Dancing With The Stars: Sailor Brinkley-Cook impresses as she steps in after mom Christie breaks arm during practice
Sailor Brinkley-Cook rocked her debut on Dancing With The Stars as she filled in for her mom, model Christie Brinkley, who quit the show after her breaking her arm.
With just three days to rehearse, the 21-year-old model performed a confident foxtrot during the season 28 premiere Monday to Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl, the 1983 song made famous by Christie’s appearance in its video.
Sailor’s dance earned her a standing ovation, and had her mom, in the crowd, in tears.
Proud mom: Christie Brinkley after breaking her arm during rehearsal proudly watched Monday as daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook took her place on Dancing With The Stars
‘I am just blown away by you, Sailor,’ raved judge Carrie Ann Inaba, 51. ‘Three days versus three weeks? You have a poise, an incredible carefree spirit that moves through your dance.’
‘Trust my words,’ added judge Bruno Tonioli, 63. ‘You have the talent. You really do. I can’t wait to see what you can achieve with proper rehearsal time.’
Sailor finished in the top four, with actor James Van Der Beek, 42, taking the lead, followed by former The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown, and country star Lauren Alaina, both 24.
Two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom, 39, was at the bottom, followed by former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, 47.
Stepped in: Sailor stepped in to dance with pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy with only three days of practice
Familiar song: The 21-year-old model performed a foxtrot during the season 28 premiere to Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl, the 1983 song made famous by Christie’s appearance in its video
Natural talent: Sailor showed natural dance talent and earned a standing ovation
All eyes were on Sailor, however, as the audience wondered how she would fare.
Christie had three weeks to prepare for the show with her partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, 33, but tripped over his foot at Thursday’s rehearsal and landed hard on her arm.
‘It was actually, the doctor said, one of the worst breaks he’d ever seen,’ Christie revealed.
Looking forward: Christie in a pre-recorded segment talked about how she was excited to participate in the ABC dancing competition show
Theme song: The 65-year-old model met her pro partner Valentin and learned they would be dancing to Uptown Girl
‘I managed to break both bones. They had to cut it open, put in a metal plate and some screws, so I’m a bionic woman now,’ said with her arm in a cast.
After her fall, she asked her daughter to fill in, and Sailor didn’t hesitate.
‘Sailor is here to save the day,’ two-time DWTS champ Val said as the girl arrived at the studio.
Rehearsal injury: Christie was moving around behind Val and tripped on his foot
In pain: The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model cried out in pain and knew that she broke her arm
‘I’m really nervous,’ Sailor told him, admitting she’d never danced before.
‘Now I’m here, and it’s scary, but I feel this adrenaline rush from wanting to pay homage to my mom,’ she explained.
Christie called her from the hospital, saying: ‘We found a silver lining in all of this.’
Show recruit: Sailor was recruited by her mother to take her place on the show
Dance practice: Val and Sailor talked with Christie as she recovered
‘I have three days,’ Sailor worried.
As the number opened, she got out of a white Rolls-Royce with a license plate marked ‘Sailor,’ whipped off her sunglasses, and handed them to Christie, sitting at a small table.
‘I love you,’ Christie mouthed, holding her cast as Sailor began her performance.
Dramatic entrance: As the number opened, the model got out of a white Rolls-Royce with a license plate marked ‘Sailor,’ whipped off her sunglasses, and handed them to Christie, sitting at a small table
Afterward, she joined her daughter onstage, where she earned 18 points.
‘I’m so proud of her,’ Christie said. ‘I’m so proud of you, Sailor.’
‘Val lucked out,’ noted Carrie Ann. ‘You got a goldmine here.’
Foxtrot dance: Val and Sailor performed a foxtrot dance with limited practice time
Judge Len Goodman, 75, felt the same, adding: ‘Sailor, you floated my boat, you really did.’
Christie then told viewers that she would be on the season premiere of The Goldbergs on September 25, as members of the ABC show watched from the audience.
When DWTS began, the new cast was asked why they’d signed up this season.
Bionic woman: Christie gave an update on her injury, saying, ‘I managed to break both bones. They had to cut it open, put in a metal plate and some screws, so I’m a bionic woman now’
Official portrait: Sailor wore the same blue dress as Christie for her portrait with Val
Christie Brinkley Breaks Arms Before DWTS But Daughter Sailor Steps In To Take Her Place
Christie Brinkley, 65, broke her arm during rehearsal for Dancing With The Stars just five days before the show’s September 16 season 28 premiere.
