On last night’s season finale of America’s Next Top Model, the final three girls had one more Cover Girl commercial and print ad to shoot before making it to the final runway show. Analeigh, whose commercial shoots have been one of her strengths, completely blanked in front of the camera. When the judges were neither impressed with her best commercial take or her print ad, they eliminated her from the competition. Today, Analeigh spoke to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview, reflecting on her Top Model experience.
Below, you will find the transcript and mp3 of the interview.
Well, I know the judges talked a lot about your figure skating background and how that relates to model. Did you think that that was going to be something that would help you in the competition?
I definitely went in thinking it certainly helped in situations but it was a big advantage and disadvantage at the same time. They didn’t always want me to use and it’s something that’s very difficult to incorporate into modeling because it doesn’t really translate off of the ice and there’s a certain ballet aspect but then to make it into a photo is very difficult to do. Mister Jay really helped me to finally find a way to take my figure skating not so literally and make it into a really good, beautiful picture.
Was there any part of the competition that you weren’t prepared for or was overwhelming to you in the beginning?
In the beginning, it was so fast. I think that’s what I wasn’t prepared for. Everything was just bam, bam, bam and there was no time to breathe. You don’t even have time to psyche yourself out and if you do, well, that’s kind of it because you don’t have time to get yourself together either. I wasn’t prepared for how fast things would be and honestly, how intense and nervewracking these panels would be. Your heart is in your throat the entire time and you can fall all you want, you’re not gonna relax.
There was quite a bit of drama in the house this season. How did you deal with the stress of it all?
I am not really in the middle of any drama, thankfully. I’m not a fighter. If there’s something going on that I really feel strongly about, I’ll certainly stand up but I pick my battles and I felt that nothing going on was worth battling for. I won’t fight just for the sake of fighting for television and none of that was going on. It’s a competition where you’re alone and you’re in it for you so I didn’t want to let any of that affect my performance and I didn’t.
Do you have a favorite photo that you took this season?
My favorite photo… during the competition it was my least favorite photo and that would be my natural shot that Tyra Banks shot. It’s just a fun picture, it’s very simple, and I had no makeup on and my hair was pulled back in a ponytail. I hated it when it came up in panel. I cringed and I was like, “Ah, that’s so terrible.” Now that I see the photo and I see it over and over again, it has become my favorite photo because it’s simple and it’s me. There’s no makeup and I actually feel like I can look at it say, “That’s me.” It’s so natural and I think I look beautiful. I feel like it’s kind of loving the way I am naturally. I think that’s a good thing.
I really thought you had it in the bag because you’re so good in front of the camera and you’re so good in commercials. When you watch last night’s episode back, do you cringe and wish you would’ve been able to pull it together in that last Cover Girl shoot?
It was definitely unexpected. I expected to completely rock that commercial and I had the lines down. I had them memorized. I can’t really say what happened. It was just the nerves that got to me and all the pressure and once I started thinking, “Oh my goodness, I’m blowing this,” I couldn’t pull myself out of it. That’s a lesson to learn and something you definitely grow from, which I have.
You really seem like a model who can work a lot after the show is over. Do you plan to keep pursuing this?
Certainly! Actually, I have a meeting with… I won’t say… but a really, really good agency later today. Everything’s happening pretty quickly and I’m going to pursue it with all my heart because I don’t want any regrets in not going after something that I love. So definitely I’ll be working a lot – that’s my plan.
– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer
(Image courtesy of CW)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
