Trying to Be the Next Best Thing: An Interview with Heather Blumberg from “America’s Next Top Model 2”

RNO: Did you mention to Yoanna that you were disappointed she didn’t pick you for dinner? If not, did she at least apologize for not having you?

Heather: Na, I never brought it up to her. I just figured that if I were to win something, I would have to remember not to bring Yoanna along. I’m not really the kind of person that holds grudges. I get upset for a little bit, do my ranting, and than it’s over. That’s pretty much the way that dinner was. There was a little bit of bitterness at first, but when dinner was over, I was fine with everything. No big deal.

RNO: Is there anyone in particular that you hope does well in the competition now that you are eliminated?

Heather: Yes, there is! I hope Catie does well, I love her so much. We are so close in age so we really connected and it was nice to finally find someone that understood me and where I was coming from with the whole being away from home thing. I really hope she goes far in the competition, she deserves it.

RNO: How much time is in between each elimination round? How long does the elimination ceremony last?

Heather: There are four days between each elimination round. The elimination nights are a bit more confusing. It can take anywhere from 4-5 hours. First, they have to get all the girls together and tell them what was wrong and what was good. Than the judges have to deliberate and bring us all back in. The whole thing is rather dramatic and very exhausting.

RNO: Was it editing, or did Catie really cry for what seemed like on the hour, every hour?

Heather: Ha! She certainly didn’t cry every hour. You have to realize that she was crying over pretty legitimate things. I mean, cut off an 18-year-old girl’s hair and of course she is going to cry. Catie is also very scared of heights so she was a nervous wreck during the shoot. I cried too, but I knew it had to be done so I just got out there and got it done as soon as possible. It was obvious I wasn’t going to die, so the quicker it was done; the quicker I was back on the ground. I’m just glad they didn’t show me crying too.

RNO: What were the thoughts of the other girls and yourself as Xiomara and Catie were having it out at the elimination ceremony? Did you think either of them would be eliminated because of that?

Heather: I honestly thought Xiomara was going to be eliminated. Not because of her fight with Catie at the elimination, but because her shot was pretty bad. She blamed it on Catie, which was not Catie’s fault. Everyone was in shock when it all went down. I don’t think anyone could believe that it was happening in front of the judges. I did kinda laugh though, since it wasn’t me.

RNO: Throughout the episode you really seemed like you wanted to go home. However, when you were eliminated, you seemed rather pissed. Were you happy to go home or mad because you were eliminated?

Heather: Mad. I was pretty mad that I was eliminated. I really wanted to stay but it was so hard on me there. I wanted to win this competition more than anything and do feel that I had more talent than some of the others. I’m a fighter, that’s for sure. Besides, I know that modeling isn’t as stressful as it is on that show. It’s just extra nervousness and stress because the cameras follow you around everywhere and there is so much adjusting you have to learn to do in so little time.

RNO: What did your family and friends think about your stint on the show? Were they shocked to see you eliminated third?

Heather: So many people called me and couldn’t believe that I had been eliminated third. My friends think the judges were nuts to send me home so soon. My family has been very supportive and couldn’t believe it either. But they are my family and friends, so of course they were supporting me from the beginning and didn’t want to see me eliminated anyway.

RNO: Is there anything you would like to add, say to your fans, or just something to share that we didn’t get to see?

Heather: I think the editors did a very good job and got just about everything. Although, let it be known that when I fell during the runway practice, I wasn’t upset or shook up about it. I was actually laughing when I got up – it was a really funny moment. It didn’t bother me because I knew it was only a contest and the whole falling thing wasn’t a big deal to me.

RNO: Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk to me, Heather, I really appreciate it. I thought you were great on the show.

Heather: Thanks to you too, I enjoyed it!

Phil Kural is a senior at Temple University, and can be reached at pkural@temple.edu.

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