Dancing with the stars’ The most iconic season has finally reached its final stages and the race for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy has begun. But can Ilona Maher, the Olympic rugby star, beat her competitors and claim the crown? Many would bet on it. While this season’s record viewership and votes have certainly created a lot of buzz, Ilona Maher’s exceptional dancing skills are one of the most talked about topics.

She has stunned spectators by fearlessly turning and lifting Alan Bersten during stunts. In addition to this impressive role reversal, Maher has performed challenging routines – often in heels – that advocated body positivity, and charmed fans with her humorous behind-the-scenes content, cementing her status as a fan favorite. However, what continues to fascinate us most are her remarkable dancing skills. And now, thanks to her mother, we may finally know her secret.

Ilona Maher’s mother’s decision behind her DWTS success?

On the Got It From My Momma podcast, Mieneke Maher, Ilona Maher’s mother, presented her insights into the Paris bronze medalist’s dancing skills. She jokingly cited a childhood ballet class as the supposed reason why her daughter is probably doing so well on Dancing With The Stars. “I thought the six-week ballet course I gave her when she was four years old must have helped. That’s what it did,” Mieneke laughed.

It turns out that Ilona Maher took these classes as a toddler, but she had little interest in them. The real reason, as her mother confessed, was: “And I think that was mainly because I wanted to buy, you know, pink, you know, pink tights and a little pink, you know, one piece, and little, cute little ballet slippers.” But this doesn’t change the fact that Ilona Maher’s graph on the show was excellent.

After watching her perform throughout the season, Mieneke’s praise for her daughter knew no bounds on the podcast. She said:I’m just, and I can’t even put it into words, how brave and incredible, and how brave I think it is that you (Ilona) as a rugby player, where you have trained your body to be this muscle, to move forward and to run as fast as you can and no one is in your way and be very controlled and powerful to have the, yes guts I guess, to step onto a live national television program to dance. I find that incredible.”

But does Ilona Maher really have what it takes to lift the trophy? Let’s see how she stacks up against her other contenders for the finals.

Can Maher and Alan Bersten really win the DWTS title?

Do you remember the semi-final pasodouble and Vienesse waltz performed by Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten? It gave them a total of 57, putting them in the middle of the pack heading into the final stages of the competition. However, she has some strong competitors who will try to knock her off the title.

And two of them, Pretty Little Liars star Chandler Kinney and Joey Graziadei, are the most technically polished dancers this season. Kinney in particular has previous dance experience and has been dancing since he was 9 years old. So to beat them, Maher would have to bring something extraordinary to the stage.

But Ilona Maher also has a few plus points on her side. Firstly, she has a huge fan base on social media as the show and her authenticity in it have made her a fan sensation. To add to that, we’ve seen her skills improve dramatically, recently reaching her first 10 scores in the 500th episode. So she may be an underdog, but she is far from out of the race and could very well take the trophy. Who do you think will come out on top in the final? Let us know!