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Ilona Maher's Dancing with the Stars partner, Alan Bersten, recently shared his thoughts on why he hoped to get paired with the rugby icon for the 33rd season of the dance reality show. Bersten expressed his views on a recent episode of a podcast hosted by the rugby star and her sisters.
Olympic bronze medalist Ilona Maher participated in the last season of the dance reality show 'Dancing with the Stars' and was partnered with professional Latin and ballroom dancer Alan Bersten. The duo reached the finale and finished second, behind eventual winners Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson.
Bersten became the first guest on the 'House of Maher' podcast and shared his thoughts, highlighting his elation and why he wished for Maher to be his dance partner. He mentioned:
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“I was hoping it was her, for sure, yeah. Oh, just because I already saw her in the Olympics and I was like 'she's got a lot of impact, she's funny'. If I'm going to spend 5 hours with somebody every day, I want to have fun. You know, you don't want to be miserable.” [9:33 onwards]
With her debut in the dancing realm, Ilona Maher became the first rugby player to participate in the dance reality show. She also etched history by being the first female partner to lift her male partner on the show. Bersten, on the other hand, has participated in many editions of DWTS and won the 28th season of the show with model, author, and beauty pageant titleholder, Hannah Brown.
Ilona Maher on her journey of body positivity and self-acceptance
Ilona Maher has been an outspoken advocate for women's sport and body positivity. During an interview with CNN in January 2025, the 2017 MA Sorensen Award recipient reflected on her journey of self-acceptance and body positivity. She mentioned:
“So it was important for me to show many sides of me and the body positivity, body appreciation side kind of came naturally in a way because it is something that I feel strongly about. Also, with a lot of my content, I try to see what’s relatable for others. And it’s so interesting in my time of learning to appreciate my body, you kind of start to realize, ‘Oh, everybody has insecurities.’”
The American rugby sevens star recently concluded a successful stint with Premiership Women's Rugby League side Bristol Bears and is currently focusing on securing a spot on the USA Eagles for the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England.
