“Such a sweet person”— Dancing with the Stars contestant Joey Graziadei praises Ilona Maher

Dancing with the Stars has audiences hooked with their favorite stars being paired with professional dancers. Two of the most appreciated contestants in season 33 are Ilona Maher and Joey Graziadei, who have been in the spotlight due to their chemistry with their partners and in-sync dance performances.

After winning the audiences' hearts and receiving high scores from the judges, both contestants are ready to perform in the season 33 semi-finals. During a conversation with Sports Illustrated Swim Suit on November 17, 2024, Joey talked about his connection with his co-star Ilona.

As fans may know, Ilona won the first bronze medal from Team USA's side at the Paris Olympics. She will be performing alongside Joey at the semi-finals as fans hope they both make it to the finals as well. Joey praised Ilona for being "such a sweet person" with whom he had a "fun" time on the show. He also talked about his bond with Ilona and that he enjoyed to getting know her, he continued:

“She’s just such a sweet person and I’ve enjoyed all parts of [getting to know her]. It’s just fun to go through this with someone else that you can bond over it all with, too. It’s easy with Ilona, it really is.”

As per the show's concept, couples compete against one another and perform according to the theme of the challenge. The show's synopsis reads as,

"The hit series in which celebrities perform choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts."

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Joey Graziadei shares his hopes for Dancing with the Stars semi-finals

Dancing with the Stars contestant Joey Graziadei told Sports Illustrated Swim Suit on November 17, 2024, that he was glad to have met Ilona. Before joining the dance competition reality TV series, Joey shared that he had hopes of meeting people he would get along with. The Bachelor alum explained:

“It‘s been crazy. I mean, you do something like this and you hope you get to meet other contestants that you can really get along with, and, from the beginning Ilona has just been everything and more."

As fans know, Joey and Ilona have received high scores throughout the competition and will be performing in the semi-finals. Looking back at his journey on Dancing with the Stars, Joey shared he was "excited and hopeful" about being "in this competition all the way to the end." He further said:

“I’m excited. I’m hopeful. I would love to keep being in this competition all the way to the end. But, it’s always [about] just taking it week by week. To get this far has been unbelievable and I want to keep going.”

Dancing with the Stars season 33 episode 9 titled Semi-Finals will air exclusively on ABC on November 19, 2024, followed by the finale which will be released on November 26, 2024. The upcoming episode synopsis reads as the following:

"Each of the five couples take the stage to showcase two all-new performances as they fight for a spot in the finale."

All previous episodes of Dancing with the Stars season 33 are available to stream on Disney Plus. Follow the show's official Instagram page to stay updated with episode teasers and sneak peeks.