Cheeky Girls! Lily Aldridge, Chrissy Teigen and Nina Agdal go topless as they share Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover
PUBLISHED: 03:43, 14 February 2014 | UPDATED: 08:35, 14 February 2014
It's the most hotly anticipated magazine cover of the year.
And the Sports Illustrated 2014 swimsuit issue certainly doesn't disappoint - featuring not one but three famous faces to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Standing in the azure waters of the Cook Islands, swimsuit models Nina Agdal, Lily Aldridge and Chrissy Teigen posed together wearing just skimpy bikini briefs.
Celebrating 50 years: Nina Agdal, Lily Aldridge and Chrissy Teigen pose together on the cover of the Sports Illustrated 2014 swimsuit issue
Smiling over their shoulders, the nearly-naked beauties showed off their all-over tans and tousled manes.
Posing with her arm draped over her companion, Nina, 21, can be seen sporting a pair of ruched bottoms and gazing into the camera as she runs her hand through her beach-blonde hair.
Last year saw her first appearance in the prestigious swimsuit issue and she proved so popular she was named Rookie Of The Year.
Standing next to her, 28-year-old Lily Aldridge - who is married to Kings Of Leon frontman Caleb Followill - glowed in an orange and pink number, a gold bracelet glittering on her arm, which was resting on Chrissy's waist.
It is the first time in history three beauties have featured on the cover, and it was unveiled before a rabid audience in Hollywood outside the studio where Jimmy Kimmel Live was being filmed, with the three models due to appear on the show to discuss their big career moment next Monday.
Grand opening: The image was unveiled in Hollywood for an excited audience outside the studio where Jimmy Kimmel Live was being filmed
Beach beauties: 21-year-old Nina Agdal (left) and Lily Aldridge, 28, are best known for their work as Victoria's Secret angels
Famous face: 28-year-old Chrissy Teigen, who is married to R&B singer John Legend, has modelled for upmarket swimwear label Beach Bunny
Turning towards her fellow cover girl, Chrissy, 28, showed off her perfectly pert posterior in a pair of strappy pink briefs.
Clearly aware of the caché that comes with appearing on the much sought-after cover, Lily Aldridge tweeted moments after the big reveal.
'Feeling so blessed to be on this iconic @si_swimsuit Sports Illustrated cover with these beauties @ninaagdal @chrissyteigen,' she wrote. 'Thank you @mj_day @jamesmacari @darciebaum @Chercik and everyone at SI.'
Although it's her very first appearance in the magazine, the Californian underwear-model scored a spot on the cover - something not achieved by a rookie since Heidi Klum in 1998.
What an angel! Californian-born Lily landed the cover spot despite it being the very first time she's appeared in the magazine - something not achieved by a rookie since Heidi Klum in 1998
Chrissy and Lily spoke to People.com about their reactions to making the cover.
Chrissy admitted: 'I started crying. But it was a weird shaking, trembling because … I didn’t believe it. Maybe because it’s airing on Kimmel and he likes to prank people. I was like, "This is the meanest prank of all time".'
While Lily revealed who the first person she called upon getting the big news: 'My husband is very proud. He’s very excited. I don’t think there is a man in the world that wouldn’t be super-stoked their wife ends up as the Sports Illustrated cover model.'
Their stock's up: Sport's Illustrated models Natasha Barnard, Kate Bock, Emily DiDonato, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski attended the closing bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday
Sexy in the city! The models seemed to be having fun as they banged the gavel to mark the end of trading
When asked what they were going to do with the cover, Chrissy said: 'Oh my God, I’m going to put it on a T-shirt! Are you kidding me?!'
While Lily chimed in humorously: 'I’m going to tattoo it on my back.'
Meanwhile, Chrissy, who is an old hand after first appearing in the swimsuit issue in 2010, also revealed that she had a good feeling about landing the cover during the exotic shoot.
All smiles: Gigi Hadid (right), who is the daughter of Real Housewife Yolanda Foster, was joined by fellow models Emily DiDonato and Natasha Barnard
'It’s been many years that I’ve been doing this now and this was the first shoot where I was like: "This may actually have cover potential."
