Bachelor Nation
Is Ilona Maher the Next ‘Bachelorette’ Lead? Joey Graziadei’s Giving Her Tips
Ilona Maher is giving the people what they want on Dancing with the Stars as she impresses the nation week after week with her affable personality and dance moves. She started her reign through social media by healing a bunch of people with her positive messages, and then, obviously, as a rugby star in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
But now, the Olympic rugby player might be on track for becoming the lead of a different reality TV juggernaut: The Bachelorette. Ilona has seen the calls from fans for her to become the next lead of The Bachelorette, and she responded with a very cheeky video with a Bachelor Nation fave.
In a TikTok video, The Bachelor Season 28 lead Joey Graziadei, who is also competing on DWTS, shows Ilona the ropes of a rose ceremony. Getting into the skit, Joey tells Ilona, “You’re gonna act like you’re in the rose ceremony, OK?” He continues, “Do whatever you want to do naturally. Let’s see it first.”
The 28-year-old then pretends to address her suitors, “Thank you all for coming. This has been so fun, and you all are beautiful. But I don’t like all of you.”
@ilonamaher I think if I do it, I’ll have a real problem being nice to the men @Bachelor Nation @The Bachelorette ♬ original sound – Ilona Maher
Not convinced by her approach, Joey gives her some quick tips, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Good for the beginning, but let them down easy.” She quickly modifies her approach, “You’re not all ugly, but some of you aren’t my type. That’s fine,” she states. Joey praises Ilona, “I like this. I like where you’re going.”
The former tennis trainer then proceeds to go on to the next step of The Bachelorette‘s responsibilities, giving away roses.
Pretending Joey was one of the suitors, she says, “Your vibe has been terrible this whole time. I just don’t know if you’re for me,” Joey replies, “Why would you say that if you’re giving me a rose?”
Joey, who celebrated his one-year anniversary with Kelsey Anderson recently, is uniquely equipped to take on this mentor role as he proves that the experience actually has a shot at succeeding. This makes Ilona change her actions. However, her second try is still questionable. “Take rose,” she says awkwardly. He then whispers to her, “So, it’s ‘will you accept this rose?’”
Trying one more time, she gets it! After Ilona laughs, Joey encourages her by emphasizing, “You gotta hug me. Make me feel like I actually deserve it.”
While this TikTok is clearly a joke, many fans are begging for it to happen, which is why Ilona captioned over the video, “Joey teaching me to be the next Bachelorette cause y’all keep spreading rumors.” Her other caption read, “I think if I do it, I’ll have a real problem being nice to the men.” However, Joey does have faith in Ilona. He commented on the video, “I think she’s ready!!!”
Previously, the Olympian addressed the chatter on Good Morning America and said, “I will do that for America. I will date 30 men for America if that’s what you want to see.”
Do you think Ilona should be the next Bachelorette? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Dancing with the Stars, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Streaming Live on Disney+
