Brittany
Age: 22
Height: 5'11"
Hometown: Tallahassee, FL
Occupation: Elementary School Instructional Aide

Brittany was compared to a young Janice Dickinson right from the start. Her spunk and fiery personality both impressed and annoyed the judges at times, but when they told her to tone it down, it seemed to them that she lost her passion for the competition. Here she explains what happened, how she feels about being compared to Janice, and much more!

Hi Brittany! How does it feel to be compared to a young Janice Dickinson?

Oh, I’m flattered! I love Janice; she’s great and so hysterical. I hope I look like an old Janice some day, minus all the work of course.

Your personality seems to be larger than life. Have you always been loud and outgoing?

Oh my gosh yes! I’ve always been loud, nutty, fun, outgoing, class clown, crazy … I don’t know where it comes from though! I’m an only child and I have kooky parents, but I’ve always been the center of attention and crazy. That’s just me.

In the early episodes especially, the judges criticized you for looking too “stripper-like”. After watching yourself on the show, would you agree with them?

Yes and no. I know what they were talking about; my features, like the pouty lips. I accentuated them too much in the early photos, and my head placement was a bit out there for a fashion shoot. But that alien shot – I don’t think I looked like a stripper, I just had my head out a bit too much and of course the lips.

I learned a lot from their comments though, and I completely understood what they were getting at. I took their advice and quickly changed what I was doing.

Do you think the editing of the show portrayed the real you?

Yes. What you see is what it is. I said what I said and I did what I did. I mean, there has to be editing – what you see on TV over the entire season isn’t even one whole day in the life of the girls on the show. Those cameras are on us 24/7. Even when you’re sleeping there’s a camera rolling nearby. There was so much more that went on that I wish you could see, but there just isn’t time.

There’s much more to me – to all of us – than what the audience gets to see on television. And I understand that and knew that going into this. But each one of us is a complex person. Like Brandy for example – what you saw was definitely Brandy. She did and said all of that. But there’s more to her than just what you saw. You can’t possibly see everything or it would be like the Truman Show.

But personally, yeah, that was me.

What is something about you that few people know?

I’m a Christian. I really believe in God and Jesus. What else? I read a lot! But they wouldn’t show that on TV ‘cause how boring would that be? Here’s Brittany reading - you know?

I have a great relationship with my family. They’re the best people in the world and we’re really close. They’ve been very, very supportive through everything.

You and Keenyah had a close relationship on the show. Does watching the episodes on TV change your view about her at all?

Not at all. Not even a tiny bit. I love that girl! You know, that’s real life – friends end up saying negative things about each other, but then you get over it and move on. We were all living together, sharing bathrooms together, eating together – you’re bound to get on each others’ nerves eventually in that situation. You know, “If she does one more thing, Oh My God I’m gonna freak out!”

I haven’t taken anything that any of the girls said personally or seriously. My feelings are not hurt in the least, even with the alcohol comments and all of that. It’s just not meant to be personal. We all had to deal with each other’s quirks.

That last argument with Keenyah and I was blown out of proportion. We totally blew things out of proportion. But it was high stress – we were like time bombs ticking away there. It was getting down to the end and really we all just wanted to go home and be with people we love.

If you could describe your experience in South Africa in one word, what would it be?

Fabulous!

The judges really loved your pictures overall, but eliminated you on what Tyra called your “decreasing passion”. How would you respond to that?

I don’t think there was a decrease in my passion at all. What they saw was insecurity, not a decrease in passion. I was insecure because I didn’t know what they wanted at panel. When I was cut I was extremely hurt and disappointed – there was real passion there.

I got so nervous before panel. I just did not know what they wanted. They told me to calm down, and then they say, “I feel like you’re holding back”. Well which is it? You know, the porn thing was black and white – change this and that. I did that. But emotions and nerves are not so easy to turn on and off. I couldn’t just say “Okay Brittany, chill”; believe me, I tried that.

I guess I lost some of the passion in myself because I was nervous and just didn’t know what they were looking for.

What’s next for you? Are you going to continue modeling?

Oh gosh yes. It would be a waste if I didn’t at least try. After everything that I learned and experienced, I have to try. I didn’t go through model boot camp to quit! You know, that would be like someone in the military going through all the training and then deciding to do something else. A complete waste. So I’m heading off to New York soon!

