Last week of Dancing with the Stars saw Ilona Maher switch things up for Disney night. Ilona and her partner Alan Bersten had a beautiful jazz routine in place. They danced to Surface Pressure from Encanto. The performance was an absolute hit amongst both fans and judges. Derek Hough even went on to say, “You’re so captivating while you dance.” But then he went on to point out that the balance between dance and storytelling was missing. Then came the Halloween episode!

In the last aired episode, Ilona and Alan get on the floor to do some tango. The song of choice? Well, they picked “Psycho Killer” by Miley Cyrus! While their choreography and moves had caught the attention of many, the judges seemed to disagree. The duo ended up with a score of 24. A rather concerning score at this stage of the competition. But worry not, while the judges might be wary of Ilona’s performances, DWTS veterans and fans are by her side.

DWTS Veteran Cheryl Burke, all praises for Ilona Maher!

In an episode of S** Lies and Spray Tans, two-time winner of Dancing with the Stars Cheryl Burke went on to discuss the last aired episode. And she had some tea to spill! She said, “If Ilona doesn’t go home, the votes for her are absolutely insane.” So, how would that have happened if her dance performance had not been the best? Well, recently, Ilona Maher posted a video on Instagram talking about an awful situation she was in recently.

Recently, Ilona was at a nail salon when the staff asked her to stay longer to ensure their safety after a suspicious man entered. Despite Ilona’s services being over, she decided to stay. The selfless gesture, while not intended for votes, sure did affect them! So much so that Cheryl went on to add, “I’ll give them a vote or two. I haven’t voted yet this season, but I love her that much.” But that’s not all Cheryl said, she even had something to say about “A conspiracy.”

As Cheryl Burke herself puts it, “That is something that we can definitely say is not a conspiracy, but she definitely has the most votes out of every couple that’s left.” So, what is the conspiracy in question here? Many have pointed out issues with Carrie Ann Inaba, one of the judge’s scoring choices. While many contestants seem to get 10s, Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten were among the few who didn’t. In fact, their scores landed them at the bottom of the leaderboard. Despite it all, there is still optimism in the air.

Cheryl Burke went on to add, “Y’all voting for her, continue voting because, with those types of votes that I can only imagine what they are, she’s making the final.” You heard her folks, Ilona Maher, because of the insurmountable love from the public, might just make it to the finals. But before that, how did Ilona feel about the performance?

While the veteran is all praise, Ilona herself remains disappointed!

Last week, when Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten hit the floor, one of the main feedback they got was to “Balance storytelling and dance.” The duo did, of course, work on the feedback. But it seems like somewhere, they fell short. Ilona’s performance even went on to say, “We all got spooked. It was tough because I really feel like I’m improving, and then things like this happen and, you know, the lowest scores. Even the lowest scores—even if I had won the dance-off—would still be the lowest…it was disappointing.” It’s definitely a tough pill to swallow. Especially when your competitors are getting 10s like it’s a piece of cake!

Alan went on to talk about the judging panel’s critiques post-performance. “Even though the critiques were hard, I felt like this was a win for us because Ilona came out there and just did so well with the dancing, in my opinion. And we’re just going to keep going,” he added. With a conspiracy brewing under the carpet and eliminations fast approaching, the last few episodes of DWTS are going to be a spectacle to watch. While Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten may work on the feedback and routine, the real question now is, will the judges come around? Or will Ilona Maher’s dance floor journey come to an end? Only time and, of course, judges will tell!