The model after learning that she was assigned pro partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy, 33, found out they would be performing to Uptown Girl.
‘My theme song,’ said Brinkley who starred in the music video for the 1983 song by her ex-husband Billy Joel, 70.
Theme song: Christie Brinkley broke her arm during rehearsal of Dancing With The Stars after meeting her pro partner and learning they would be dancing to Uptown Girl
Bad spill: The 65-year-old model fell and broke her arm while rehearsing with Valentin Chmerkovskiy for the hit ABC show
In pain: The Sports lllustrated Swimsuit Edition model clutched her wrist in pain
They started rehearsing and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition model while moving behind Val as he was kneeling tripped on his foot.
She tumbled to the hardwood floor and immediately clutched her right wrist.
Brinkley then recruited her 21-year-old model daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook to take her place.
ABC released a statement on Brinkley’s departure ahead of the season 28 premiere.
Rehearsals: The National Lampoon’s Vacation star was spotted on September 12 walking into rehearsals with her co-stars; she seemed to have on the same top as she wore during her fall
‘While rehearsing for the premiere of Dancing with the Stars, Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm,’ the release said.
‘She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show. Keeping it all in the family, her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, a Sports Illustrated model, has chosen to quickly step in with hours to learn the entire routine and will compete in her mother’s place for the remainder of the season.
‘We wish Christie a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her in the audience, whenever possible, proudly supporting Sailor.’
Out! The blonde, 65, had been so excited about the competition and shared a sneak peek of her costume a week before the premiere
Brinkley also made a statement before the premiere while sharing an image of Sailor in her blue outfit that she wore during rehearsal the day before the premiere.
She wrote: ‘Sailor Breezes In to Save the Day! I just broke my arm into a 1000 pieces requiring surgery with a metal plate and screws to hold my arm together..Im so sorry! Only something like that cold stop me from continuing to dance with my wonderful coach…I was having a blast!
‘It was quite literally a crushing disappointment ,i never ever want to let anyone down, so I looked for a silver lining and i think this one is solid gold!
Stepping in: Sailor Brinkley-Cook stepped in for her mother and danced with Val
‘But first Iwould have to convince Sailor to replace me , (Alexa has commitments in NY including her upcoming Cabaret Show l @cafecarlyle )
‘But my student/ @imgmodels Sailor would have to overcome serious stage fright! Sailor always meets her challenges head on and realized she did not want to be defined by her fears so with just hours to learn my routine she is turning my defeat or should i say two left feat into her own victory of courage! So Ladies and Gents I give you my beautiful Sunflower Sailor Lee. And i think you are all going to have a blast together on this season of @dancingabc ! Sorry for the typos it’s my right arm! And Sailor Thank you for taking a very disappointing turn of events into something very special!’
Season 28 also features Lauren Alaina, Ally Brooke, Hannah Brown, Karamo Brown, Kate Flannery, Ray Lewis, Kel Mitchell, Lamar Odom, Sean Spicer, James Van Der Beek and Mary Wilson.
Sailor rescue: Christie praised Sailor for taking her place on the show
Hannah offered that Bachelorette host ‘Chris Harrison promised it was going to be the most dramatic season in DWTS history,’ while Lamar suggested: ‘It was either this, or Broadway.’
Asked to describe themselves in one word, Hannah said ‘single,’ while Sean offered, ‘Beyoncé.’
They then described their weaknesses, with Kate Flannery, 55, the former star of The Office, saying hers was ‘any Russian dancer guy,’ and Sean vowing his was his ‘Twitter feed.’
She’s back: Hannah Brown was back on ABC after starring in The Bachelorette
The first contestant to dance was Hannah, who met her partner, Alan Bersten, while standing outside Bachelor mansion, where he emerged from a limo and she gave him a rose.
‘My heart’s been through a lot the past few years,’ said the former Miss Alabama, who’d recently ended her Bachelorette engagement to Nashville singer/songwriter Jed Wyatt, 25.
‘I look at being on Dancing with the Stars as just a fresh start.’
Single lady: The former beauty queen was single after her engagement on The Bachelorette didn’t work out
The duo’s confident cha-cha, set to a cover of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, impressed the judges, with Hannah hitting her marks and barely breaking a sweat.