If you were invited to a dinner party and were able to invite one of the judges, male or female, to escort you, who would it be and why?

It would have to be my girl Janice. I love her! She’s blunt and honest and I appreciate that. We really bonded.

Brittany, thanks for your time, and best of luck with your modeling career!

Thank you very much!

Interviews: America's Next Top Model 4: Interview with Brittany

SpyRI writes, "Brittany, from Tallahassee, Florida, became the 11^th girl eliminated from UPN’s hit show, America’s Next Top Model. Despite having great photographs and a bubbly personality, the judges sent her home. In our conversation today, she talked about the beauty of South Africa, her big fight with Keenyah, and her ambitions to become a talk show host.

Brittany, hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today!

Thank you!

Viewers were shocked last night, watching you be eliminated. Was it a surprise for you?

Aww, were you surprised?

Yeah! Were you?

It was a surprise, but kind of not, not like “Oh my God!” I mean, I’d been in the final two before, been on that chopping block a time or two before, so I kind of knew, like when I- I had a good photo, but in the end, it wasn’t even about that. It’s less about having a great photo that it is about how you do in panel. I didn’t think I did that bad! Maybe I needed a few dancing lessons. Yes and no, it was a shock a little I guess. Ahhh. It’s a touchy subject. I didn’t want to go home. It got really hard at the end, it got really competitive, and they’re great girls, I’m not saying that any of them did not deserve to stay. They all did really great. It was a shock that I was going home because of course I wanted to stay and kick more butt! It was hard.

Your personality and character have been such a great part of this season. Have you thought about being an actress at all?

Thank you lady! Yes! Of course! I love acting! Or maybe being a talk show host or something, where I could express my personality! I want to go further with that. The great thing about doing a reality show was that I could do what I love with the modeling, and the photoshoots and all of that, but I got to show my personality, I got to show me. It’s not a girl on paper, it’s the real me. I would love to something like that again.

Did you have any modeling experience before the show?

I had a little; I got involved with it when I was eleven, with a local agency in Tallahassee, small town U.S.A., no big deal. Of course nothing major ever- just local things, cheesy runway shows, in the mall, your Grandma would come watch and you’d come down the runway wearing Dillard’s jeans, but nothing professional. It’s been an interest of mine for a long time.

You seem to have such a passion for life and sense of adventure- I was really surprised to see that you’re an elementary school aide. Do you enjoy working with children?

I love kids! I love them! Yeah, I definitely enjoyed doing that- I could be crazy with them. I’m not working there currently. I didn’t go back after the show, just because I didn’t want these kids to kind of…know my personal life. I didn’t want them to be saying “Oh, Miss Brittany, we saw you… were you really drinking?” I’ll definitely go back to visit them, but I don’t want to go into an environment where every day there’d be constant questions. It would be too overwhelming. I had a great time with the kids- I love them.

Often on the show, you were compared to a “young Janice Dickenson”. How did you feel about that?

Heck, yeah, Janice is hot! I hope that people keep saying that about me! And by the time I get to her age, wow, I just hope I can keep that going! On the show, it was very flattering, I loved it, I just didn’t want it to hurt me with her, I was afraid she’d get tired of it! You know when someone tells you… I didn’t want it to get tiring on her, and have her be all “Gaddang it, the girl does not look like me! Stop saying it, she’s awful, she’s ugly, stop it!” But it got to be a joke, and I was completely flattered. I do have a crazy outgoing personality, and I really wanted it, I really really wanted it. She’d tell me sometimes that I was too much, but I think she understood me. They told me to hold back, and I tried to hold back, but maybe I held back too much. They even said last night on the show that they thought I was holding back, but that’s what they told me to do. I just never found that perfect median of how to be myself and hold back at the same time.

You and Keenyah who seemed so close had a big blow out in South Africa because she was at the least, politically unaware, and you felt that she was being somewhat manipulative. Could you tell me about that argument and how you two resolved it?

First of all, it was ridiculous of us to fight at all. The tension of us being the last four was unbelievable, but it was like any other fight you have with a girlfriend. It was stupid. I love Keenyah to death. I have the highest respect for her. It was just pure annoyance; we’d been around each other for every singe day, in each other’s faces all the time. It was a stupid fight, a stupid argument, and if I could take it back I would. I love her. No hard feelings.

