Ilona Maher was a surprise entrant at the latest season of the DWTS. While she openly admitted her lack of dancing skills, Maher attracted a swarm of criticism coming her way. Often called out for her muscular build, Maher once again had the demons coming after her. The initial episodes saw online haters tearing at the rugby union icon. Getting trolled for her looks, Maher did not bat an eye and went ahead on her merry DWTS way. 

As the days progressed, the rugby union star kept getting better and better at dancing. In fact, she started to gain a significant amount of fan base who loved her for her dancing skills. Taking one episode at a time, Maher worked hard on each of her dance routines and soon, the hard work paid off. Competing in an entertainment reality show for the first time, Maher found herself in the grand finale of the DWTS! A feat that many pro dancers fail to achieve despite years of practice. 

However, all the glitz and glamor of the DWTS has come to an end with the conclusion of its latest season. And thus, it is now time for Maher to get back to business as usual. In a recent announcement, the rugby union star hinted at getting back to her familiar territory. Her latest updates suggested that Maher will likely be a part of the upcoming Premiership Women’s Rugby. But ahead of the competition, guess who is feeling the butterflies in the stomach? 

In a recent interaction with the Bristol Bears on YouTube, Maher opened up about her mindset going into the championship. Despite being excited about getting back to the pitch once again, the rugby icon is feeling a little out of touch. After all, for the previous four months, she has done everything but touch a rugby ball. “Really excited to be getting back into rugby now. I’m excited, but I’m also nervous. I’ve taken some time off—it’s been, I think, four months or so since l’ve gotten hit. All I’ve been doing is dancing, which is a little different than rugby, but I am excited to get back to where my roots are, how this all started, and what’s gotten me to this point,” said Maher in the interview. 

Maher also spoke about how she has been keen on participating in the Premiership Women’s Rugby. The 28-year-old star praised the rebranded version of the competition and mentioned how there was immense room for growth as an athlete. Having listened to great things from her teammates about the PWR, Maher cannot wait to experience all the thrill for herself. Meanwhile, Maher’s time away from rugby not only made her a better dancer. She also earned a great friend in Alan Bersten.

Maher’s close bonding with Alan Bersten set off the romance alarms

Ilona Maher found a confidant dance partner in Alan Bersten. Teaching her the basics of dancing, the duo soon hit it off among themselves. While they continued to mesmerize the judges on stage, their behind-the-scenes chemistry also grew stronger with time. And the eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice their close bonding. Soon the rumor mills got to work and speculations about the duo sharing a romantic interest went off. 

Most fans urged the duo to get into a relationship while rooting for them to win the DWTS. Now Maher clarified having no romantic involvement with Bersten at the moment. But she loved to play along to how the fans reacted to their ratio. “Yeah, we see, we see it all over. And honestly, keep doing it, people. We love it. I think honestly, if ship means relationship, we are, we are the besties. We love it,” Maher said, reacting to the online rumors. 

When Dancing with the Stars wrapped up, Ilona Maher didn’t just leave the dance floor; she left a heartfelt thank-you note for Bersten, in the most Ilona way possible—a TikTok. The video was pure vibes, featuring hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, funny clips from the season, and set to For Good from Wicked (cue the tears). In the caption, she kept it simple but sweet: “Thank you for everything, Alan.” But her message over the video? That’s where the emotions really hit.

“Dear Alan,” she wrote, “No matter what happens, whether we win or lose, I will forever treasure our time together.” She talked about how she didn’t expect to form such a deep connection, how they laughed, cried, and fought their way through some tough moments on the dance floor. “We gave it our all. It was not always easy (Actually, it rarely was) but so worth it,” she added. Same, Ilona. Same.

She closed it with a tearjerker: “Just know … You always made me feel beautiful, powerful, and worthy out there. You have truly changed me for the better. I hope to have found a forever friend in you.”

With the duo snagging the runner-up trophy, it’s safe to say they ended the season on a high. As for those swirling rumors? For now, they’ll have to waltz on the back burner. But between balancing entertainment and sport, Ilona Maher continues to show us what it means to be a true modern-day icon.