"I Still Can’t Believe I Was Picked!" – An Interview with America's Next Top Model 10's Lauren

Lauren was barely a blip on my radar until around week three this season. I liked her, but I was never in love with her. Well, until she showed some spark and personality and begin getting involved in the house drama. Then I loved her! I had a chance to talk with Lauren about her time on the show, and although she admitted that she walked into the door with zero experience, she walked away with so much more than a good portfolio and a botched commercial shoot. Read on to see!

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

Lauren: I watched the show every now and then, but I never had any real interest in ever applying. It was my friend’s parents that talked me into going. They convinced me, but I guess in order to be convinced, you must have some small part of you that wants to be there. There was a casting call for Cycle 9 at the time, and I wasn’t selected, but they called me back for Cycle 10, and it worked out!

RNO: It was pretty clear going into this season that you didn’t have any prior modeling experience, so what did you think would be your biggest problem to overcome?

Lauren: Ha! Everything! It was all so foreign to me – the whole process. From the walking, and then the commercial shoot, to even the photos – it was all so tough for me to get along. I didn’t expect the other girls to show me how to do it, but they all had a ton more experience than I had, which was none!

RNO: The judges continually made comments on your walk and the improvement it needed, yet we didn’t see you practice much on it. Did you get any pointers that helped you out?

Lauren: I tried. Again, I would get some help from the other girls every now and then, but I’m not very good at learning by emulating. I have to actually do something, instead of watching it, in order to learn. Most of the time, we were kinda just thrown into thing and it was like: “Okay, go!” I did practice at the house though, and of course you didn’t get to see that.

RNO: You said when you found out that it was time for a Cover Girl commercial, that it was exactly what you were dreading. Did you have any kind of plan to sell yourself to Cover Girl?

Lauren: Honestly, I had no clue. My main goal was to just worry about that later. Wing it now, then have to explain myself later. I have no clue how I was gonna sell myself to them!

RNO: It’s no secret that the judges loved your portfolio this season and thought you took great photos. Did you feel that your portfolio would help you get past this elimination, despite the blunder at the commercial shoot?

Lauren: I said it before, it’s different every week. You never know what the judges are looking for that week – one week you are top of the world, the next you are sent home. I mean, look at Claire! What works for one judge might not work for the other, and as much as I thought I might make it because of my photos, I could never be sure.

RNO: Speaking of portfolios, what’s your take on Fatima getting to stay over Stacy Ann? Did you think it was fair that she got to stay despite missing the photo shoot?

Lauren: It wasn’t fair at all. This whole process is about having your papers together before we are on the show. Stacy Ann had her papers, and Fatima was gone all day. We knew where she was, and it was no secret, but Stacy Ann did as the producers asked and had her stuff together. It’s just not fair – and Stacy Ann would have made a great Cover Girl.

RNO: Has anyone that is now in the final five shocked you that they have made it as far as they have, or do you think the strongest girls make up the final five?

Lauren: No, not at all. The only two that really should be there are Anya and Kat. Definitely not Dominique – she’s not a contender at all. Fatima is okay, but I have no clue how she has made it this far. Whitney is pretty good though too – I wouldn’t count her out.

RNO: Have you been surprised from anything that you have seen on the show that you didn’t know was going on? What about the way you were edited?

Lauren: I think the editing on myself made me look a little bit mean, and I’m not that way. Maybe rough around the edges, yes. I don’t know… I guess it was okay.

RNO: What would you say was the best part about being on the show? Do you think the experience from being on America’s Next Top Model will help you make it in the “modeling world?”

Lauren: The whole thing to me was really about the experience. I had never been around so much make up in my life, and I never put my own on before. I met some really cool people that I would have never otherwise. It’s cool to watch it on TV too. It sucked when I was sent home, but it didn’t hurt so badly, since I knew I was walking away with so much.

RNO: Tell me something funny that we didn’t get to see on TV that happened in the house?

Lauren: Oh my gosh… there were so many arguments and fights that you didn’t get to see! Whitney, Allison, and all the girls would get into their own tiffs with one another. I think some of the girls took it all a little too seriously. It wasn’t a matter between life and death like they made it, but it’s over now, and I don’t THINK anyone is holding grudges.

RNO: Could you ever see yourself doing something like this ever again, be it another reality show or something else dealing with modeling and TV, or was once enough?

Lauren: Once was definitely enough. I would love the chance to do it all over again, but I think I learned enough the first time around. My friend was like “Now you can do The Surreal Life.” I don’t think that kind of stuff is for me though.

RNO: So with everything being said and done, are you going to continue to try and make it in the modeling world? What about commercials?

Lauren: Definitely not commercials! I for sure would like to get into modeling, even though I don’t really know how to do it yet. I’m ready to learn though, and I’d love to actually get more involved with it.

RNO: What else do you have planned for the near future? Is there anywhere we can expect to see you soon, or do you have anything in the works right now?

Lauren: I’m working on my art mostly. Not sure about moving on in the modeling world yet, since I have to wait on when they say I can. I have a MySpace page now, but no website to keep up with me – but something is in the works, and it’s coming soon!

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

Lauren: Thanks for the support. Honestly, I still can’t believe I was picked!

RNO: Thanks, Lauren!

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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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