"First Tuesday without a show" - Ilona Maher's dance partner Alan Bersten reacts to first week after the grand finale of DWTS

Olympic medalist Ilona Maher's dance partner Alan Bersten recently reacted to the first week without her after the grand finale at 'Dancing with the Stars'. The dancing duo had finished as runners-up in the 33rd season of the dance reality show.

A day ago, Maher posted an Instagram reel, where she expressed her reaction on life post-DWTS. The reel was titled 'When it's Tuesday and there's no Dancing with the Stars'. The 28-year-old rugby player wrote in the caption,

"@alanbersten how are you? How’d you sleep? What did you eat today? (We literally message everyday)"

Alan Bersten replied to the post with another reel, where he was shown sitting with his puppy. He wrote in the caption,

"First Tuesday without a show. @ilonamaher what am I supposed to do? Do I still text 'ILONA' to 21523?"

Ilona Maher had partnered with Alan Bersten for the 33rd season of 'Dancing with the Stars'. The dancing duo went on to make it to the grand finale. Despite a brilliant score of 57 out of 60 in the grand finale, Maher and Bersten missed out on the mirrorball trophy due to an audience vote. 'The Bachelor' star Joey Graziadei and dance partner Jenna Johnson won the top honors.

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Ilona Maher on Alan Bersten's contribution at Dancing with the Stars

Ilona Maher on Alan Bersten's contribution at Dancing with the Stars [Image for Representational Purposes] [Image Source : Getty]

After a historic performance at the women's rugby sevens event, Ilona Maher impressed everyone with her dance skills at 'Dancing with the Stars'. She has been extremely grateful to her dance partner Alan Bersten, and has expressed it on several occasions, including just after the grand finale.

In a conversation with 'Extra TV', Maher opened up on her experience with Bersten at the dance reality show. In her words,

"I think that there's always room to improve and like it can beat you down, but there's just, I mean I had some really tough episodes this season, but I felt like I always came back stronger, and um I'm just really really proud of myself honestly." [0:23 onwards]

When asked about her equation with Bersten, the rugby player quickly replied,

"I'm proud of Alan for sticking with me and being patient with me."

Bersten also mentioned,

"Honestly I learned so much from Ilona. She lives every moment, and she brings so much happiness, and honestly it made me a happier person, and I can't wait to live my life knowing that me and Ilona are good friends!"

Ilona Maher plays as a utility back for the US women's rugby sevens team. She has joined the English club Bristol Bears for a three-month contract and will play in both the center and the wing positions.