What did you think of South Africa? Is it really a booming fashion industry hotspot?

Yeah it really is- I did not know that. It is- it’s huge, I couldn’t believe it. I had no idea. And man, it’s gorgeous, fantastic. I remember one night we were driving home from a shoot and the sun was going down over the water, over the rocky mountains, and there was a full moon at the exact same time and I remember thinking  “This is so gorgeous.” Oh, man, it was incredible. I was so lucky to get to be able to go.

Now that you’ve been eliminated, who do you think should win America’s Next Top Model?

Well, if I had to wrap up an entire package, someone who is talented, great face, gorgeous, great personality, everything, it would be Keenyah. I love her. Not just because she was my friend on the show, but because she really works it.

What are your plans for the future? Are you going to continue in the modeling industry, are you going to stay in Tallahassee?

Oh, god, stay in Tallahassee! I could do more runway shows at the mall! No, I’m not going to stay in Tallahassee. I have big plans to move up to the big apple, I’m moving to New York. I can’t take everything that I’ve learned. All of that, I got a taste of the industry, a taste of what it’s like, and I can’t let it go. I got a taste of living my dream, and I’m going to go for it.

Well, congratulations on getting so far in the show, and good luck with your career! Thank you so much again for taking the time, and have a great day!

Thanks! You too!

This morning I had the opportunity to speak with Brittany, the 22-year-old Instructional Aide from Tallahassee who took gorgeous photos, but who was eliminated for letting her personality “slip away,” according to the judging panel. In this interview, she discusses her difficulties, her triumphs, and her plans to go back to being an Instructional Aide. She’s funny like that - and we can rest assured from this interview that her personality hasn’t slipped away anywhere.

Hello Brittany, I’m from fansofrealitytv.

I love that site! My parents are obsessed with fansofrealitytv! They’re always checking it out and printing it out for me.

That’s great, and we appreciate you speaking to us. First of all, congratulations for making it to the final four in the competition!

Oh, thank you!

A lot of your fans were shocked when you were eliminated last night.

Really, I was upset. I was watching it on TV last night. I swear, it was like a scary movie, where you’re like, NO! And I was hoping it would change for me, but no, it didn’t.

Did you feel like any of the judges were on your side?

Yeah, I did feel like I had at least Janice in my corner. At least someone was in my corner.

But some of us were surprised that she didn’t fight for you more last night.

Yeah, with the whole dancing thing, she thought I was holding back. I don’t know...

There was a lot said about your personality on the show. You described yourself as a drag queen in a woman’s body.

Manly Stanley. (laughing) I’ve got a bit of a Manly Stanley voice going on right now. My voice is sounding soooo deeeep.

You were described as wild, outrageous, loud... so it was quite a surprise when the judges eliminated you for letting your personality “slip away”. Did you agree with their assessment of you?

Not at all! I did disagree with it - not in the competition, I didn’t think it was slipping away. Maybe during our off-time. But when we were working at a shoot, I was still my crazy, outgoing self. My personality in panel was definitely hurting, though. My nerves got the best of me. It was the final four, and the competition was so strong at that point. Every week before that, I would be feeling like I knew who would be going home. Yes, there was always that fear that it could be me, but usually it you could see it would be this person or that person. Or you could see from panel that they’ll go home if they don’t do this, and if they didn’t do it - well, then I agreed they should have gone home. But when it was down to us four it was completely stressful. My nerves were so crazy.

You know how they would always tell me in panel, right from the beginning: “She’s so over the top, she needs to tone it down”? I started trying to tone it down, and that made me nervous. When someone tells you to do something you’re not used to doing, and to not be yourself, that’s hard! I don’t know how to tone it down. I mean I do, gosh, when I’m in church I don’t go around mooning people, but at the time, they were telling me to do whatever it takes and I didn’t want to be sent home. So I do tone it down, and then Janice tells me, “I feel like you’re holding back.” What? It’s like gosh, I just don’t know what to do. What do you people want? There’s obviously a fine line there, and I couldn’t find it. In the panel room, it was hard to find who they wanted me to be. I was trying to be what they wanted me to be, and I regret that I just wasn’t me, that I didn’t just go nuts or do the stuff that I do.

