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Will Ilona Maher be the next Bachelorette?
Word has it that the Taylor Frankie Paul season of The Bachelorette will air this summer, albeit not with the show’s usual rollout.
Producers and fans alike are on the hunt for the next leading lady. It’s probably safe to say that they’re going to want to be careful with casting.
A widely liked athlete could be a stellar pick. And Maher, close friends with a familiar face in the Bachelor Fam, is open to it.
‘I’ve consulted with the team’
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Maher shared that she hasn’t ruled out being the lead on The Bachelorette.
That said, she wouldn’t go in blindly or without certain conditions. That’s smart!
“I’ve consulted with the team,” Maher confirmed.
“And,” she teased, “I’ve consulted with Joey Graziadei.”
She met the Bachelor Nation fan-favorite on Dancing With The Stars Season 33, and the two went on to forge a close friendship.
Maher shared that Graziadei looks out for her — and that she trusts him.
“There are a lot of things that would have to change for me to be the Bachelorette,” she revealed.
“Joey would have to executive produce,” Maher began her (admittedly short) list.
She added: “All of my friends would have to be involved.”
Past seasons have seen friends of the leading lady show up to keep an eye on the suitors during first impressions. It is unclear if that is the format that she envisions.
‘I would do it for you guys to watch’
To be clear, Maher didn’t come up with the idea of taking on the lead role on The Bachelorette.
Fans — the Bachelor Nation — have been floating the idea organically on social media.
Maher has a reputation for her authenticity.
She is also a professional athlete with an athletic build, which would help break the mold of Bachelorettes with a very specific body type.
With all of the The Bachelorette drama that went down on a corporate level with this latest, yet-to-be-seen season, fans hope that Maher would be a refreshing leading lady.
“I love my girls, and they want me to find love so bad,” Maher said of her fans, who have been cheering her on.
“I would do it for your guys to watch,” she admitted. “That’s the only reason.”
Maher continued: “I don’t even know if I’d find love, but it would be funny to watch me. I’m not fully ruling it out.”
However, at the moment, she has other — and frankly more important — priorities.
Her focus is on training ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
