Proof You're Probably Saying Olympian Ilona Maher's Name Wrong
You may just get a kick out of this fun fact.
ICYMI, Ilona Maher cha cha’d her way onto the ballroom floor with her partner Alan Bersten on the Sept. 17 premiere episode of Dancing with the Stars—and proved that she’s got the moves off the rugby field.
But before the Olympian, 28, made her debut on the dance floor, her sister Olivia Maher had a message for potential DWTS voters and with that, came the reminder to make sure you pronounce her sister’s name correctly.
“Ya’ll better lock in for Ilona,” Olivia captioned the TikTok shared on Sept. 17 ahead of the show’s premiere. “It’s Dancing With the Stars premiere day. Ilona and Alan have been working tirelessly for weeks now and so what you can do to pay them back, is tonight one, tune in. Two, vote. Okay?”
Ilona’s sister hasn’t been shy about making sure that the world knows her sister’s name and made it clear during the Olympics when she released a series of videos with the athlete coaching the world on the both the correct spelling and pronunciation.
“Cheeky PSA, and I know she’s said this before but let’s say it again,” Oliva said in a TikTok video posted on Sept. 8. “It’s pronounced I-lone-a, or I-lone-na, or E-lone-a, just get that ona in there and you’re grand. It’s right there. It’s I-l-o-n-a. So not, Ilana, nothing along those lines, Ok team?”
During the DWTS premiere night, Ilona made a name for herself as she and Alan did their first dance on her quest for the iconic Mirror Ball trophy.
Ilona rocked a pink fringe bodysuit as she arrived on the dance floor with Alan, to the tune of Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like a Woman.” After their dance, the pair earned a score of 18 from the judges, keeping them in the competition for another week.
Following their big night, Ilona told E! News that while being in the competition is fun, she knows it’s going to be a bit of a challenge.
“I think it went well, honestly,” she said. “I feel I got the lay of the land a little bit, and I think I’ll continue to improve."
She continued, “It’s very hard, I mean we’re in the studio 4 hours a day, I think I had one off day this week. It’s hard because it’s something unnatural for me. I want to be very powerful, and I want to almost lead him sometimes and he’s like ‘Please let me lead you.’”
Dancing With the Stars season 33 also kicked off with dances from the other star-studded contestants including Beverly Hills 90210 star, Tori Spelling, Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik, Bachelor Nation’s Jenn Tran and Joey Graziadei, Bravolebrity, Phadrea Parks, the infamous convicted con artist, Anna Delvey and more.
Keep reading for more on season 33 of Dancing With the Stars.
The inspriation behind Inventing Anna will trade her ankle bracelet for dancing shoes alongside partner Ezra Sosa.
The Olympic rugby player is ready to ruck up the dance floor with pro Alan Bersten.
The Disney Channel star will try to dance her way to the top with partner Brandon Armstrong.
The model and her partner Gleb Savchenko are ready to strut along the ballroom.
The Dark Knight star is partnered with Britt Stewart.
All that matters for this Family Matters alum and partner Emma Slater is taking home the mirrorball trophy.
The Bachelor alum has found his rose between thorns in partner Jenna Johnson.
The alum of 90210 is oh so ready to dance alongside Pasha Pashkov.
The NFL pro and partner Witney Carson are sure to score a touchdown on the dance floor.
The NBA star is sure to stand head and shoulders above the competitoin with partner & Daniella Karagach.
The Olympian has his sights set on another medal—or should we say mirrorball trophy—with partner Rylee Arnold.
The Traitors alum is sure to weed out the competition with partner Val Chmerkovskiy.
The Bachelorette star and partner Sasha Farber will be in full bloom in the ballroom.
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