‘Dancing With the Stars’: Christie Brinkley’s Replacement Will Be Daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook

There will be a familiar face stepping into Christie Brinkley’s dance shoes on the Dancing With the Stars season premiere Monday after it was announced that the model competitor was severely injured during rehearsal and will be unable to compete on the upcoming Season 28. After BBC Studios and ABC told Good Morning America Monday, “Brinkley suffered injuries which required surgery to her wrist and arm,” the network announced her 21-year-old daughter with ex-husband Peter Cook, Sailor Brinkley-Cook, would be taking her place.

“Showbiz is all about getting a break, and Sailor and I both got one on Dancing with the Stars this season,” Brinkley said in a statement to Good Morning America. “Sailor joined the cast when I got mine … ouch somebody stop me, it hurts to laugh!”

Brinkley-Cook, who has also posed for Sport’s Illustrated like her mother, has a big task ahead of her, being challenged to learn all the choreography in just a few hours ahead of the live premiere. Luckily, her mother’s blue opening night costume fit perfectly, not even requiring any alterations.

“I’m doing this mostly for my mom! I just want to make her happy and make her proud,” she told Good Morning America. “She loved doing this, she loves dancing and she loves performing and getting hurt was her worst nightmare.”

“I felt this high of just attacking something I was so afraid of and it felt like something I need to do,” she added. “I think it will change me.”

Sunday, Brinkley shared a cryptic quote about her time on the ABC show on Instagram, writing, “‘A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.’ and Eleanor Roosevelt also said, ‘You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.’”

She added, “Hope you tune in Monday night, let’s just say there will be surprises and the water will be hot!”

Dancing With the Stars Season 28 premieres Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: Getty / Bruce Glikas