Len called it ‘crisp, clean and confident,’ noting it was ‘a wonderful way to kick off the show.’
‘At last, I think you’ve found your true love,’ Bruno quipped, praising her ‘enthusiastic’ attitude.
First dance: Hannah and Alan Bersten performed a confident cha-cha set to a cover of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Big smile: The former Miss Alabama USA smiled during a big dip during their dance
True love: Bruno Tonioli quipped that Hannah found her true love with dancing
Cheered on by cast members from Bachelor In Paradise, they earned 20 points.
Next up was former child actor Kel Mitchell, 41, whose intro saw him visiting a Good Burger restaurant, named after his 1997 film.
His partner, season 19 champ Witney Carson, said Good Burger was her favorite film as a kid.
Tango time: Former child actor Kel Mitchell, 41, was partnered with season 19 champ Witney Carson
For their sexy tango, Kel entered the stage through a giant photo of his face, sliding down a tongue to get to Whitney, for their dance to Sucker by the Jonas Brothers.
Bruno loved his ‘focus and determination,’ but called him ‘a little bit too jumpy.’
‘Once you find your groove, watch out,’ Carrie Ann reassured him.
Watch out: Carrie Ann Inaba said Kel would be one to watch out for once he found his groove
Kel, who attributed his success to his alter ego, Kelito, earned 16 points.
Kate, who’d done nine seasons on The Office, shot her intro from DWTS’ administrative offices.
She was paired with Pasha Pashkov, a seven-time 10-Dance champion making his show debut.
Decent scores: Kel, who attributed his success to his alter ego, Kelito, earned 16 points
‘Hot Russian guy,’ she raved. ‘I got my wish!’
The duo performed a cha-cha to She Works Hard For The Money, with Kate, a former waitress, belting out the first line of the Donna Summer song in a waitress costume.
Whipping it off, she danced in a blue spaghetti dress as her Office castmates and celebrity pals such as actress Jane Lynch applauded.
TV star: Kate Flannery Kate, who’d done nine seasons on The Office, was paired with Pasha Pashkov, a seven-time 10-Dance champion making his show debut
‘You are so clear and so surefooted when you dance,’ said Carrie Ann.
‘Your attitude is terrific,’ added Len. ‘You come out and you sparkle.’
She and Pasha earned 15 points.
The host: Tom Bergeron hosted the two-hour show
Season 28: Kate and Pasha will try to win the Mirrorball Trophy
The judges: Carrie Ann, Len Goodman and Bruno were back as judges
Lamar’s video showed him shooting basketballs on the Los Angeles Lakers court as he hoped the show would help people ‘get to know the real me.’
The former Lakers star joined two-time show champion Peta Murgatroyd, back after taking two seasons to raise her son Shai, two, with former castmate Maks Chmerkovskiy.
‘Lamar is 6’10’, I am 5’7′,’ Peta noted. ‘This is gonna be really frickin’ hard.’
Tall order: Peta Murgatroyd was back after two seasons to raise her son Shai, two, with former castmate Maks Chmerkovskiy
Lamar grinned his way through their foxtrot to a cover of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good.
‘It needed more smoothness and elegance,’ Len complained.
‘You were focusing so much on the steps that you didn’t actually dance,’ Bruno added.
Basketball star: Lamar Odom performed a foxtrot with Peta
Nice lines: The former Los Angeles Lakers star danced to a cover of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good
Fan favorite: Lamar won a championship with the Lakers and was looking for victory with Peta
Carrie Ann liked it, but they earned just 11 points, which the crowd booed.
Lauren, who’d been second on American idol, worked with season 23 finalist Gleb Savchenko.
Shaky in practice, Lauren grew concerned, saying: ‘I belong on a farm, not a ballroom.’
Singing star: Lauren Alaina, who’d been second on American idol, worked with season 23 finalist Gleb Savchenko
But her cha-cha, performed to a cover of Shania Twain’s Man, I Feel Like a Woman, was fast, sexy, and on point, ending in a big dip that left her breathless.
‘Well, well, well, what have we got here?’ asked Bruno, calling it ‘steamy’ and ‘polished.’
Lauren, who’d been ‘praying and feeling like I might throw up’ before she went on stage, jumped excitedly as she and Gleb earned 19 points.
