Sailor Brinkley-Cook’s partner Val Chmerkovskiy says it isn’t right that they were eliminated from Dancing With the Stars. He may have put on a brave front during Monday night's broadcast, but he's now speaking out about his disappointment.
Brinkley-Cook was visibly distraught when the Dancing With the Stars judges opted to send her home, sparing singer Ally Brooke. She was consoled by her partner Chmerkovskiy during the October 21 broadcast. Chmerkovskiy is a show veteran, having won the competition twice with partners Laurie Hernandez and Rumer Willis. However, the shocking elimination came as a surprise since Brinkley-Cook had just danced a jive that awarded her a score of 27 out of 30.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Chmerkovskiy said, "It sucks we got eliminated. That sucks, and I don't think it's right and I think the show may or may not have made a mistake. But it's not a perfect show. It's as show that has, at the core of its nucleus, this incredible effort to make people happy, and I think that's what makes the show very, very special." He then added that he appreciates the show's effort to "make people happy," and that he understands the "humongous effort" put into Dancing with the Stars for the sole sake of keeping its audience entertained.
When season 28 of the long-running competition was announced, Chmerkovskiy was paired with actress and supermodel Christie Brinkley. However, during rehearsals, Brinkley slipped and fell. She broke her arm and was sidelined from participating in the show. Under short notice, producers subbed in her 21-year-old daughter. The choice proved a controversial one. Talk show host Wendy Williams hinted that Brinkley's fall was staged in order to allow Brinkley-Cook to participate on the show. Those accusations were rebuffed by both mother and daughter. Brinkley-Cook continued to prove the naysayers wrong by crushing it each week.
Sailor Brinkley-Cook entered the Dancing With the Stars ballroom under rocky circumstances. She exited the show the same way. Yet, it was what she did in the time between that makes her so dynamic. Under the rigors of Chmerkovskiy's choreography, Brinkley-Cook was a consistent front-runner and few celebrities can claim such a feat. The ballroom has been an excellent springboard for many celebrities in the past, so it will be interesting to see how Brinkley-Cook capitalizes on her new-found fame.
Source: Us Weekly