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Alan Bersten reacts to DWTS judges’ ‘harsh’ criticism of Ilona Maher

Alan Bersten and Ilona Maher on DWTS.
Alan Bersten is defending Ilona Maher. Pic credit: Christopher Willard/Disney.

Alan Bersten has been paired with Ilona Maher throughout Dancing With the Stars Season 33, and they’ve become fan favorites.

Their performances have been awe-inspiring and have improved every single week, but like the other couples, they’re falling prey to the judges’ feedback.

More than any other season, there has been discourse about the critiques, and it doesn’t seem to be dying down any time soon.

In a new interview with Us Weekly, Alan revealed that he and Ilona worked “on so many things” during this week’s Halloween-themed installment.

One of the easiest ways to gain the judges’ favor is to apply all feedback to improve in the ballroom.

“Ilona really did focus on all of them,” the 30-year-old told the outlet after the episode aired.

Alan defends Ilona from the comments and scores

He went on to say that he feels that judges Derek Hough, Carrie Ann Inaba, and Bruno Tonioli “were a little harsh with the scores.”

While other pro dancers have questioned the methodology behind this season’s scores, Alan conceded that “they’re judges, and that’s the point.”

“We’re here to learn, and we’re going to keep growing,” he vowed.

Alan and Ilona have struck a chord with viewers because they have been improving weekly, so it’s been a little unfortunate that they’ve scored lower than other celebrities.

After their Halloween performance, they scored 24 out of 30, but this was the night’s lowest score, meaning they could have been in danger of going home.

Ultimately, The Bachelorette’s Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber got the boot, which many believed was wrong.

The DWTS Season 33 cast is talented

This season, the series has had a wealth of talent, so it’s a shame that some competitors are getting the chop before their time.

Alan and Ilona’s tussle with the bottom of the scoreboard should hopefully inspire them to change things significantly before performing for the judges again.

We are fast approaching the end of the season, so they don’t have much time left.

But at least they can say they’ve tried to adapt to the judges’ expectations, which is half the battle in the competition.

Earlier this week, former pro dancer Lindsay Arnold discussed why she thought the judges were being more critical this season.

Lindsay has been glued to the show because her sister, Rylee Arnold, has performed stunning routines with Olympic Gold Medalist Stephen Nedoroscik.

What are your thoughts on Alan’s observations about the criticism of Ilona’s performances?

Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC. You can stream full episodes on Disney+ and Hulu.

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