Dancing With the Stars alum Ilona Maher is still cheering for her former partner, Alan Bersten, as he takes on the competition with Elaine Hendrix on season 34.
“We FaceTimed a little bit last week,” Bersten, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly following their performance on the Tuesday, September 23, episode of the ABC hit. “She’s in England [right now], so the hours are hard. But Ilona is so supportive, and I love that she’s supporting our new partnership.”
Bersten went on to tease, “She’s going to come visit us soon, hopefully.”
Maher, 29, made her support clear via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, encouraging her followers to vote for Bersten and Hendrix, 54. The duo performed a high-energy jive to “Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil in honor of One-Hit Wonders Night, earning 21 points out of 30.
“It was a dream come true,” Hendrix told Us of channeling the classic music video with cheerleader costumes. “When I knew what the theme of the night was, there was only one song that I wanted to do, and I wanted the whole package. I wanted to meet Toni. I wanted the costumes and everything, and they made it happen. So for me, it was legit. It was just a dream come true.”
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With no elimination during last week’s premiere, two couples were sent home on Tuesday night. Fans said goodbye to Baron Davis and Britt Stewart as well as Corey Feldman and Jenna Johnson.
“I gotta be honest, I don’t like that part,” Hendrix told Us of the elimination process. “I don’t know. Obviously, I don’t have anything to compare this to, but I feel like a piece of me was taken away tonight because we all got really close, really fast. So going to the rehearsal halls, it’s going to be different. … And that starts the cycle. It’s going to happen every week. And so, I don’t know. I don’t know how I’m going to deal with it.”
While Hendrix is still adjusting, Bersten is no stranger to the competition. He’s been a mainstay in the DWTS ballroom since season 25 aired in 2017, winning the mirrorball trophy with Hannah Brown during season 28 in 2019. Bersten and Maher came close to victory during season 33 last year, finishing in second place behind Johnson, 31, and Joey Graziadei.
Following their impressive jive, Bersten and Hendrix are gearing up for TikTok Night on September 30.
“Our biggest goal, I think, is going to be [staying] consistent,” Bersten told Us on Tuesday. “It’s going to be going out there and just having fun on the floor. And surprising people.”
Bersten showered his partner with praise on Wednesday, September 24, sharing a clip of their One-Hit Wonders Night routine via Instagram.
“I’m just blown away at how incredible @elaine4animals is!” he wrote. “Every day she puts in so much work, every performance, is full of heart and soul. I can’t thank you enough for trusting me! I am so proud of you! Last night was unbelievable! You did that!!!!!”
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Maher also chimed in with her support in the comments section, adding, “This was good.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
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