One area where you really did improve for the panel was their criticism of you at first that you were too much of a sexpot in your photos. You really turned that criticism around.

And that to me was easy. If someone tells you, this is what you have to do: you’re pouting, and you don’t need to do that, you already have big lips. I turned it out, I didn’t do that lip move so much. Then it was hold your head up high, it’s too low, I can fix things like that. Things that they said I was doing porn-like, I fixed, because that’s something you can fix. When it’s personality, or something that you ARE, that’s a little different to change. It’s like telling a really really shy person, “Be really outgoing!” They can’t do that. That was difficult to me, because personalities are huge part of a person, not something you can just change. As far as the porn thing, I could tweak what I had to tweak - that was a piece of cake. As far as changing my personality, that was confusing.

We were confused as viewers, too. One minute you were criticized for having too much personality, the next, you’re criticized for holding back.

That’s what my parents say, that they wouldn’t know what to do either! It was hard to follow their advice and just do what they want. It messed me up confidence-wise, too. I’m extremely confident and strong-willed. Normally I just go for it, but I couldn’t figure out what they wanted. When I would be crazy, they would tell me to tone it down, and then I do, and I’m told I’m losing my personality? It’s like, what do you people want me to do?

How long are those panel sessions?

It always changed, depending on what our challenge was. It was never one specific amount of time.

On the show, you appeared to be closest to Keenyah...but in last night’s episode, your friendship seemed to be breaking up. Are you two still friends?

Keenyah is my GIRL! I love her. I love Keenyah, of course we’re still friends. You get in stupid fights with your friends - and it was a stupid fight. Tensions were high, the stress level was ridiculous, anything could have ticked us off at any point. Keenyah and I were best friends on the show; we shared many great intimate moments, we talked, and I got to know exactly who Keenyah was and vice versa. It was almost like a sisterly thing at the end. Yes, we are definitely still friends and I love her to death. I have no bad feelings about her, she’s a great girl. Sometimes you get in stupid fights with your friends, it’s no reason to end a friendship, that stuff happens.

What about the other girls on the show - has your opinion of anyone changed since watching the episodes?

No, not really. I’m not trying to be so rah! rah! cheerful or too agreeable, but really, no one shocked me. I thought we were all pretty honest with each other. I did not think any of it was, [in a faux shocked voice] What? I cannot BELIEVE that. Basically, all the opinions I saw in people’s confessionals were all things I knew. Like when I was dancing on the table, I could tell that obviously Rebecca and Kahlen were not too thrilled about. Basically, I could tell by the expressions on their faces. (laughing) It was never, “I’m appalled! I can’t believe she said that!” I think the way the show was aired was how people really were.

Who do you think was your toughest competition?

I would have to say probably Naima because that girl just wins every competition! We would laugh about that, it was like, Naima, can you please stink at something? Let us win, give me a diamond or two please! She is a tough competitor, and she is sneaky - not sneaky in a bad way, I mean that the girl pulls it out when she has too. She’s all nice and easy, but the girl could compete. That was a great quality in her, she had us all running for the money.

What was your favorite photoshoot?

I would have to say the mud. That was fun! I got a little panicky about figuring out my outfit. First of all, we had to kloof or kloff or whatever it was through that water. That was not so nice. I have this weird thing that if I can’t see what’s underneath the water it freaks me out. The actual photo shoot, that was just amazing! I had this gorgeous waterfall behind me. But I remember sitting there getting makeup - we had light makeup - and thinking, gosh I have to do something in nature. I got a little panicky about that. All the time I was staring at this huge mud hole, and it was a nasty mud hole, too. The TV really did it justice, it was just gross.

Then I was like, Bingo! Outfit solved. Everyone else was picking leaves and flowers and slapping them on, and I got it easy - just wallow around in the mud hole like a hippo. That was really cool, that was fun. The hardest part about that was trying to keep the mud from drying, because when it dried it looked like skin; so I was constantly re-wetting myself. But it was fun to get all messy.

What was your least favorite photoshoot?

My least favorite one was the [dogwalking shoot], when I almost got eliminated because they said I looked “porno.” Not because of the photo, but because I was unsure of myself on that one. On the first photoshoot with Nigel, they said I was a little pornographic in my moves, too porn star, too x-rated. So I was extremely nervous in that shoot, because I had to fix my photo or get kicked off the show in the very beginning, and who wants that? I didn’t know exactly how to fix my “porniness” at that point and obviously it did almost get me booted.

