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Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten were a fan favorite pair on season 33 of Dancing With The Stars. Recently, Bersten opened up about his feelings on being paired with the Olympic medalist for the show.
Maher, one of the most popular rugby athletes in the USA, joined Dancing With The Stars after her stint at the Paris Olympics, where she led her team to the bronze medal. On DWTS, Maher and Bersten were an immediate hit as they delivered some iconic performances, including a dance where the Olympian recreated the character of ‘Luisa’ from the Disney movie Encanto.
Recently, Alan Bersten made an appearance on Ilona Maher’s podcast, and reflected on being teamed up with the rugby star. Bersten explained than he got ‘very, very lucky’ to be partnered with her, saying (at 16:49),
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“You never know what to expect, and so I got very, very lucky with you Ilona. I'll tell everyone, she is what Dancing with the Stars is. You want to take somebody who doesn't dance, who doesn't know what they're doing, who goes out there, who's nervous, and you turn them into somebody who can actually dance.”
He went on to highlight Maher's growth as a dancer while on the show, explaining,
“I will safely say I don't think there's ever been somebody who has come on the show and embraced it more and has learned more and came out a different person in regards to dancing at least.”
During their appearance on Dancing With The Stars, Maher and Bersten made it all the way to the finals, where they finished as the runners-up. The duo's highest score came in their last performance, a freestyle on ‘Femininomenon’, where they scored a perfect 30.
Alan Bersten reveals his first impression of Ilona Maher
Over the course of their partnership on Dancing With The Stars, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten developed a close bond. The duo often shared glimpses of their antics together with fans, showing off their preparations for the performances.
In his appearance on ‘The House of Maher’ podcast, Bersten revealed his first impression of the Olympic medalist. He recalled being excited to have been paired up with her, saying (at 7:56),
“I was very excited you were my partner. We walked in, we started dancing and I was like ‘Okay yeah this is going to be fun, it's going to be a long season’. Honestly I didn't know what to expect. We've never had a rugby player on the show and I never realized how athletic you could be, which is such a blessing especially on the show.”
After wrapping up their season of Dancing With The Stars, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten reunited for the DWTS Tour, when Maher made an appearance on the tour's last two stops in California.
