All you need to know about the Dancing with the Stars finale

USA Sevens Olympic bronze medallist, and rugby’s most-followed player of all time on social media, Ilona Maher will be competing for the Dancing with the Stars title this week.

Here’s all you need to know about the finale, including how to watch and how to vote.

When is the Dancing with the Stars finale?

The Dancing with the Stars finale takes place on 26 November at 8pm EST/PST, 7pm CST.

How can I watch the Dancing with the Stars finale?

The season 33 finale of Dancing with the Stars will be aired live on Disney+ and ABC on local time zones (8pm – 11pm EST/PST, 7pm – 10pm CST). It will also be available the next day on Hulu.

 

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Who is in the Dancing with the Stars finale?

Rugby star Maher and partner Alan Bersten will compete against four other couples for the mirrorball trophy.

Fellow USA Olympic athlete, gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik is partnered with Rylee Arnold. Maher and Nedoroscik aren’t the only sportspeople to have made it to the finale, with former NFL wide receiver and two-time Super Bowl winner Danny Amendola and partner Witney Carson also taking their place in the final five.

Actress and singer Chandler Kinney, partnered with Brandon Armstrong, and American television personality Joey Graziadei with pro dancer Jenna Johnson will also be among those vying for the title.

What is Ilona Maher dancing to in the Dancing with the Stars finale?

In the Redemption Round, Maher and Bersten will be dancing their Jive to “Shake A Tail Feather” by Ray Charles & The Blues Brothers. This will be followed by the Freestyle Round, where they will perform to “Femininomenon” by District 78 ft Mona Rue.

How can I vote for Ilona Maher in the Dancing with the Stars finale?

Judges’ scores and the public vote from the semi-final will be carried into the finale and count toward their final total.

There are multiple ways eligible viewers can vote for rugby’s Ilona Maher during the voting window. Voters must be aged over 18 years old and must be physically located in the United States or Canada (for online voting only, viewers based in Canada are not able to vote via SMS). Votes can be cast online or via SMS text message.

To vote online, you must first sign in to or create your account here. 

Once logged in, a verification code will be sent over in a confirmation email. You must enter the verification code on the voting page and then follow the instructions on the screen.

To vote for Maher by text, you must text ILONA to 21523. Voters can vote ten times following the same method.

 

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How has Ilona Maher performed so far?

The USA rugby player earned her highest score of the season in last week’s semi-final, scoring 57/60 which saw her finish third for that week. Her paso doble was awarded a 10 by Derek Hough, and nines from Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli for a total of 28/30. She earned two tens for her Viennese waltz from Inaba and Tonioli, and Hough’s nine took the score up to 29/30.

Maher, who has been twice capped for the USA 15s team and may feature in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, was awarded her first 10 of the series in the show’s 500th episode. Her first 10 came from Inaba for her quickstep, which scored 28/30.

How can I watch the USA Sevens team?

The USA Women’s Sevens team are back in action this weekend at the first leg of the HSBC SVNS Series in Dubai. Head coach Emilie Bydwell has named six debutants in the squad for the first two legs (Cape Town being the second).

Maher’s Paris 2024 teammates Ariana Ramsey, Sarah Levy, Kayla Canett, and Alena Olsen will all be in action, with the latter two named as co-captains. HSBC SVNS Dubai runs from 30 November to 1 December, and the USA women’s team will compete in Pool B against France, Great Britain, and Spain.

Viewers in the USA can watch the competition live and for free on RugbyPass TV. Click here for more.