Olympian Ilona Maher says she’s not ruling out a potential run on ABC’s popular reality show, “The Bachelorette,” just yet. During a new interview, the elite rugby player, 29, said she’s seen the messages from people advocating for her to be the show’s next leading lady. While there’s nothing set in stone yet, Maher said she’d consider joining the show for one reason.
Speaking with OK, Maher said she’s been in communication with the producers of the long-running reality show about what a potential stint on the series could look like for her.
“I’ve consulted with the team. I’ve consulted with Joey Graziadei,” she said, adding that there would need to be some changes in her current situation for her to fully commit to the program.
“Joey would have to executive produce. All my friends would have to be involved,” she said.
Maher Says There’s One Reason She’d Be Interested In Becoming The Next Bachelorette On ABC
Elsewhere during the interview, Maher, a Bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, said that she enjoys the series, calling it “really cool.”
And while she’s gone to become friends with people from the series, such as Joey and Kelsey Anderson from season 28 of “The Bachelor,” Maher said she’d join the show for another reason.
“But maybe it would also be cool because I feel like I see one type of beauty standard on that show sometimes,” she said. “It could be cool for girls to see me being courted by men and viewed as desirable without having to change who I am.”
According to Maher, exposing the audience to something different “would be the reason I’d do it.” She added, “So girls can watch and think, ‘Okay, she’s desired, she’s beautiful, and I don’t have to change either.’ I don’t know if it’s in the cards for me, though.”
Maher Says The Fans Are Really Pushing For Her To Find Love On ‘The Bachelorette’
“Bachelorette” fans have been pushing several celebrities to throw their hats in the ring after ABC announced it was pulling Taylor Frankie Paul’s season from the air.
Maher said that she’s been inundated with messages about it since being on “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I love my girls. They want to see me find love so bad,” she said. “I would do it for you guys to watch — that’s the only reason. I don’t even know if I’d find love, but it would be funny to watch me. I am not fully ruling it out.”
Drama Surrounding ABC’s Long-Running Reality Show
Season 22 of “The Bachelorette” would’ve been airing right now; however, ABC and Disney axed the season after its star, Paul, was involved in an alleged domestic dispute with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney representative said.
Amid the news, a video of Paul appearing to assault Mortensen by hitting him and throwing chairs at him went viral, prompting her team to release a statement on her behalf.
“After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm,” her team said, per PEOPLE.
They added, “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
Former ‘Bachelor’ Star Says Paul Was Never The Right Fit For The Show
According to a previous report from The Blast, several “Bachelor” alums spoke out after learning ABC had canned Paul’s season, including Rachel Lindsay and Ashley Iaconetti.
Iaconetti questioned why producers chose her to begin with, stating that they were aware of her previous domestic violence charges, one of which led to her arrest in 2023.
Continuing, the “Real Housewives of Rhode Island” star said that charges alone should’ve been enough reason to rule her out.
“That wasn’t an appropriate role for her to fill,” she said, before adding, “and probably was not something that she was mentally, emotionally ready to take on for many reasons—the fact that she was so intertwined with Dakota going into it being one of them.”
