Dancing With the Stars semi-finalist Ilona Maher might be #SingleAF — despite speculation that she is dating her professional dance partner, Alan Bersten — but contrary to some of her previous comments, that does not mean that she is ready to be the next Bachelorette.
For those who might have missed it, shortly after “Halloween Nightmares Night” came to a close — where Ilona and Alan earned a 24 out of 30 for their oh-so steamy tango to “Psycho Killer” by Miley Cyrus — the Dancing With the Stars duo had a quick conversation with Good Morning America.
In said conversation, Ilona admitted that she would be interested in being the next Bachelorette lead, as she is a hopeless romantic with nobody besides “very positive moms” in her DMs. After all, with Bachelor Nation alums Joey Graziadei and Jenn Tran competing on Dancing With the Stars alongside Ilona, and with the The Bachelorette and Dancing With the Stars both airing on ABC, it’s not that far fetched of an idea…
Naturally, fans were as eager as can be just envisioning Ilona as the leading lady:
“I haven’t watched The Bachelorette in years, but I would be sat every week for Ilona 🫡”
“THAT IS WHAT WE WANT TO SEE”
“Wait!!! I’ve never watched Bachelorette, but I would for her 1000000%”
“Ilona for Bachelorette YES! 🙌🏻”
“Ilona for Bachelorette. Ilona for president. Ilona for everything!”
Unfortunately for fans of The Bachelorette and Dancing With the Stars, just two weeks later — shortly after the 500th episode of Dancing With the Stars wrapped — Ilona walked back her comments, admitting to Entertainment Tonight that her dream of being the Bachelorette was merely a joke that got out of hand.
Here’s what she had to say about the situation:
When asked about her dream of being the Bachelorette once more, Ilona exclaimed, “Oh my gosh! Stop spreading lies. Alan and I jokingly said that last week, because yes, I will date 20 men for America.”
Alan then chimed into the conversation, creating his own requirements for the men, should Ilona actually become the leading lady. Given how well he knows his dance partner, Alan’s comments could not help but make our hearts flutter. Can this Dancing With the Stars duo just date already?
“I’m gonna set some tough requirements for the guy to even get there. You gotta be able to be good in contact sports. You gotta be 6’2? 6’5? …You gotta be able to read books, cause she likes reading books.”
Ilona added, “You have to like food… That’s a requirement. That’s important,” and we seriously could not agree more.
Nevertheless, it sounds like Ilona is not entirely on board with being the next Bachelorette lead anymore, but we will just have to wait and see what the future has in store…
In the meantime, earning their highest score to date — including their first ten of the season — during the 500th episode of Dancing With the Stars yesterday (Nov. 12), Ilona and Alan are now serious contenders for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy, advancing to the semi-finals next week.
While speaking with Good Morning America shortly after the show, Ilona said that receiving their first ten of the season, especially from Carrie Ann Inaba, was “a long time coming.”
“Last week everybody else got a ten, so we felt left out, so we’re happy we got it done this week,” she shared with a smile.
Alan added, “It’s the best feeling when you put in so much work, you do a great job, and the judges recognize it… We’re so grateful we had the opportunity to do this Quickstep. Jordan [Fisher] and Lindsay [Arnold] crushed it when they did it, and we just had a lot of fun doing it.”
For those who are unfamiliar with the rest of Ilona and Alan’s scores for the season, they 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)
“Dedication 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)
DWTS 500th Episode — Quickstep to “Chuck Berry” by Pharrell Williams (28/30)
With scores that are significantly lower than some of their competitors — notably frontrunners Chandler Kinney and Brandon Armstrong, as well as Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson — will these underdogs manage to emerge victorious? To see for yourself, catch brand-new episodes of Dancing With the Stars Tuesdays via ABC or Disney Plus.
Similarly, to see where things go for Ilona in the love department, you can keep up with the Olympic rugby player via social media, where she has become quite the sensation. Regardless of what she has to say to the media, we are still hoping for a Bachelorette season with Ilona as the leading lady!