'We had this perfect water, perfect time of day, perfect light, perfect look, perfect suits, perfect everything. And with James Macari shooting, I just sensed it was going to turn out right.'
According to the girls, the shoot went smoothly and the high-maintenance ladies managed to share the limelight together without the day ending in a cat fight.
'We had been on the island for a few days by that point and had had so much fun together,' she gushed. 'That day we went to a smaller island where the light was beautiful, and we each took turns posing in the middle.'
Glossy posse: The glamorous group lined up to promote the latest swimsuit issue of the popular magazine
'We really, honestly liked each other,' said Chrissy. 'Of course you are going to hear that from anybody who does a group shot, but this time it’s true. The connection was natural and the mood was fun.'
Nina, who has appeared in Sports Illustrated twice before, tweeted: 'Check out the cover unveil on Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight on ABC.... It will be good. I promise...'
Nina's boyfriend, Max George of The Wanted, was quick to congratulate his love and tweeted: 'She did it! @NinaAgdal we'll done you !! So proud.' [sic]
Brooklyn Decker perhaps had the most unladylike reaction when spying the cover for the first time and revealed on her Twitter page: 'I peed my pants when I found out. Literally. Peed down my leg.'
The actress also gushed: 'My favorite cover in the history of SI. @chrissyteigen @lilyaldridge & @ninaagdal look unreal!!! Love love love.'
Arms and dangerous: It's the first year Canadian Kate Bock, 23, has appeared in Sports Illustrated, but she looked very at home with her fellow models during the promo
Meanwhile Aaron Paul was thrilled for his famous friend Lily and tweeted: 'One of my dearest friends @LilyAldridge just landed the @SI_Swimsuit's 50th Anniversary cover! Congrats kiddo!!'
Also on Thursday, Sport's Illustrated models Natasha Barnard, Kate Bock, Emily DiDonato, Gigi Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski attended the closing bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange.
Slightly more covered-up than their cover girl colleagues, the five beauties seemed to have fun as they banged the gavel to mark the end of the days trading.
Gigi, who is the daughter of Yolanda Foster, is often seen on reality show Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, while British model Emily Ratajkowski, 22, is best known for her appearance in the controversial music video for Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines.
Building on the anticipation of the cover reveal, Air New Zealand recently teamed up with Sports Illustrated to produce what has been dubbed 'the world's most beautiful safety video.'
Flying high: Models (left to right) Ariel Meredith, Hannah Davis, Jessica Gomes and Chrissy Teigen recently shot a safety video for Air New Zealand in collaboration with Sports Illustrated
She's a pro! Veteran Sports Illustrated model Christie Brinkley, 60, also appeared in what has been dubbed 'the world's most beautiful safety video'
Veteran bikini model Christie Brinkley, 60, wows in a white bikini and turquoise heels, while Ariel Meredith, Hannah Davis, Jessica Gomes and Chrissy Teigen promoted air safety while strolling along a white sand beach.
In another promotional move, Sports Illustrated released a mock cover featuring Barbie and revealed she is to feature alongside supermodels like Brooklyn Decker as part of a campaign called 'unapologetic.'
This year's cover is not the first time the cover has boasted more than one model.
In 2006, eight models featured in a all-star edition featuring only past cover models and included Elle Macpherson, Rebecca Romijn and Carolyn Murphy among others.
Valeria Mazza and Tyra Banks starred together on the 1996 cover, while Kathy Ireland, Elle Macpherson, and Rachel Hunter graced 1994's issue.
1976 saw the first and only time twin sisters have been seen on the cover, with Yvette and Yvonne Sylvander also being the first multi-subject cover.
The original swimsuit model: Sports Illustrated revealed that Barbie is to feature alongside supermodels like Christie Brinkley and Brooklyn Decker as part of a campaign called 'unapologetic'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2559114/Bikini-beauties-Lily-Aldridge-Chrissy-Teigen-Nina-Agdal-topless-celebrate-50-years-Sports-Illustrated-swimsuit-issue.html#ixzz2tIiEh7PS
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