"I Wanted To Use My Personality and Win Them Over" – An Interview with America’s Next Top Model 10’s Stacy Ann

I always looked at Stacy Ann as a “middle of the pack” type of girl, so it didn’t surprise me when she said that about herself last episode. The judges sent her packing when they felt she wasn’t really growing anymore, and decided that it was time for her to go over Fatima, even though Fatima missed the photo shoot. I had a few minutes to speak with Stacy Ann about her time on the show and the way she was eliminated, and she had some good light to shed on this subject.

RealityNewsOnline: Hey, Stacy Ann! Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to chat with me today. Had you watched previous seasons of the show, and what factored into your decision to apply?

Stacy Ann: Yes, I did watch previous seasons, but I never really thought about applying, since I would see all the crazy photo shoots that they were doing. I didn’t think I could pull it off. Then, coincidentally, it turned out that they were having an audition at my school, so I just strolled in with jeans and a T-shirt on. I was scared that I would come off as shy, but it ended up working out well!

RNO: You said you were surprised at your elimination. Did you ever feel at any other point during the competition that you might be in trouble?

Stacy Ann: No, I felt comfortable with myself as a model. I knew I was doing well, learning and growing. Plus, I felt that I was doing better than some of the other girls, so that’s why I was surprised I was sent home before some of them.

RNO: Did you have any modeling experience prior to show?

Stacy Ann: I did some fashion shows in Miami, and some little things for school, but nothing professional. However, I did feel that the little bit that I did do helped me when it came to confidence and runway. I took the little things I learned and applied them when I was on the show, like if you mess up on the runway, you have to make it look like you meant to do it, and just keep going.

RNO: Were you surprised that Fatima got to stay, regardless of her not being there for the photo shoot?

Stacy Ann: I was so surprised, since from previous cycles, I knew that when girls were sick and they missed their shoot, they went home. However, Fatima wasn’t sick. She was irresponsible and lost her documents, so she had to get new ones. I was there – we were all there. The photo shoot was so cold, and we had to go through it. Fatima got to stay and didn’t even do the photo shoot, so I think it was pretty unfair since she wasn’t even sick.

RNO: The judges said that they felt Fatima’s portfolio was stronger than yours. Do you agree with them, or do you think yours was stronger?

Stacy Ann: I would definitely disagree with that. If you took both of our portfolios and sat them side-by-side and compared, you would see that we were on equal ground. I knew I was going home, though, when I saw Mr. Jay on the panel for that elimination. It’s no secret that Fatima was one of his favorites, so I knew he’d be pushing for her.

RNO: You said it yourself that you always seemed to be in the middle of the pack. What did you plan on doing in order to stand out in front of the judges?

Stacy Ann: I wanted to stand out by showing the judges that I didn’t have to be dramatic or over-the-top in order to win the competition. I wanted to use my personality and win them over, and I wanted them to see how eager and willing I was to win.

RNO: Was it frustrating when the judges said you were coming across as fake at the party? It seemed to me that you were just being social!

Stacy Ann: So frustrating! I was being myself, and after six weeks, they should have known how I was. I’m not fake – I’m a happy and energetic person, and it really hurt that after six weeks, they thought that I wasn’t being myself.

RNO: Looking back, is there anything you regret that you didn’t do or show that may have helped you stick around longer?

Stacy Ann: I wish I wasn’t so confident. I mean, you can come across as knowing what you are doing and confident in who you are, but you never know how well you are really doing according to the judges. One day you might be one of their favorites, and the next day they are sending you home. I wish I never walked around feeling as secure as I did.

RNO: One of the biggest critiques the judges gave you was that you weren’t showing any angles in your posing. Had you practiced your posing between shoots, or were you unaware that this was a major criticism the judges had?

Stacy Ann: I always practiced with my angles, especially my jaw, since I knew the judges had a thing about it that they always talked about. I would figure it out in the middle of photo shoots and work my angles, but there’s a point where you get comfortable with a certain pose and start using it over and over. I guess that was my mistake.

RNO: Watching the show, has anything surprised you that you didn’t realize was going on, or anything someone has said?

Stacy Ann: I guess I was surprised at how much the judges were making fun of me during the interview challenge. I still can’t believe they thought I was being fake. However, I was also surprised at the way Mr. Jay stood up for me at the last panel as well, defending me, saying that I was working hard even with the wind in my eyes. It was nice to see that I had a few people on my side speaking up for me.

RNO: What was the hardest aspect of being on a reality TV show?

Stacy Ann: Knowing that you life is on TV and that you are on camera 24/7 the whole time you are there. There’s no privacy, but I also didn’t like that when you are on a reality TV show, you are expected to exaggerate your personality. I was still me, but even I found myself doing things I wouldn’t normally do, like taking a bottle of vodka and doing a lap dance!

RNO: Speaking of the lap dance, please tell me people walk up to you on the street and do that stripper song you did at the beginning of the season… I loved it!

Stacy Ann: Ha! That has become my theme song, and people do come up to me and start doing it. I think it’s funny, and I love it!

RNO: So with everything being said and done, what are your plans for the future? Are you going to continue to model?

Stacy Ann: Yes, I do plan on it. I’m almost done with school, so soon I’ll have my BA in education. After that, I plan on moving to Japan to teach children how to speak English, and at that time, when I’m there, I’m going to pursue modeling oversees and see how that works out for me.

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

Stacy Ann: Even though I didn’t win, I’m still a winner. I’m going to be out there, and you haven’t seen the last of me. I’m going to prove to the judges and all girls out there that it doesn’t matter if you win on the show because if you keep pushing, you will achieve the results you want. I’ll show them that they picked the wrong girl to win!

RNO: Thanks, Stacy Ann!

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

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