Do you plan to pursue a career in modeling?

No, I’m just going to go back to being an instructional aide. (laughing) No, I’m just kidding. I most definitely am going to continue a modeling career. I consider the show to be like model boot camp. I went through so much stuff, why give up now, why quit? That would be completely pointless. And I am proud of myself that I got as far as I did. It was a great learning experience. I would be an idiot to not at least try.

I want to go from fourth place straight to the fashion industry - this was just the first step. I may not have won the battle but I’m going to win the war, baby.

What part of the fashion industry do you see yourself succeeding?

I would love to be more of a spokesmodel. I want to take some classes, maybe fix my Southern accent. I love showing my personality. I think that’s my best attribute about myself, my personality.

I would love to do runway, but I’m honest with myself, I’m not an idiot. That’s more for the Rebecca kind of body types, that very thin, very high fashion body, like Tiffany or Christina. I would love to do Victoria’s Secret, that would be amazing, that would be my ultimate dream.

Who are you rooting for to win?

I’ve gotta root for my girl! I’ve got to root for Keenyah. Keenyah has the entire package. She’s gorgeous, she’s got the most beautiful face - it’s stunning, her face. She’s got the personality too. She’s really a good girl, she knows how to handle herself, she’s got the whole thing about her, I just love her.

Do you read about yourself online? Have you read anything that made you laugh, or made you angry?

I went on fansofrealitytv.com in the very beginning, and people thought I was the best, and I know I’ve dropped a bit since then. I loved it then, I read all of it before the show started. I thought it was hysterical there was a lot of people who thought I had a lot of work done. There was some comment about Tyra starting her talk show, and they couldn’t believe Tyra would let a girl on “who’s had so much work done.”

I remember that!

I just got the biggest trip out of that. One person talked about my nose job, and oh my God, I hate my nose. I’ve always talked about getting my nose done, not that I ever would, but I hate my nose. And that my lips had been done - that’s just good lip gloss. I know all the lip tricks. My lips are just normal, but I can make them huge. They talked about lip injections - I just laughed at all of that. It’s kind of a compliment, in a way.

I haven’t read too much since the show started, really. I know people are going to have their opinions, and I don’t particularly want to know. My friends read it, and I tell them, only tell me the good. I don’t want to hear any of the bad. (laughing)

What are you most proud of, in your time on the show?

I would have to say that I am very proud of my photos. Even though I was eliminated last night, at least I went out on a great photo. I’m glad that I wasn’t hanging on by some chance with bad photo after bad photo. Yeah, I’m pretty proud about that.

Have you shown your portfolio to any modeling agencies?

No, not yet. I don’t even have it yet! I haven’t done anything until today, so nothing’s happened. I haven’t talked to anyone yet - just you wonderful people.

Thank you to Brittany for sharing her time and her vivacious personality with us, and to UPN for granting the interview

MF: Did it upset you that people said you were more porn than model?

BRITTANY: Well in the beginning yes. It was the first problem that I had, and the last thing I want to be is porn star. I don’t want that to be the image I portray to the public, and not something that I aspire to at all. So it was a little tough in the beginning.

MF: Looking back, do you think any of your behavior or drinking was unprofessional?

BRITTANY: No. And the reason is because it was off-time. I wasn’t like I was taking a flask to work, that would have been different. When I was at the Cover Girl party, I was mainly joking around. I wasn’t serious, it was just me joking. I never had any alcohol on shoots. It was not ever work related. When we were able to go out and eat and drink, then I think that was my right to do whatever I wanted, as a 22 year old. So no, I don’t think it was unprofessional.

MF: I was totally shocked when you were let go. I thought you would at least be in the Final 2, if not win it all. Did you have any clue you were in danger or were you as shocked as most of the viewers?

BRITTANY: Quite honestly, at the time I felt that they were ready to get rid of me. But I don’t feel like I was the worst or should have been let go. I had great pictures, and I didn’t really lose it all in panel. The judges said that Kahlen was not rhythmic, and they didn’t like her picture, but I was the one they sent home. So I don’t quite understand why I was let go. I mean, when Christina was eliminated she understood why. It was sort-of the weakest link and we all had to critique one another and it was her. Lluvy for whatever reason couldn’t take a good shot. Rebecca had trouble being sexy. I don’t completely understand yet why they chose me.

