Reality TV Repercussions – An Interview with Alima “The Virgin” from ‘For Love or Money’

Alima Ravenscroft, better known as “the virgin from For Love or Money,” made it through the first cut to the top ten but not to the final five. Then again, considering what we have found out since, that might not have been such a bad thing. I had a chance to talk to her yesterday about her time on the show and some of the repercussions at home.

RealityNewsOnline: Was it your idea to showcase your virginity or did the producers want to push that point?

Alima: They asked some questions about sexual experiences and so on, so I let them know that I haven’t had any and that I’m a virgin and I’m very proud of it. I did want them to know. Besides, I figured every show has to have one so maybe if I push it, it might get me in.

RNO: That’s certainly true this summer.

Alima: Every show has a wide variety of different type of personalities. That’s what makes it an interesting show and gives the guy many to choose from.

RNO: Why did you do the show?

Alima: I had just moved to Kansas City (Missouri). I had been engaged and wanted to make life more interesting. I started with internet personals, but ended up with a psycho. Then I tried radio dates, where guys call and you narrow them down. So the last media to tackle was TV.

RNO: Was this the only show you tried out for?

Alima: I tried originally for The Bachelor, but that was six weeks and I couldn’t do that. I thought lose my job, so I couldn’t – I but I did lose it anyway for doing a reality show.

RNO: You lost your job for being on the show?!

Alima: I was working at a Catholic school. Before applying, I had asked the principal if it would be okay. He just laughed, and said it would be great, I could be a movie star. I made it clear that my first priority was teaching, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I pursued the show and got on and they sent me my plane ticket to leave in four days. I wrote a letter to the principal and told him what I had covered and had all my sick and personal days added up, so I would only be docked six days. Later I stopped by his office and asked if he would like to talk. When we sat down, he said if I go, I’ll have to resign. I said I’m going.

RNO: Why did he say that?

Alima: He said that he didn’t know what to tell the diocese. His main priority was the children and he thought that it would be unethical of me to be on a dating show like that. My parents were both very supportive, though, which was good because I felt like I was being irresponsible. And I conducted myself well on the show.

RNO: Other than that, were there any other repercussions?

Alima: Yes. Right now I’m teaching summer school, and they really don’t care. But I was supposed to be teaching Kindergarten at another private Catholic-based school next year. When I signed the contract in April, I didn’t say anything about it – I don’t know what I was thinking. I called principal a few weeks later to tell him I would be on TV in the summer. There was a really bad meeting and they said I could teach there, but I would be butt of all the jokes and parents were upset and I would have to really prove myself even moreso than a teacher already has to. I told them I can’t work in those conditions. I’m moving to Colorado, and I might pursue something else, but I’m not sure what yet.

RNO: Why Colorado?

Alima: I lived there before I moved. I lived in Malaysia with my family during my junior year in high school. I fell in love with a guy. We never dated, but we kept in touch and then started seeing each other. I moved to Malaysia two years ago and got engaged. But it just didn’t work out. My parents had moved to Missouri, so I moved there to get back on my feet. Now I want to get back to Colorado. I’m very much a risk taker, if you can’t tell. (Laughs)

RNO: Do you think this will fade with time and you can go back to teaching when you move?

Alima: Yes, maybe it needs a year to blow over. I’m in the Midwest, which had a lot to do with it. If I was teaching in a public school, they wouldn’t care, it’s just a private school, with the ethics of me lying to him about the million dollars. I’ve gotten a great response from all other professions, just not the Catholic schools.

RNO: Earlier you mentioned that you conducted yourself well. What do you think of how the other women conducted themselves?

Alima: Everyone has their own strategy, so I don’t look down upon them for doing anything they felt was necessary. Everyone has their own way of living. I just have little more of a conscience and didn’t want to deceive anybody or pretend to like him.

RNO: Did you like him?

Alima: No. he wasn’t my type. He was so overwhelmed with having 15 girls that are all very independent and self-sufficient women – guys are intimidated by that and there were 15 of them! It was hard to get to know him; he always seemed very nervous. It was hard for him to open up.

RNO: What are your thoughts on the hot tub and doing shots and all that occurred that night?

Alima: I was just disgusted by it. I felt like he was a Baptist, raised in a Christian home. I had high expectations and thought he didn’t have to play to game that way. I had to conduct myself personally and professionally, I had people watching. I couldn’t be making out with him.

RNO: What about his apology? Everyone seemed to accept it.

Alima: Everybody wanted to believe he was intimidated by the situation. It got out of hand. Drinking was involved. We wanted to really believe he was really sincere, we wanted to forgive and move on.

RNO: Did the million dollars have any effect on that?

Alima: Yes. I wanted to be good and have the right reasons to be there. But of course the million dollars was in the back of my head.