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Olympian Ilona Maher speaks out after bursting into tears on “DWTS.”

Olympian Ilona Maher speaks out after bursting into tears on “DWTS.”

Olympian Ilona Maher has thanked her fans for their support and promised she will continue to work on her dancing skills after breaking down in tears Dancing with the stars.

This year celebrities, among others, are competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy Family matters Actor Reginald VelJohnson competes with pro Emma Slater; Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Phaedra Parks Teamed Up With Val Chmerkovskiy; Maher competes with Alan Bersten; and many more.

The 28-year-old rugby player's eyes filled with tears on Tuesday after she made mistakes during her jive dance to Quiet Riot's song “Cum On Feel the Noize” during Hair Metal night.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba said Maher fell off the pace during the routine, adding that it was difficult to get back on track afterward. The judges supported Maher despite her points being deducted and even praised her for her “emotionality.”

Since then, Maher has taken to social media to share her thoughts about her performance. Newsweek emailed a spokesman for Maher for comment outside of normal business hours on Wednesday.

“I love you all. I'm doing well. Dancing is hard but I will keep working,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The Olympian also spoke about her performance shortly after leaving the dance floor. Still wearing the costume from her performance, Maher uploaded a video to TikTok with Bersten on Tuesday evening.

“Hello everyone, thank you very much for your support this evening. That was tough for me, but I have a great partner and we have that next week – they scared us, they scared us a little bit, but next week we have to improve. So thank you for that. “Please keep voting, I swear I’m feeling better,” Maher said.

After her performance, she was also criticized by judges Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough, who shared the same thoughts as Inaba.

“I love wild and wonderful, and I love embracing it, but I'm sorry, my darling, you've made a mistake so many times,” Tonioli said.

“I appreciate it, but this is a very good dance competition. Everyone must be treated equally and if you make mistakes, points will be deducted. That doesn't detract from what you've done. The setting was perfect.”

While Maher agreed with the criticism, she teared up and said she was “feeling better.”

Ilona Maher
Stars Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher pose on ABC's “Dancing With the Stars.” The Olympian spoke out after an emotional performance on Tuesday.

Andrew Eccles/Disney

Inaba added, “I saw you tear up a little. And I just want to say that as a woman, I like that because you're so emotional. You are so committed. That's why everyone is cheering for you. That's why we love watching you.

The first players to leave this season included: Beverly Hills, 90210 Actress Tori Spelling with her partner Pasha Pashkov; and convicted fraudster Anna Delvey and dance professional Ezra Sosa.

ABC airs the episodes every Tuesday, but the show is still available to watch on streaming services for those without cable access. New episodes air simultaneously on TV and Disney+ and are available to watch on Hulu the day after they air.

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