What a night!
The highly-anticipated premiere of Dancing With the Stars did not disappoint on Monday night, as many of the celebrities stole the show with lively numbers and dazzling ensembles. The Bachelorette‘s Hannah Brown kicked things off with a fun and flirty performance while James Van Der Beek surprised everyone and earned the highest score.
Moreover, Sailor Lee Brinkley-Cook was a total fan-favorite of the night as she knocked it out of the park with her upbeat dance to “Uptown Girl” with partner, Val Chmerkovskiy. The 21-year-old model even got a standing ovation and was joined by her mother Christie Brinkley, who couldn’t perform due to getting injuries just days before the premiere.
Fans of the series would’ve never guessed that Sailor was actually terrified to get on stage. “I’ve never danced before. I’m a model,” she confessed, before shimming and sashaying on the dance floor. “Now here I am, and it’s scary, but I feel this adrenaline rush from wanting to pay homage to my mom.”
She added, “My mom had three weeks to prepare this dance, now I have three days. I’ll see you later. I love you. This is for you, mom.”
Once Sailor hit the dance floor, though, it was game over.
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised the 21-year-old model for her natural talent.
“I’m just blown away. Three days versus three weeks. You have a poise and incredible spirit that moves through your dance,” she said. “When she went into the first hold, and the elbow was up, and the shoulders were down, you have a gold mine here.”
It was announced earlier that the legendary supermodel wouldn’t be able to perform due to an injury she gained when practicing.
“While rehearsing for the premiere of Dancing with the Stars, Christie Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm. She is unable to continue her planned participation on the show,” BBC Studios and ABC said in a statement to E! News on Monday. “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.”
The 65-year-old star told the audience tonight that she “managed to break both bones.” She said, “Well, the doctor said, [it was] one of the worst breaks he’s ever seen. I managed to break both bones. They had to cut it open, put a metal plate in, and some screws, so I’m a bionic woman now.”
All in all, it was a stellar premiere episode and fans can expect to see many more major moments.