MF: How do you feel about the constant comparison to Janice Dickinson?

BRITTANY: I love it! She’s hysterical. I admire that she’s blunt and outgoing and I think she’s gorgeous. I hope I look like her when I get older! I am flattered by that.

MF: & speaking of Janice, she is following Adrianne’s lead & doing the new ‘Surreal Life’. Would you have any interest in doing that show too?

BRITTANY: Not really. I really don’t want to do another reality show. They’re rough. I would like to get modeling work.

MF: What is your relationship like with Keenyah now?

BRITTANY: Great! I love her. We will be friends for a really long time. We had the same relationship as anyone would, and just because of a silly little fight, and our nerves, that doesn’t mean we will let that end our friendship. We had been with each other for months and we were just getting on each others nerves. But I love her.

MF: Keenyah was really b!tchy in the last few episodes. Was she like that the whole time & I just didn’t see it or did she change?

BRITTANY: No she was not at all. I mean, she knows she’s competitive. She really wanted to win, and I guess you could perceive that as b!tchy, but that’s not how she is. She definitely was not that way the whole time, she’s a lot of fun.

MF: How out of control did Keenyah’s eating really get?

BRITTANY: Not ridiculous. It wasn’t that crazy. That was just her outlet when she got nervous. It wasn’t like she was eating in her sleep, or every second or anything. Maybe when we did get the chance to eat her portion control was a little off, and sometimes she would eat when she was nervous or fidgety. It would be just like my cocktails! But no it wasn’t in the beginning of the show at all. It was more toward the end, it definitely picked up. It progressed as the stress levels went up.

MF: How do you feel about Michelle? Did you guys alienate her & talk about her behind her back at all or was it just all her doing?

BRITTANY: It wasn’t all her. She did alienate herself big time though. I mean, in Africa it was just us and she still stayed away and was off by herself reading. We didn’t talk about her behind her back. The only think we said was when is she going home? She did take great pictures, but that’s it. She didn’t show a lot of personality in panels. She just wasn’t in the group as the rest of us were.

MF: What was your favorite photo shoot? Which did you like the least?

BRITTANY: My favorite photo shoot was the mud. Definitely. I got to do my own costume. I could be creative with myself. It wasn’t someone else dressing me or telling me what to wear. My least favorite was the dog one. There was all the pressure to control the porn thing. I was holding all the dogs, and the flowers, and had to flirt with the guy behind me and remember all the comments the judges made about not looking too porn-ish! It was tough!

MF: & how about the different challenges you did? What was the most fun?

BRITTANY: The hardest challenge in panel was the perfume one. But I had a great time with it. The 30 seconds of selling was really tough, but the questionnaire in panel where they were asking us crazy questions and I did that tacky dance, that was fun. The make-up was my favorite in panel. The one where we had to do night-time make-up. I was the only one that really did anything. The other girls had a little blush on and I came out and was looking like a clown! Fun.

MF: What do you think you could have done differently to stay on the show?

BRITTANY: Not get as nervous in panel. Not let the judges get to me. I really let the nerves and everything get to me. I didn’t know how to act because they were telling me to tone down and I just wasn’t myself. I was asked to be something different and I wasn’t sure exactly how to do that.

MF: You seemed to get along with all the girls. Anyone you didn’t?

BRITTANY: Out of all the girls, I guess the one I didn’t have the most in common with would have to be Michelle. It was an awkward situation. She didn’t let go with us. She is highly competitive. She would get really upset and took things so seriously. I think I just didn’t understand her.

MF: What advice or tips do you have for someone wanting to do the next season?

BRITTANY: Be yourself. Have as much fun as you can. It’s not easy. It’s not a walk in the park. Good luck if that’s what you think it is, because it’s not. Of course there are fun times. But you will have to make yourself let go. Enjoy the experience.

MF: What is next for you? Are you moving to New York to model?

BRITTANY: Yes. I am moving to New York as soon as possible to pursue this crazy game.

MF: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I wish you lots of luck in your career.

BRITTANY: Thank you!