Steamy dance: Gleb and Lauren did a cha-cha, performed to a cover of Shania Twain’s Man, I Feel Like A Woman, that was fast, sexy, and on point
Nice score: Lauren, who’d been ‘praying and feeling like I might throw up’ before she went on stage, jumped excitedly as she and Gleb earned 19 points
Season partners: Gleb and Lauren were praised for their polished performance
Queer Eye culture expert Karamo, 38, described himself as a DWTS mega-fan, and said he’d been dreaming of being paired with his partner, season 26 champion Jenna Johnson.
Their salsa to Lizzo’s Juice was so energetic, it lost the cameras for a minute, and drove the crowd wild.
‘Good looks, good style,’ Bruno mused, requesting more hip action during their steps.
Dream partner: Queer Eye culture expert Karamo, 38, described himself as a DWTS mega-fan, and said he’d been dreaming of being paired with his partner, season 26 champion Jenna Johnson
‘It was all a bit disappointing,’ a crotchety Len countered.
Karamo told co-host Erin Andrew, 41, that Jenna ‘Queer Eye’d’ him through practices, giving him pep talks.
They earned 17 points.
Hip action: Bruno said he wanted to see more hip action from Karama
Dancing couple: Jenna who won season 26 was paired with Karamo
Former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Lewis, 44, a two-time Super Bowl champion, said he ‘wasn’t much of a dancer’ but once started games with a ‘swirl’ move to Nelly’s Hot In Herre.
‘I did this dance, and I remember seeing the crowd lose their minds,’ he said. ‘I can’t wait to have that feeling again.’
He and two-time DWTS champion Cheryl Burke performed a salsa to his favorite song, and he opened the set with his famous move, which scored them 15 points.
Football star: Former football star Ray Lewis performed with Cheryl Burke
‘You can definitely bring the heat,’ cried Bruno, calling it a ‘fantastic, charismatic performance.’
‘Someone brought their A game,’ added Carrie Ann. ‘You turned this audience on.’
For her intro, Supremes singer Mary Wilson, 75, reviewed her awesome career, which included five consecutive number-one hits.
Strong effort: Tom stood next to Ray as the judges critiqued their performance
‘I have never, ever slowed down,’ she said.
When she met her partner, Brandon Armstrong, she squealed, ‘They didn’t tell me you were going to be cute,’ which he then repeated back to her.
The duo’s foxtrot to the Supremes’ 1964 hit Baby Love had Carrie Ann bowing down.
Popular group: Supremes singer Mary Wilson, 75, was paired with Brandon Armstrong
Mutual admiration: Mary and Brandon called each other cute when they first met
‘You were built to foxtrot on our dance floor,’ she told Mary, as Bruno added, ‘A Supreme is always a Supreme. You know how to sell it.’
‘I’m the same age as you, and I’d like to be able to come out and do a foxtrot as well as you did,’ Len agreed, before the judges gave them 17 points.
Singer Ally Brooke, 26, had earlier performed on the show as a member of Fifth Harmony.
Head judge: Len was looking for more displays of proper technique this season
Returning as a solo artist, she was paired with Sasha Farber, who said: ‘I just won the jackpot.’
Their cha-cha to Fifth Harmony’s Work From Home wowed the crowd, but Len hated it.
‘There was a lot of hip-thrusting and gyrating,’ he complained. ‘There was a lot of, sort of, Beyoncé stuff in there, which I’m not a fan of, and you sort of got in each other’s way a bit.’
Girl group: Singer Ally Brooke, 26, had earlier performed on the show as a member of Fifth Harmony.
Teaming up: Sasha Farber was paired with Ally and they performed a cha-cha dance
‘By the way, Beyoncé follows our show tonight—I’m sure she’ll have some words for Len,’ co-host Tom Bergeron, 64, reminded everyone.
Beyoncé’s show, Making the Gift, was the next show to air on ABC’s lineup.
Ally and Sasha walked away with 16 points.
Strong start: The judges awarded Ally and Sasha with 16 points
Sean Spicer had the loudest costume of the night as he took the stage in a neon green ruffled flamenco shirt.
His appearance on the show had been endorsed by his old boss, President Donald Trump.
‘It’s nice to have the leader of the free world on your side when it comes to getting votes,’ Sean admitted.
