Whether or not Dancing With the Stars contestant and Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher is actually shooting her shot with professional football player Danny Amendola, her real soulmate might just be hiding in plain sight. Who, you may ask? Her professional dance partner, Alan Bersten, of course.
For those who have not been keeping up with season 33, Ilona and Alan have been a force to be reckoned with, coasting their way to the top six — alongside Danny and Witney Carson, Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson, Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold, Dwight Howard and Daniella Karagach, and Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong— despite having some not-so-great scores.
Said scores for the season are as follows:
DWTS Premiere — Cha Cha to “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” by Shania Twain (18/30)
“Oscars Night” — Salsa to “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from Dirty Dancing (21/30)
“Soul Train Night” — Foxtrot to “Lady Marmalade” by Labelle (30/40)
“Hair Metal Night” — Jive to “Cum On Feel the Noize” by Quiet Riot (26/40)
“Dedications Night” — Rumba to “My Way” by Yseult (32/40)
“Disney Night” — Jazz to “Surface Pressure” from Encanto (25/30)
“Halloween Nightmares Night” — Tango to “Psycho Killer” by Miley Cyrus (24/30)
Topping the leaderboard during “Disney Night,” Ilona and Alan have had some impressive feats, to be sure. However, they haven’t been without their slip-ups, especially during “Halloween Nightmares Night” on Tuesday, Oct. 29. In fact, it’s shocking they are still in the competition. IMO, the reason they are still going strong is due to their undeniable chemistry, with Ilona and Alan shippers voting for the Dancing With the Stars duo week after week.
Shortly after “Halloween Nightmares Night,” Ilona told Good Morning America she is thankful for the fans keeping her in the competition, saying, “I think it was just very disappointing to be so low and to have to rely on, you know, fan votes and all, but I’m so happy that the fans really came through, because I do want to be in this competition.”
She continued, passionately, “I think Alan and I don’t want to cut our time short, like we want to go as far as we can. We’re having so much fun… The relationship we’re building, how much fun we’re having on the dance floor is truly something, [and] I think we had a fear in our hearts that it would end.”
Lucky for said Ilona and Alan shippers, the plot has thickened after a recent interview with Access Hollywood saw Ilona describe her dream date. Based on Alan’s mannerisms throughout the interview, who seemingly took note of everything Ilona was saying, it looks like the Dancing With the Stars pro is ready to take his partner on her dream date ASAP. How sweet is that?
“It’s not a dream date, but I, like, want somebody to wear my jersey while I play,” Ilona gushed, while Alan suggested that her boo thang should have a sign as well. Unsure if she was on board with the idea, Ilona replied, “Maybe, but he’s also like chill… I got some plans, but it’s in the works. I gotta put some things in motion.”
An overwhelming majority of the comments were calling out Alan for his antics throughout the interview who laughed alongside Ilona and chimed in on the conversation as much as he could:
“When Alan shows up to her game in her jersey will be the day I officially lose it. Platonic or not 😅”
“LOL Alan did everything but purchase a jersey in this interview.”
“Alan noting to himself not to bring a sign…”
“Get ready Alan! She’s waiting!!!!! ❤️”
On the other hand, some fans watched the above TikTok video objectively, hoping that Ilona finds her perfect partner, whoever that may be:
“She’s awesome, She deserves someone special.”
“Ilona needs a manly man that is hella funny 🫶🏻”
Needless to say, we will be keeping up with both Ilona and Alan’s social media activity for any further updates regarding their relationship, romantic or not…
To see whether or not they manage to take home the coveted Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, tune into brand-new episodes of Dancing With the Stars every Tuesday via ABC or Disney Plus, returning next week, Nov. 12 with the show’s 500th episode.
Set to perform a Quickstep to “Chuck Berry” by Pharrell Williams — inspired by Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold’s performance in season 25 — Ilona and Alan’s performance is certain to be one for the books!