Swimsuit

Brooks Nader Is So ‘Excited’ to Meet Ilona Maher on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

The SI Swimsuit cover girls are both starring on Season 33 of the reality TV show, premiering next week.

Ananya Panchal

Brooks Nader
Brooks Nader / 305pics/Getty Images

SI Swimsuit legend Brooks Nader is adding Dancing With the Stars contestant to her already stacked résumé and breaking into reality TV this month.

The Baton Rouge native attended an event with sister Sarah Jane, hosted by Raising Cane’s, during New York Fashion week and divulged what the experience of this new adventure has been like so far. The 2023 cover girl, who is an ambassador for the fried chicken brand, is partnered with Russian dancer and choreographer Gleb Savchenko. Nader, a New York City resident who danced throughout high school, is loving the challenge of rehearsing for the show thus far.

“I’ve been practicing every day for five hours. The one thing that has been eye-opening for me is the Olympians because I think they’re going to be fierce competition, but my partner and I have great synergy and I know we’re going to crush it,” the 27-year-old model said in a press release. “I’ve been loving learning all of the technicalities of the dances and it’s been fun to really hone in on my dance moves. It’ll be so rewarding when we have our Mirrorball trophy.”

Olympic rugby bronze medalist and fellow SI Swimsuit cover girl Ilona Maher, who graced the front of September’s digital issue, will also star in the upcoming season. The 28-year-old is partnered with American dancer Alan Bersten.

“I just saw her photos. Her digital cover was so beautiful. And, obviously, she’s such a bada--, so I’m excited [to meet her],” Nader said of Maher. “She’s definitely an athlete, and I am not, so she’s got an advantage there. I’m gonna work on my stamina. I have time.”

We can’t wait to cheer on both Maher and Nader when Season 33 of Dancing With the Stars premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 17 on ABC platforms and Disney+.

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Ananya Panchal
ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.

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