‘DWTS’ Ilona Maher Shares True Thoughts On Second Place
Olympic Rugby player Ilona Maher didn’t always have the best scores on Dancing With The Stars. But she walked away with new skills and innumerable new fans. Viewers loved her positive attitude and commitment to hard work.
Many were pleasantly surprised to see her come in second place during the Season 33 finale, placing ahead of several dancers who consistently scored higher than she did.
But how does Ilona Maher truly feel about being the runner-up?
Olympian Ilona Maher Reflects On Her DWTS Journey
Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten bonded right from the start, but their time on the show wasn’t always fun and games. Fans sincerely felt for her when she missed steps during a performance and cried afterward. She felt that she let Alan down and wanted to do better.
She did eventually improve and even earned a perfect score during the finale episode. The judges proudly awarded Ilona and Alan a 30/30 for their freestyle performance to Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon.”
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They didn’t walk away with the Mirrorball Trophy, but Ilona admits she’s still proud of second place.
“I’m very proud of myself. I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m proud of continually wanting to improve and knowing that I can do better in doing that,” the Olympian shared with TooFab after the finale.
“I’m super proud of Alan for being so patient with me and creating dances that really showcase me in such a positive light,” Ilona continued. “It’s been so cool, they’re [her fans] the big reason that we got there to second place. And it’s been so cool. I think girls really resonated with seeing me out there. And also for Alan creating dances again that put me in such a beautiful light. Being a big girl, being a very strong girl, I still always felt beautiful, always felt like a ‘Femininomenon.'”
The Couple Sang The New Champions’ Praises
Alan and Ilona lost to Joey Graizaidei and Jenna Johnson, but they have absolutely no hard feelings. In fact, they spoke very highly of the new winners and felt they deserved first place.
“Honestly, from day one, we’ve been best friends with them. We would go into the studios with them every week and do show and tells or talk or do TikToks. They’re great. Joey’s such a remarkable person. Jenna is incredible. They both deserve it as well,” Alan shared in the interview.
What did you think of the Dancing With The Stars Season 33 finale? Were you happy with the final results? Share your own thoughts in the comments below.
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