Considering Dancing with the Stars' Season 33 cast features a Bachelor and a Bachelorette, it makes sense that the internet is thinking about who could take over that mantel from the DWTS ensemble. A frontrunner, in a joking way, is Ilona Maher, who has posted numerous times about wanting to find her person. Now, the rugby player and her partner Alan Bersten have hilariously laid out the requirements for her potential eligible bachelors, and I hope ABC is taking notes.
After DWTS’ 500th episode aired on the 2024 TV schedule, and Maher and Bersten survived the instant dance challenge, they did a slew of post-show interviews. While chatting with ET, they were asked about previous comments regarding The Bachelorette. And instead of turning the question down, they played with it and explained all the qualities that could make her dream man:
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Obviously, the duo seems to be joking. However, they made some great points, and there’s no denying that Ilona Maher would be a great lead for The Bachelorette (or any reality show, really). Plus, she’s been competing alongside last season’s lead, Jen Tran and the most recent Bachelor Joey Graziadei for weeks now. So, she could easily get pointers.
However, based on the specific list of requirements Alan had, I think these two have it covered. So, Bachelorette producers, listen up. We’re looking for 30 men, and Ilona's partner has a great list of qualifications for them, starting with:
I'm gonna set some tough requirements. For the guy to even get there. You gotta be able to be good in contact sports.
Considering Ilona Maher is a professional rugby player who has an Olympic medal for the sport, I think this is a good requirement. However, she made a fair point after that, saying that they could be “just, like strong” too.
Along with that, Bersten noted a height requirement, asking Maher if 6'2" or 6'5" is preferred. She clarified that 5’ 10” – which is her height – or taller is ideal.
The final two requirements are super important too. As you know if you follow the athlete on TikTok, she loves to read, and her partner said that her man also needs to “be able to read books.” Meanwhile, Maher laid down one more law herself, making it clear that her potential love interest must be into food. She will have no one who isn’t appreciative of a good meal. And overall, I agree with all of that.
So, let’s get the casting call out, shall we? This sounds like a lock to me!
As you know if you’ve followed The Olympics and DWTS, Ilona Maher is an empowering woman. She’s also incredibly funny – as you can see in any of her TikToks, including the one where she and Bersten tried Danny Amendola’s viral life. Plus, she seems so grounded and caring. So, she’s deserving of love, and maybe she’ll find it on The Bachelorette.
While Ilona and Alan were joking about this all, I’d certainly sign up to watch a season of The Bachelorette led by the Olympian. Plus, I’d love to see the men they find who obviously must meet all the qualifications listed above.
Well, even though this all might be a pipe dream, it’s fun to dream and joke about. And thankfully, we haven’t seen the last of Ilona on our TVs as she’s still competing on Dancing with the Stars. You can see her dance with Alan next week by watching DWTS on ABC or with a Disney+ subscription on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
