Ilona Maher: Rugby’s Biggest Personality, Viral Success & Why Short Kings Win

Olivia's House with Olivia Attwood

Platform Media

Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Olympic rugby powerhouse and TikTok sensation Ilona Maher sits down with Olivia Attwood for an unfiltered chat that veers from clubbing disasters to body confidence, with a detour into why British men might just be the best flirts on the planet.Ilona opens up about scoring her own Barbie doll, how women’s rugby is reshaping what it means to be an athlete, and the harsh reality of going viral online.The conversation spices up as they go in on Brits vs. American drinking culture, unpack the fruity antics of sports bros, roast tall men for sport, champion the short kings, and tear apart the ultimate first-date icks.It’s hilarious, brutally honest, and unexpectedly heartfelt - Ilona proves exactly why she’s one of the world’s most influential athletes, both on and off the pitch.Ads: www.tombola.co.uk One free game a day. Cash and bonus prizes totalling over £1 million value. Registration required. Ends 07/12/25. Terms apply. 18+ gambleaware.orgPodcast Description: Welcome to Olivia's House - Olivia Attwood’s stylish, intimate podcast blends sharp humour with unfiltered, heartfelt conversation. From New York to London, Olivia invites bold guests to explore love, fame, family, and everything in between- no topic is off-limits. Expect scandalous stories, laugh-out-loud chaos, and the honest, messy moments that make us human. So… are you coming in?Follow Olivia’s House on socials:https://www.instagram.com/thisisoliviashouse/https://www.tiktok.com/@thisisoliviashouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I've always been ambitious and in teaching I've found plenty of opportunities to progress.
0:05.1	As head of English, I now get to support all the other teachers in my department.
0:09.5	They often learn from my advice, though actually I often learn from theirs.
0:13.5	The support and development we all get from each other is amazing.
0:16.5	It benefits not just us, but every student we teach.
0:19.8	How many of the professions can say that?
0:22.1	Every lesson shapes a life. Start shaping yours with the minimum starting salary of 32,900 pounds.
0:28.8	Search, get into teaching. You recently voted the third most marketable athlete in the world.
0:34.3	I make barely anything from rugby, even to this day. To this day, I make less than 15,000 from rugby. Oh, is that a man? You look masculine. And so for a while there it got me because it's something I've dealt with my whole life. Sometimes I'm like, well, why would he like me? I never understood why my body looked the way it did. Maybe I'm such a good athlete because I didn't get men's attention.
0:54.3	I also didn't expect to get it.
0:56.3	And that's why I didn't run 1,500 meters at the Paris Olympics.
0:59.9	And that's why you weren't at the Olympics because boys liked you.
1:02.8	My husband's a professional footballer and it's like all those bros do is kiss each other
1:06.7	and they are getting more intimate than him and I are some weeks.
1:10.7	Jealous, Olivia.
1:11.2	Yeah, a little bit.
1:17.8	Hello, Namar.
1:19.0	Welcome to Olivia's house.
1:20.5	Thank you.
1:21.8	In your house, you have house rules.
1:24.0	And at my house, I have a leave-at-the-door policy.
1:27.0	So before we get into this chat, what would you like to leave at the door today?
	...

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