“I’m Naturally Over the Top!” – An Interview With America’s Next Top Model 7’s Winner, CariDee

Man, I love MY CariDee, I really do! Of all the girls I’ve ever interviewed for this show, I was actually a little nervous to talk with her! Just like on the show, though, CariDee was so nice and a lot of fun to talk with. Read on to see what she had to say about the hole-in-the-dress incident, who she thought her biggest competition was, and the jet-setting she has planned for the near future!

RealityNewsOnline: MY CariDee! I’m so excited to talk with you today! The first thing I need to know is, what makes you so… over pungent?

CariDee: Oh, shut up! Ha! I know what that means now!

RNO: Ha! No, seriously, how familiar with the show were you before you applied, and what factored into your decision to try out?

CariDee: I was pretty familiar with the show, and I did watch it. I actually wanted to try out for other seasons, but it just never worked out, like when I was in Hawaii and open calls were in LA – I couldn’t just go. This season, though, it just worked out for the best and I was able to go!

RNO: Did you know going into the competition that your personality would be your biggest asset? How else did you plan on sticking out from the rest of the girls?

CariDee: Oh, that’s it! My personality was my in and I knew that. I knew that if I wanted to do well, I’d have to show the judges my personality.

RNO: What eliminations along the way surprised you the most? When I talked to Melrose yesterday, she said that she never considered you a threat. Who did you consider your biggest competition?

CariDee: I’d say the eliminations that surprised me the most were Brooke and A.J. I mean, A.J. had one bad photo and she was sent home. Although she did give up – but she was an amazing model. However, on the other hand, you can’t feel too bad because it’s another person gone which brings you closer to winning. As far as Melrose, I don’t really care what she thinks.

RNO: The judges noted that sometimes your passion came off as desperation. Did you ever feel that you were being too over the top, and how did you handle the situation of not showing too much personality?

CariDee: Well, they can think that, but that’s just ridiculous. I was me, and never once was I desperate to be a model. I just wanted to win because it was my dream. I’m naturally over the top! That’s just me, it’s not desperation.

RNO: The whole stick incident with Nigel - do you think that he took your comment a little too much to heart, or was he right to react the way he did?

CariDee: Well, what you didn’t see because of editing was Nigel actually joking back with me after I said it to him. I think it was edited that way because they wanted you to think, “Oh, CariDee might not win now!”

RNO: I still want to know, though – did you ever find out where he got that stick from?

CariDee: Ha! It was actually a matador stick. I don’t think he pulled it from anywhere.

RNO: What about that whole mess with you stepping on Melrose’s dress and putting a hole in it? She told me yesterday that you weren’t very upset about it at all. Was that the case, and why don’t you think the judges brought that up at panel?

CariDee: The show much go on, you know? I mean, yeah, it happened, but there was no reason for her to be so upset. It was an accident, and never once did I try to sabotage her or cheat to win. We had wedding dresses on with 12-foot trains attached to them. I’m not sure if it was a wrong pivot or a wrong turn, but it happened. I don’t think the judges mentioned it because they didn’t think it was that big of a deal either. Stuff like that happens, and you just have to move on.

RNO: I’m sure you are excited about all the prizes you won, but which are you the most excited about, if you had to pick one?

CariDee: Oh, I’m the most excited about the Cover Girl contract. Not because of the money, but for the fact that every model hopes to land a contract with a makeup company one day, and I have!

RNO: So what did you think when it was down to you and Melrose? Standing before Tyra at the final panel, did you have a feeling you were going to win or were you unsure?

CariDee: I was unsure through the whole competition. I was always confident, but you can never be too confident. It only took one mistake to be sent home, as we saw, so although I was always confident in myself, I was always unsure about the elimination, even at the end.

RNO: What did you boyfriend think about the whole hooking-up-with-a-Spaniard thing? Was it even an issue?

CariDee: I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time of taping – it was all innocent fun!

RNO: What would you say was the hardest aspect of the competition overall?

CariDee: Well, the wobbly runway was probably one of the most annoying aspects, but I’d say it was the cameras always being around. There was never a chance to break away or go off on my own. Oh, and I missed not being able to wear sunglasses, too! We weren’t allowed to wear them, and as silly as it sounds, I missed them the most! The reality TV aspect was just annoying; it wasn’t tough. The modeling aspect of the show was the hardest.

RNO: So what are your immediate plans? Where do you go from here and where will you be in the near future?

CariDee: Well, as I’m talking to you now, I’m on my way to the airport because I’m flying to Puerto Rico for the anniversary party of a club there. I’m really excited because there are going to be so many people there. I’m also off to Australia soon to shoot the Cover Girl commercial. I’ll be doing a lot of traveling, but I love it!

RNO: Besides the whole modeling thing, what else do you want to accomplish?

CariDee: Well, I want to break away from the whole stereotype that has become the winner of the show. I want to leave my footprint in the industry. Maybe that will turn into an acting part; I don’t know. I did a little acting for One Tree Hill and that was so much fun.

RNO: Is there anything you would like to add or say to fans of the show?

CariDee: I really just want to thank everyone for their support. I read so much on the Internet that people posted about me and rooting me on, and it was so great. I really appreciated it and I loved it all!

RNO: Thanks, CariDee!

Phil Kural is an office manager at a law firm, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. You can send feedback to him at pkural@gmail.com.

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