke up due to struggling with long-distance. At the time,, Maura still lived in Ireland at the time, while Shane lived and worked in South West London.

An insider said: "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.

"There were no hard feelings when it ended. It turned out to be short lived and the spark fizzled out."

Who is Shane McGuigan dating now?

Shane is engaged to Taylor West who is a singer/songwriter from Buckinghamshire. They have two sons, Finley, who was born in 2022, and Calean who they welcomed in 2024.

Shane with his fiancé and eldest son
Shane with his fiancé and eldest son. Picture: Instagram

Has Maura Higgins met Barry McGuigan already?

As there hasn't been a lot of info on Maura's relationship with Shane, the only way we'll know if she met his dad Barry is when they see each other in the jungle. At the time of writing, Maura is in a separate camp to Barry.

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