Dancing With the Stars” pro Alan Bersten and his season 33 partner Ilona Maher got extremely close while competing on the show, but were they more than friends?
Before TikTok went dark on January 18, troupe member Stephani Sosa opened herself up to a Q&A of sorts, letting fans ask whatever they wanted. One person asked what was going on with Bersten and Maher, to which Sosa replied, “best of friends.”
The post appears to be gone from Sosa’s TikTok account.
Many DWTS Fans Got ‘Besties’ Vibes From Alan Bersten & Ilona Maher
After seeing Bersten and Maher’s friendship unfold on the show, some DWTS fans hoped that there would be a love connection between them. This is evident on Reddit, where people have discussed whether or not Bersten and Maher should date.
However, the majority of DWTS fans feel as though the two have formed an unbreakable friendship.
“They always gave off BFF vibes to me lol. Imagine my surprise when most Ilona/Alan fans on TikTok were so quick to ship them. I never got an ounce of romantic chemistry vibes from them…like they are the epitome of besties,” one person commented on a Reddit thread in December 2024.
“I think it’s because people take any type of chemistry and RUN with it. Ilona and Alan have insane banter and I think it’s because they’re so comfortable in their friendship with one another,” someone else said.
“Personally I think Alan and Ilona are platonic soul mates. Like they don’t have romantic feelings for each other but they were meant to be close friends,” a third comment read.
Ilona Maher Previously Denied Having a Romantic Relationship With Alan Bersten
Maher and Bersten were well aware that some fans were shipping them, but they didn’t lean into the showmance much.
“We see it all over. And honestly keep doing it people. We love it,” Maher told E! News on November 12. “If ship means relationship, we are the besties. I think him and I get along truly so well, and we have a lot of fun together,” she continued.
“Honestly it’s like my teammate. I love my teammates, I love him. I think we’re building something really beautiful here,” she added.
Bersten has been rumored to be dating DWTS pro Emma Slater. The two haven’t gone public with their relationship, but they’ve been posting together more frequently.
