Ilona Spills on Her Sports Illustrated Cover Shoot with Editor-in-Chief MJ Day

House of Maher

Wave

Society & Culture, Sports, Comedy, Rugby

4.9 • 569 Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2026

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Editor-in-Chief MJ Day started working at Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 1998. Her journey from assistant to boss is one that includes fighting for what's right, developing her eye, and insisting on representation. We talk the realities of running photoshoots, how to take better thirst traps, MJ's rugby days, the BS of BMI and more. Support the show by supporting our sponsors! Peloton: Let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push, and go. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ at ⁠https://⁠⁠onepeloton.com⁠ K18: Shop K18 mask at Sephora or get 10% off your first purchase at ⁠https://k18hair.com⁠ with code MAHER Book Nook: The Off Campus Series by Elle Kennedy The Deal by Elle Kennedy The Deep End by Ali Hazelwood New episodes of House of Maher release every Tuesday! Come hang at our place: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check us out on YouTube @HouseofMaher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For more sister chaos, follow along @HouseofMaher on all platforms. House of Maher is a Wave Original.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/houseofmaher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠tiktok.com/@HouseofMaher⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	What gave you, I guess, the power to be like, no, this is what I think we should showcase on these covers and not stick to the one look of what a woman should be and what beauty and sexiness should be?
0:10.0	The world deserves. Women deserve to be represented in all their various forms and all their...
0:17.1	Everything that makes us human and special, and it's not one thing.
0:21.8	It's not one flavor.
0:23.2	It's not one look.
0:24.6	There is such beauty and diversity, and I'm unable to see it any other way.
0:29.7	It's not celebrating beauty if you're not celebrating diversity.
0:32.5	Thank you. Welcome or welcome back to House of Mar, a Wave original, tie your bikini strings and help yourself to whatever's in the fridge.
0:50.2	The Wi-Fi password is swimsuit edition, all caps.
0:54.3	As you should know, by now, we have a few house rules.
0:57.5	Girls are magic.
0:58.6	Reading is hot.
0:59.5	And so are you.
1:00.7	If you're watching us, or if you're just listening, maybe check us out on YouTube,
1:04.4	put us on while you're cleaning the house.
1:08.7	Doing your makeup.
1:10.2	Puzzling.
1:10.8	Hang out with this in personling hang out with this in person
1:11.8	hang out with this in person
1:12.7	sit here
1:14.2	yap and yap with us
1:16.4	my friends say when they're watching
	...

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