Ilona Maher playfully blames DWTS partner Alan Bersten for nose injury to choreographer Daniella Karagach

Ilona Maher hilariously blamed her Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) partner Alan Bertsen for choreographer Daniella Karagach's nose injury. The two dancers had head-bumped into each other during a practice session and the Olympian didn't miss the chance to tease Bersten.

Maher is herself struggling with a broken nose after colliding with three players in the Bristol Bears match against Leicester Tigers on Saturday, January 18. The Olympic medalist shared a hilarious video afterward about how people would react "on the street" to her broken nose.

"Guys, stop fighting over me. There’s enough to go around,” she said in the clip, bashfully tucking her hair behind her ears. “What? I am a model. Thank you so much. Oh, you’ve already fallen in love? It’ll pass. It'll pass," she said

Karagach, who was paired with basketball player Dwight Howard for last year's DWTS, commented on Maher's post and said she looked the same after head bumping into Bertsen.

"Girl me and @alanbersten bumped heads in our dance and I look the same right now😂," she wrote

Maher joked that it was all Bersten's fault, writing:

"@daniellakaragach I just know it was his fault @alanbersten what did you do to perfect Daniella?!?."

Ilona Maher and Daniella Karagach comments (via Instagram)

Maher was paired up with Bersten following an impressive campaign with the US Rugby Sevens team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The pair lit up the show with their performances, winning silver during the finale in November, while Karagach and Howard finished sixth.

It was Karagach's fifth appearance on the show after having won the Mirrorball trophy with another basketball player, Iman Shumpert, during the 30th season in 2021.

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Ilona Maher felt 'weaker' after DWTS appearance with Alan Bersten

Exeter Chiefs v Bristol Bears - Ilona Maher in action - Source: Getty

Speaking in an interview with Parade ahead of her debut for Bristol Bears earlier this month, Ilona Maher revealed that she felt weaker following her appearance on the 33rd season of Dancing With the Stars due to a lack of weight training.

“I feel weaker, which isn’t something that I would like to be. I always love to be stronger. I’ve always found my body is for a purpose, not for aesthetics. I go for function over form. So, it was tough for me to be in this environment where I was using my body a different way, where I wasn’t strength training or running,” Ilona Maher said

Maher signed a three-month contract with Bristol in the Premiership Women's Rugby season. The 26-year-old made her debut against Gloucester-Hartpury as a substitute before registering her first try and an assist during the team's away win over Exeter Chiefs, which also marked her first full PWR rugby 15s debut.