Proof You're Probably Saying Olympian Ilona Maher's Name Wrong

As a die-hard fan of reality TV shows, I can’t help but feel exhilarated by the lineup for this season’s Dancing with the Stars! Each pairing seems to be a perfect blend of charm, talent, and charisma, ready to sashay their way into our hearts.

You may just get a kick out of this fun fact.

In case you missed it, Ilona Maher gracefully danced with her partner Alan Bersten during the September 17th premiere of ‘Dancing with the Stars’. She demonstrated that her skills on the rugby field extend far beyond the game, showcasing her impressive dancing abilities.

Before her older sibling, aged 28, graced the dance floor on DWTS, Olivia Maher, her sister, urged prospective voters to remember to pronounce her name accurately when casting their votes.

Olivia wrote on her TikTok post on September 17th, “Make sure you’re ready for Ilona as it’s the premiere of ‘Dancing With the Stars’! Since Ilona and Alan have been putting in countless hours of work for weeks, here’s how you can show your appreciation: one, watch tonight. Two, cast your vote.

Ilona’s sibling has not hesitated to broadcast her sister’s name far and wide, as evident during the Olympics when she shared a collection of videos featuring the athlete providing guidance on correctly spelling and pronouncing her name.

In a TikTok video posted on Sept. 8, Oliva emphasized once more the correct pronunciation of Ilona, which can be pronounced as I-lone-a, I-lone-na, or E-lone-a. The key is to include ‘ona’ somewhere in there, so avoid names like Ilana that sound similar. It’s spelled I-l-o-n-a. So, remember team, it’s not Ilana or anything close to that!

On the opening night of Dancing with the Stars, Ilona started making a reputation as she and Alan performed their initial dance, embarking on their journey to win the famous Mirror Ball trophy.

Ilona strutted onto the dance floor in a pink frilled bodysuit, accompanied by Alan, setting the rhythm to Shania Twain’s “I Feel Like a Woman.” Their dance performance garnered them a judge’s score of 18, ensuring their continued participation in the competition for another week.

After their grand event, Ilona confided in TopMob News that participating in the competition is enjoyable, but she acknowledges it will be somewhat demanding.

She expressed that things seemed to go smoothly, and she felt like she gained some understanding of the situation. She also indicated that she believes she’ll keep progressing.

She added, “It’s quite challenging indeed, as we spend about four hours daily in the studio, and I believe I took only one break this week. It’s tough because it’s not something I’m naturally accustomed to. I aspire to be very forceful, and at times, I feel the need to guide him, but he often responds with ‘Allow me to guide you.’

Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars got underway with performances by various notable contestants such as Tori Spelling from Beverly Hills 90210, Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik, Bachelor Nation’s Jenn Tran and Joey Graziadei, Bravolebrity Phadrea Parks, the well-known fraudster Anna Delvey, and others.

Keep reading for more on season 33 of Dancing With the Stars.