Ilona Maher Should Be The Bachelorette (She'd Really Bring The Drama But Also Be An Endearing Presence On The Series)

Though the Bachelor franchise doesn't usually cast celebrities, the superstar Olympic athlete Ilona Maher should be The Bachelorette. She's a fascinating person who'd bring drama and a charming personality to the unscripted dating show. The Bachelorette season 21 ended in catastrophe when Jenn Tran got dumped by Devin Strader soon after handing him her final rose. After that absolute disaster, Ilona's fun, outgoing personality and witty sense of humor would bring some much-needed entertainment value to the series.

The bronze-medal winning rugby player is no stranger to reality television. She was chosen to compete on Dancing With The Stars season 33, along with Joey Graziadei of The Bachelor season 28. Ilona and her professional dance partner, Alan Bersten, will be joining Joey and his partner, Jenna Johnson in the DWTS season finale. Many Bachelor Nation stars have made it clear that they want Ilona to be The Bachelorette.

Ilona Is A Big Star

ABC Would Be Lucky To Have Her

Ilona's star has been on the rise since she won a bronze medal in rugby during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. She made a name for herself for being tough on the field and charismatic in person. Ilona's fun and outgoing personality, along with her athletic skills and unique beauty, made her a big star. In addition to being a top athlete, Ilona is a huge social media star with a whopping 3.1 million TikTok followers. The Bachelorette season 22 would be lucky to have her.

Ilona Has Joey Graziadei's Approval

He's Already Giving Her Tips

If Ilona does end up handing out roses on a Bachelor Nation show, she's already had some training. Joey handed out a record number of roses to the cast of The Bachelor season 28, and Ilona recently posted a TikTok video of Joey teaching her how. On her first attempt at the mock rose ceremony, she hilariously tells her invisible men that though they're beautiful, she doesn't like them all. When Joey suggests she be nicer, she says, "you're not all ugly." The clip is basically Ilona's audition.

Celebrity Bachelorette Could Be Fun

Ilona Would Be So Different From Other Leads

The Bachelor franchise premiered in 2002, and after 28 seasons of The Bachelor and 21 seasons of The Bachelorette, Ilona would be the biggest celebrity who ever led a season. It could be a game changer that revives the brand after the devastating ending to Jenn's season. In addition to being funny and interesting, she has a massive following which could bring a whole new level of excitement to the popular series.