It appears the weeks of gruelling training have paid off as Maura Higgins made a triumphant debut on Dancing With The Stars on Wednesday night. The former Love Island star, 35, secured her spot at the top of the leaderboard after she and her partner Mark Ballas performed an incredible Traitors themed Foxtrot to Alannah Myles’ Black Velvet. Maura, who came runner up on the US version of the hit show last year, was supported by her fellow Traitors co-stars Rob Rausch and Lisa Rinna. Rob famously betrayed Maura at the final roundtable after he stole the $220,800 prize money from her grasp.He later vowed to use a portion of his prize money to buy the star her dream Birkin handbag. And as he supported from the front row, Rob was seen beaming as he held the designer bag with a note attached urging fans to vote for Maura. Maura Higgins’ triumphant DWTS debut: The star was supported by her castle co-stars Rob Rausch and Lisa Rinna as she topped the leaderboard with Traitors-inspired foxtrot As he supported from the front row, Rob was seen beaming as he held the designer bag with a note attached urging fans to vote for MauraMeanwhile Lisa praised her pal after the performance as she gushed: ‘I am so happy for them. Oh my god She killed it. They killed it. ‘She was so nervous and I just knew you are going to be great. She was fabulous, she had the character she was so right on the money. I am so proud, I feel like a proud mother of Irish child.’Maura was also surprised to find herself at the top of the leaderboard as she told the cameras: ‘I am being honest, I have never danced, I am not a performer. I’ve never had a dance lesson in my life. ‘I am in shock too. But I have worked hard and my God is he [Mark] a good teacher because if I was him I would slap me and I am deadly serious. I do not know how you have that patience because I couldn’t do it.’Maura’s dancefloor debut comes after her pairing with her pal and Shirley Ballas’s son Mark reportedly sparked a ‘fix row’ with her unimpressed co-stars.After her pairing with Mark was revealed and the star was seen rubbing shoulders with judge Bruno Tonioli on a night out, her co-stars are allegedly not best pleased. A source revealed: ‘Maura’s been rubbing everyone up the wrong way, even before their first spray tans have dried.’She was desperate to be partnered with Mark, who’s hugely popular, and was dead against Gleb, who’s now out of a job. It’s as if what Maura says goes.’They told The Sun: ‘She’s even made sure to get close to judge Bruno Tonioli and wasted no time posing arm-in-arm with him after a night out. The former Love Island star, 35, secured her spot at the top of the leaderboard after she and her partner Mark Ballas performed a Traitors themed Foxtrot to Alannah Myles’ Black Velvet Maura was also surprised to find herself at the top of the leaderboard as she told the cameras: ‘I am in shock too. But I have worked hard and my God is he [Mark] a good teacher’ Meanwhile Lisa praised her pal after the performance as she gushed: ‘I am so happy for them. Oh my god She killed it. They killed it’ Maura was later seen arriving at Craig’s restaurant in West Hollywood following her successful evening ‘It’s not gone unnoticed within the cast that she’s being favoured. It’s as if she’s being set up to win.’ the Daily Mail contacted Maura’s representatives for comment at the time.But The Traitors star has brushed off the drama surrounding her involvement in the show, and recently said she wants to deliver a ‘really good performance’.Prior to the show beginning she said: ‘There’s definitely pressure. You want to give the audience a really good performance. ‘But I mean, everyone can do their best, and I’m definitely going to do mine. I am giving it my all. I’ve never danced in my life. So it’s very, very new for me. But I just want to enjoy it.’Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Maura added: ‘It’s very early days, but my God, my body has taken a shock. ‘I was expecting it to be hard, but holy God. It’s a serious battering; the blisters are something else. But I’m just loving it. I’m honestly loving it so far.’