“I feel like I won the lottery. Ilona is awesome,” Alan Bersten, Rugby star Ilona Maher’s DWTS partner had said about her. Indeed, Bersten is putting that to best use as the duo made it to the final six after the October 29 episode of Halloween Nightmares. Despite not finding their place among the best scorers of the night and losing their dance-off against Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach, the pair escaped elimination this week.

“We’re not ready to go home yet, and we’re not ready to stop what we’re building here and how much fun we’re having,” Maher told Us Weekly after the episode. We get that. So is that why the two are missing each other while the show takes a brief break? Seems so!

There will be no episode of the show on November 5 for ABC’s Election Night coverage. But it seems the pair is not enjoying the break much without each other. Ilona, who became a social media sensation with her funny and candid TikTok videos during the Games, posted a dramatic video on Instagram, pretending to wipe a tear away. The song “Where Is My Mind” by Maxence Cyrin was playing in the background.

In typical Ilona fashion, she joked in the caption, “Realizing Alan probably hasn’t laughed in two days because we’ve been apart,” and tagged Alan, asking, “Are you okay?”

And guess what? Alan, who previously won DWTS season 28 with former Bachelorette Hannah Brown, responded with plenty of love and even commented, “I’m hanging in there. But it’s tough. Can you get back here already?” While it seems like their relationship is strictly professional for now, there’s definitely a playful energy between them. With Alan being single, some fans are wondering if Ilona might have other plans in mind. Well, we can not entirely stop thinking that, especially when it is the second such instance within a week!

In an interview with Good Morning America just a week back, Ilona was listing the qualities she would look for in her partner. “I think somebody who is very proud of me, who is kind, who understands my humor, who is ready to eat…” Ilona was saying.

Alan, standing beside her, quickly chimed in, “You’re listing a lot of things about me!” to which Ilona jokingly said, “Please stop talking.” While we do not know if something is cooking, there is no doubt that the two admire each other a lot when it comes to working together. As they head to the show’s historic 500th episode on November 12, they shower each other with praise.

“I’m excited. I wanted Alan because I had seen that he can be tough on his partners, which is scary, but also I’ve always responded well to that with coaching and whatnot, He allows me to express myself and really wants me to. I think he sees the value in that personality and showing myself on the dance floor, as well. So, it’s a good environment to thrive in” Ilona had said ahead of the season.

Letting her to be herself was so crucial for Ilona because she had to face a lot in her life for her muscular build. So Ilona thinks that Alan is helping her show the public her feminine side.

“I think it’s going to be good for girls to see a muscular, strong woman out there, like being feminine dancing with a gorgeous man like Alan here,” Ilona, who is the first of her kind to compete on the series, said. “So I think it’s going to show a lot. I think girls will really love to see it,” she had further added.

Being a professional athlete, approaching the competition was tough, because she did not know if her body can handle the dance moves. And if you are thinking that was the only struggle, think again. “I have to get used to wearing heels though, because I think we’re gonna practice in heels,” Ilona had said ahead of the premier. But it was the space Alan gave her did the wonders.

Alan said he wanted “Ilona to be Ilona” when it comes to the competition. “I don’t want her to just be a ballroom dancer. She’s so special and I want America to see that,” Alan had said. Couple that with Ilona’s hard work.

“Here’s the deal: We learn a step, and then we do that step 200 times. And then we add on a step, and then we do that step 200 times. Then, we just put the pieces together, and there’s so many little fixes. It’s like, ‘OK, now you did that right, but can you add the hand?’ ‘OK, you did this, the hand, right, but can you add this?’ So it’s, like, adding these pieces on this puzzle to make the [complete version],” Ilona had explained their practice to Us Weekly. With all that, the duo has kept on improving week after week. But Alan thinks more improvements are still there on the cards.

In the Halloween episode, the two scored 24 out of 30 for their spooky tango to “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads, which was the lowest among the pairs that performed in the night. Judge Bruno Tonioli stated that Maher, 28, improved her frame but needed to work on her footwork. Derek Hough agreed with Tonioli’s comments, while Carrie Ann Inaba claimed that Maher may have accidentally thrown herself off balance by whipping her head around too hard. But Alan is seeing only the positives in this.

“We’re here to learn and we’re going to keep growing. So next week, we’re going to make sure to take heel steps. That is going to be priority number one. But I am so proud of Ilona because her frame was amazing. Her head actions were amazing. Her sharpness, her legs, everything was so pristine. I’m so glad and I’m so proud of her,” Alan said on Tuesday. But as the competition goes on becoming tougher, the fun part is not missing. Keeping that alive, Ilona Maher dropped some funny details about relationships.

Ilona Maher’s DMs are flooded with messages, but not from who you’d expect!

Ilona Maher has been pretty open about her relationship status, which has definitely caught people’s attention during her time on Dancing With the Stars. One of the most surprising things she’s shared is that she’s “never had a boyfriend,” which has led to a lot of curiosity from fans. But here’s the twist: instead of romantic messages from guys, her DMs have been flooded with love from “very positive moms” who are eager to play matchmaker!

These moms seem to be all about setting her up, and it’s kind of hilarious to see them rooting for her in such a fun and supportive way. It looks like Ilona’s love life may not be a typical DWTS story after all!

Ilona humorously shared, “Where’s the NFL players? Where’d they go? I thought there’d be more. No billionaires in here? I thought there’d be more.’ It’s okay, but I love you moms. Keep sending me DMs. I love them.” Despite the playful tone, it’s clear that she appreciates the love and encouragement coming from these well-meaning moms, who are eager to set her up with someone special.As the show continues, it’s evident that while Ilona may not be finding love through her DMs, she’s not shutting the door on romance entirely. Listen to this.

After her appearance on “Dancing With the Stars” on October 29, Ilona opened up about the possibility of searching for romance on national television. When asked whether she would consider taking on the role of the next lead on “The Bachelorette,” Ilona didn’t hold back. “That’s what we were thinking!” she teased.

Though excited at the idea of choosing from upwards of 25 potential suitors, Ilona said, “I don’t know if I could do it,” adding that it might be “too much.” Meanwhile, Alan Bersten chimed in. According to him, while “dating 30 men might be hard,” he had full confidence that SI Swimsuit’s September digital issue cover model could be up to the task. Maher jokingly replied, “I will take that on… I will do that for America. I will date 30 men for America if that’s what you really want to see.”

Well, Alan is single, and the two share undeniable chemistry both on and off the dance floor. Though Ilona has flirted with Danny Amendola, there’s something about her connection with Alan that has many wondering if there’s more beneath the surface. Her supporters are keeping an eye as this captivating pair’s friendly chemistry takes a serious turn. The excitement surrounding this pair is definitely building.