Major endorsement: Sean Spicer said his appearance on the show had been endorsed by his old boss, President Donald Trump
Flamboyant outfit: The former White House staffer wore a flamboyant neon green top
He knew that some people might not want to see him.
‘There’s no question my time in the White House was very tumultuous,’ he said. ‘I think it gave people a very one-dimensional look at who I was as a person.’
He vowed to enjoy himself, and seemed thrilled to meet his partner, season 25 champion Lindsay Arnold, who vowed to form her own opinion of his skills.
Pro partner: Lindsay Arnold who won season 25 was paired with Sean
Sean’s ‘danceability’ was at a ‘pre-pre-school-level,’ she announced.
Sean was understandably nervous.
‘Facing the press every day knowing that millions of people are watching is pretty daunting,’ he affirmed. ‘But it’s nothing compared to going out and dancing in front of millions of people.’
Salsa dance: Sean and Lindsay performed a salsa dance together
He started their salsa performance by playing the congas to the Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life, danced around the show’s neon Tropicana Club set, and finished under a rainbow of confetti.
He and Lindsay earned 12 points.
‘I have to say, it was strangely entertaining,’ Bruno confessed, noting that Sean’s hip action looked like it was ‘set in cement.’
‘I like your sense of fun,’ said Carrie Ann, noting he was ‘offbeat most of the dance.’
Big finish: The dance ended with Sean sliding as confetti fell
Celebrity cast: Sean was teamed with Lindsay as he competed against other celebrities
Closing the show was former Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek, now starring on Pose.
James said that he wanted to show his five children it was okay to try new things.
His sleek form made for a fine tango with season 24 champion Emma Slater, and the two of them slid seamlessly around the floor to Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons.
TV star: james Van Der Beek danced with pro partner Emma Slater
‘Holy cow, I mean, wow,’ said Tom.
‘We have a leading man in the house,’ Carrie Ann exclaimed. ‘Style, technique and flavor all in one.’
‘It had drive, it had purpose, you even made body contact,’ Len marveled. ‘Terrific number.’
Tango dance: The Dawson’s Creek star showed fine form during his tango with Emma
James and Emma scored a 21, winning the night.
‘In about 23 seconds, stay tuned for Beyoncé, giving some lip to Len, I hope,’ Tom concluded.
Dancing With The Stars will return next week on ABC.
High score: James and Emma earned the high score of 21 points during the season 28 premiere
Dancing With The Stars Injuries
In 2006, season two contestant Romeo Miller withdrew from Dancing With The Stars due to an injury and was replaced by his father Master P.
Pro dancer Derek Hough during season six in 2008 pulled his neck during rehearsal and missed a week of dancing.
Derek during season seven also blacked out during rehearsal after tripping and landing on the back of his head.
Season seven also saw the departure of Misty May-Treanor after she was injured during practice and ruptured her Achilles tendon.
Rehearsal injury: Misty May-Treanor is shown with host Tom Bergeron in October 2008 as she revealed rupturing her Achilles tendon during practice on Dancing With The Stars
Brooke Burke also severely bruised her foot during season seven during camera blocking when she landed hard doing a front flip with pro partner Derek.
Susan Lucci during season seven fractured two bones in her foot, but remained in the competition.
Nancy O’Dell withdrew from season eight due to a torn meniscus, along with Jewel who fractured both her tibias just before the season premiere.
Steve-O also suffered a pulled back muscle during dress rehearsal in season eight and was unable to perform the salsa live.
Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay during season nine withdrew from the competition in week three after injuring his foot during rehearsals before the premiere.
Billy Dee Williams was forced to withdraw from season 18 due to a chronic back problem.
Early exit; Billy Dee Williams withdrew early from season 18 due to a chronic back problem
Pro dancer Mark Ballas during season 22 injured his back during rehearsal and was unable to perform for a week with his partner, UFC fighter Paige VanZant.
Pro dancer Sharna Burgess during season 23 injured her knee during rehearsal with James Hinchcliffe and was out for two weeks.
Pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy during season 24 suffered a calf muscle injury during rehearsal with Heather Morris and was replaced by dance troupe member Alan Bersten during a four-week recovery period.
Christie Brinkley broke her arm during practice five days before the season 28 premiere and was replaced by her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook.
Stepping in: Christie Brinkley broke her arm during practice five days before the season 28 premiere of DWTS and was replaced by her daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook
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