Maura Higgins bags new TV gig as she is set to take part in Cooking With The Stars

The Longford model took to Instagram on Monday to reveal that she will participate on the show with professional chef Jack Stein.

Taking to Instagram she shared a snap of the pair and wrote: “Excited to announce that I’ll be taking part in Cooking with the Stars on ITV.”

Sharing another snap she wrote: “Very lucky to be working with Rick Stein.”

Stein is the son of world famous chef Rick Stein.

Other famous faces set to compete on the second series of the show include Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton Du Beke, The Chase’s Anne Hegarty and Olympic Athlete Dame Kelly Holmes.

TV doctor Raji Singh will be mentored by Irish chef Clodagh McKenna.

The show will once again be hosted by Emma Willis and Tom Allen.

McFly star Harry Judd won the first season of the show in 2021.

It comes as the 31-year-old recently returned to work following a mysterious illness.

Last month she took to Instagram to reassure her fans she is undergoing tests to figure out what is wrong.

“Thanks for all your lovely messages,” she said.

“A lot of you are looking for a Q&A on like what’s going on with me and stuff but I can’t do a Q&A because I’m as much in the dark as you guys. This is why I’m getting tests done.”

“However, we did figure something out today, well when I say we, obviously the doctor. I’ve got severe inflammation around my bladder,” she explained.

“Like my bladder is inflamed and we don’t know why. Obviously I have to get more tests done.”

“But yeah, very strange.”

Maura said that she went for an ultrasound and also urged women to go for their scheduled smear tests.

“I actually went in for an ultrasound today. That was the appointment. So obviously you go in and you talk, and all this jazz and whatever. He was doing like an internal check type thing,” she said.

“I don’t want to go into too much details because I know it grosses people out or whatever… anyway, so afterwards I turned around and said to him ‘oh my God that felt a bit like a smear test’ and he said ‘It was’.”

But this is my point because I know a lot of you message me about the smear test… if anyone ever says to you that a smear test is painful, uncomfortable, anything – they are drama queens.”

“I’ve had smears test in the past and it never hurt. I’ve had a smear today and I didn’t even know I was getting one. It was absolutely fine.”

“I’ve had messages from women at the NHS saying that women actually cancel their smears because they’re so scared and they feel uncomfortable.”

“There is no need to feel uncomfortable. These gynaecologists, doctors and nurses have seen hundreds and hundreds of vaginas every day…”

“My point is get your smear test. It is so so, so important.”

In February, the model told fans she she lost a stone in weight after she was struck down with a mysterious illness that left her exhausted and bed bound.

She said she was “living off cereal” after she got sick.

“I don’t think I have ever been so unwell,” she said.

Posting a snap of a bubble bath she added: “After three full days in bed, I finally have the energy to wash myself. (Disgusting I know).”