Ilona Maher and her Dancing With The Stars partner, Alan Bersten, just wowed everyone with their Disney-inspired performance to “Surface Pressure,” scoring their first awesome 9 of the season! For Ilona, stepping into the shoes of Luisa Madrigal from Encanto was super special, as it tied into her own story. But things took a competitive twist as they geared up for the Thursday Night Football showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

As excitement buzzed through the Inglewood venue, Ilona rocked a blue and yellow Rams jersey, proudly backing her team, while Alan went all-in for the Vikings. It looks like the heat of one of football’s biggest rivalries has fired up their friendship! And now, their roles have been switched up too!

On October 24, Ilona Maher hopped on Instagram to drop a fun video of her and Alan on the turf. In the clip, Ilona showed off some killer rugby moves, playfully tackling Alan and sending him sprawling onto the grass, while he let out a mock groan. The video featured a cheeky caption that read, “Been wanting to do this all season,” capturing her excitement perfectly! In her post, she wrote, “Now I got to teach Alan something 🏈,” highlighting her mission to show him the ropes of rugby in her own playful style.

They definitely stole fans’ hearts as the comments section lit up with one fan declaring, “America’s sweethearts ❤️❤️”—and honestly, who could argue? Just days ago, they wowed everyone on the dance floor, with Ilona pouring her heart into a performance that held personal meaning for her. Remember when she threw a stiff-arm move and knocked a Japanese player aside at the 2021 Olympics? Imagining her dancing may have seemed a bit unexpected at first!

But Ilona knows who to flip the script! Ilona Maher totally transformed from the tough-as-nails rugby player into a dazzling dancer, reinterpreting what the original Disney character stood for. And let’s be real—Alan was right there, helping her shine and show the world this new side of herself! But this was just the beginning of the love that the duo received!

Fans flood Ilona Maher and partner with love

The love kept pouring in for Ilona Maher and her DWTS partner, Alan Bersten, with one fan playfully chiming in, “He couldn’t cha cha himself out of that.” Who could forget the electric moment from last month’s Dancing with the Stars premiere, when Ilona and Alan lit up the stage with a fierce cha-cha to Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like a Woman! Their high-energy performance earned an 18/30 from the judges, but it was Ilona’s playful tackle in a recent video that really showed Alan couldn’t dodge her moves, on or off the dance floor!

One fan was fully team Ilona and Rams, commenting with a playful nudge, “Looks like you went easy on him. Give it all you’ve got after you win. 😂” When Ilona humorously tackled Alan, fans expected a bit more force in the playful takedown, urging her to go all out—especially if her chosen team, the Rams, came out on top. Well, in a turn of events perfect for Rams fans, the latest updates reveal a Rams victory over the Vikings, 30-20! So, Ilona’s team didn’t just win on the turf; they scored big in fan spirit too.

One fan couldn’t help but comment, “I love you guys Chemistry so much, I hope this friendship last. ❤️” And honestly, it’s so true! On “Disney Night,” Ilona and Alan brought that spark to the stage with a jazz routine to Encanto’s “Surface Pressure.” Ilona totally channeled Luisa Madrigal, showing off her strength as she lifted Alan, who was decked out in a hilarious donkey costume as a nod to Luisa’s famous donkey lifts. And in a freestyle number to “I 2 I” from A Goofy Movie, she even lifted and spun fellow contestant Chandler Kinney! Their chemistry and hard work scored them their first 9 and an overall 25/30, locking in their spot for next week.