Michelle – America’s Next Top Model

By starrymag | January 12, 2014

Michelle is the 9th Eliminated Contestant in the episode that aired Wednesday,
April 27, 2005
AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on UPN

Q) Who is your favorite designer?

A) I am not real big on designer names, but if it looks cool then I’ll wear it.

Q) Why did you decide to apply for the show?

A) Actually, they saw my picture on a website and they called me and asked me to fill out an application and a video. I sent that in and they ended up giving me a call back, wanting me at the semifinals.

Q) What was your audition tape like for the show? 

A) It showed me doing a little bit of wrestling, then it showed me talking and there was a little bit of me talking with my family.

Q) What was it like meeting Tyra Banks?

A) I didn’t think that we’d actually meet her in the semifinals. I didn’t even think about meeting her, but when we did it was really amazing. She’s even more beautiful in person.

Q) What did you like most about living in the loft?

A) I kind of liked it because we didn’t have to go out. They would go get the food for us to bring back to us (our groceries and stuff like that). Plus, the loft was just gorgeous and I loved the bathroom. Just getting to know some of the girls there was a lot of fun because some of them were really amazing people.

Q) What did you learn most about modeling from the show?

A) I learned that it takes a lot of confidence. If you don’t have confidence then you’ll never make it. Through out I improved my confidence (I had no confidence at the beginning of the show), but by the very end my confidence was ten times better than the beginning.

Q) Tiffany and you seemed to have a great friendship. Will you keep in touch with her and who do else do you plan on keeping in touch with from the show?

A) I really want to keep in touch with Tiffany and besides that, if the other girls would like to talk, that would be great. Tiffany and I really got along well and we helped each other through our situations and she’s a really good friend.

Q) Why did you feel alienated in the house?

A) I am kind of a loner. I try to help out my family as much as I possibly can. I am usually involved in running little sisters everywhere and helping out around the house. I do spend time with my friends, but not as much as I’d like because I am helping out my family and stuff so much. I think I’m just a loner and I tried to stay out of the drama and gossiping. I am not used to that many women and the drama that was created.

Q) What was your favorite part of the safari?

A) I’d have to say the lion was the best part because all of the girls were freaking out and you could tell they were getting really nervous. It was actually about two feet away from me and I thought it was really cool!

Q) What was the most difficult about the alligator photo shoot?

A) I think I just kind of lost my concentration and focus for a second. I was trying to listen to Jay because he kept saying to me, “Oh, I’ve told you this stuff from the beginning.” I was thinking, “No you haven’t!” He said I had to keep my chin out and stuff like that. He kept saying that he’s been saying this all along and I didn’t remember ever hearing that because all of the advice I hear I take to heart and make sure that I do that next time or I improve next time. I had never heard that advice before so I was kind of confused by that. I was trying to pay attention to him so much that I think I just lost focus there and if you lose focus at any point in the competition for two minutes that can be your downfall right there.

Q) How did you become a wrestler?

A) I would see one of my friends at a wrestling show because he was in the federation where I was and I really enjoyed the show. When I heard they were doing a training school for it, I went to one of the practices. I wasn’t really into it, but I heard that the guys were saying, “Oh she won’t come back!” So, I came back just to prove them wrong and I ended up really getting into it and really enjoying it. I’ve been with it for about a year and a half now. My parents were against it completely and they’d flat out tell me that I wasn’t going to practice and I’m not doing this. I’d be like, “Guess what? I understand what you’re saying, but I have to get to wrestling practice because I’m going to be late.” They weren’t too keen or happy about that, but it was something that I was passionate about and I wasn’t giving up.

Q) Who is your favorite wrestler and why? 

A) I watch all of the wrestling on TV and I really enjoy Chris Stratus. She has been in it for a while now. When you think of a female wrestler, that’s usually the first person that comes to mind and she’s been in it for a while. I love watching all of the wrestlers from there because that is where we pick up a lot of our wrestling moves and it just is really fun to watch to see the new stuff they come up with.

Q) Have you kept your hair blonde since being on the show?

A) Well, I dyed it red for about a month, but it didn’t come out red. It was more like a pink/purple blah. I kept it like that for a little bit, but then went back to blonde. So, I’m blonde now.

Q) Why were you claustrophobic in the closet during the first reward, but not when in the grave? 

A) I was really worried about the grave, but I tried not to show it. I was really paranoid about it, but they reinforced the sides and when they were lowering me down I tried to laugh about it. I tried to ignore the fact that I was being lowered eight feet into the ground. I think that they didn’t show with the closet competition that they needed one of us to get shoes and I volunteered to do it because I hate being afraid of things. When the opportunity arose that I would have to be in there twice as long as the other girls I took it upon myself to get over that fear and I forced myself to go in there and do it and try to get over that. I think that helped a lot and that’s the reason why I didn’t freak out as much as I did in the shoe store.

Q) How did it make you feel having so many people rooting for you and supporting you?

A) I didn’t realize it, but my aunt keeps tabs on the websites and messages boards and stuff. I guess I have fans in Sweden and all over the world! I didn’t even think about that in the beginning, but when she told me that I was like, “Oh my God! This is huge!” There are so many people that wanted me to succeed and improve that it was amazing. That helped out a lot knowing that there are so many people out there that want me to succeed that it makes it a lot easier to get into the industry.

Q) Do you have advice for contestants who try out in the future?

A) Go for it! If you don’t make it, keep trying. Don’t give up! Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it!

Q) What are you going to do now that you are no longer on the program?

A) As of June 1st, I am moving to New York City. I don’t have any job or apartment yet and I have to figure all of that out. I need to get all of that arranged so that when I do move I have something set up. If it doesn’t work out and I have to mooch off my parents for about a month, I’m still going to go and try my luck.

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters of you and the show?

A) Thank you so much! Without my fans and people supporting me, I don’t think I would have made it throughout the entire show. To know that there are so many people out there supporting me, I take that to heart. It touches the soul to know that there are that many people out there that are actually routing for you and I appreciate that so much. It’s unbelievable!