Interviews with Brittany
Interesting reads. And she discusses her memory problems.
Hi Brittany! How are you?
I am fantastic!
Congratulations on making it to the top five.
Thank you very much.
I really wasn’t expecting to be talking with you. I had you picked as my winner.
Really? I’ve heard that every season the girl that does consistently well is always the surprise elimination around number five.
How did you become interested in applying for America’s Next Top Model?
My friend, who has always told me since I was little that I should be a model and yells at me every time I get told that on the street, told me that if I tried out for the show she would never ever, ever, ever, ever bother me about it again. I figured getting smacked every time someone says, “Are you a model?” was getting a little old, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Did you do it all on your own-just going through casting, or did someone contact you?
I did it all on my own. I drove out to Atlanta in Georgia with my fiancé and spent two days out there, and flew out to LA, and apparently they liked me a whole bunch.
Did you have any previous modeling experience?
No. I had never modeled before. I actually . . . my mother had tried to get me into it when I was 14, and I was absolutely determined not to do it because my mother wanted me to, and I was 14. [laughs]
Are you planning on pursing modeling as a career, and have you taken any steps toward that?
Absolutely! I plan on going to New York this summer and seeing what happens and trying to get some work. Just sort of giving the whole thing a shot outside of reality television.
What kind of modeling are you interested in?
I’m interested in every kind, really. Modeling is an art, and there are all sorts of different aspects of it, and I was only able to experience a small portion of that on the show. I would love to give sort of everything a try and see how it works out.
What was it like for you living in a house with all those girls and constantly being surrounded with drama?
We weren’t really constantly surrounded with drama. It was actually a lot of fun living in the house with all the girls and getting to know them all. There were moments of drama, but when you are given an entire week’s worth of footage, and you have 40 minutes of space to fill, it’s pretty easy to make it look like all we did was fight and whine.
Are you saying editing is deceiving? [laughs]
On reality televison? Nooooo! [laughs]
Who did you have the easiest time getting along with?
There were a few girls I got along with really well. Jael was incredibly easy to get along with because she really just is one of those people who wants everyone to be happy. Sarah was so easy to get along with. She is very intelligent, great to talk to, and completely understanding of a lot of things. Felicia . . . me and Jael and Felica used to sleep outside every single night on that little outside couch-type thing. Samantha, before she got eliminated, I’d known her since castings in Atlanta, so she was also very close to me.
Who was the most difficult one to get along with?
Geez, for me it was probably Diana because Diana didn’t really like me much. She sort of thought I was kind of annoying, which she told me, and, you know, I am kind of annoying, so it’s completely fair. I think I had the most difficult time getting along with her.
Was there any one person that was responsible for creating the most drama in the house?
Not really because it does take two people to have an argument and create a fight, so I think it was really sort of everything combined.
How tall are you?
I am 5’11”.
Our readers always like hear another contestant’s opinion of the other girls in the house. In a one or two word description, please tell me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear these names:
Cassandra: Loving and very sweet.
Diana: Proud and stubborn.
Dionne: Quiet and reticent.
Felicia: Fun and bubbly.
Jael: Artistic and intriguing.
Jaslene: Cha-cha diva.
Natasha: Positive and confusing.
Renee: Motherly and strong.
Samantha: Sweet and silly.
Sarah: Intelligent and creative.
Whitney: Very intelligent and very strong.
Yourself (Brittany): Oh, no! A damn mess! [laughs]
Do you read Fans of Reality TV?
I have not, but I will in the future!
You were given the edit of being the emotional one and always crying on the show. Do you feel that was an accurate portrayal of you during your time on the show?
I think it was a partial portrayal of me. I think that everybody had their moments, and I think a lot of things were taken out of context that occurred with me. I do think it was somewhat accurate to an extent. You have to understand that it is reality television, and they are creating the most stressful environment they possibly can. It’s a controlled environment meant to do that, and it’s meant to break you down. You feel like when you get to the end of it, there is nothing outside of America’s Next Top Model, but that is it. If you fail, you will fail miserably, and that will be the end of your life. Then, you finish and you’re like, “Oh wait! There’s a real world.”
The crying seemed to start with your weave. What was the problem with your weave that it was causing so many problems?
They braided my . . . first off, they gave me $27.99 hair out of a package, but beyond that, they dyed my hair about seven or eight times to match the color in the weave, and it blistered. My scalp had blisters on it, and, then, they braided it up, which ripped the blisters off and my skin off. So, my scalp was actually scabbed and bleeding underneath of the weave, and it got to the point where it was so bad that I had blood running down at points.
Oh, my goodness. Now I feel sick having heard that. So, you were not being portrayed as being a whiner; you had some real problems going on there.
I’m sorry. [laughs] Yes, it was a lot worse than they let on, too.
You said you were run over by a car, and it affected your short-term memory loss? How does that affect your day-to-day living?
I lose just about everything I own on a daily basis. I think I’ve left my cell phone at the grocery store at least six or seven times this month. Usually, they just call my fiancé’s phone now they know I do it. I lose my keys, my purse, my cigarettes, my everything. My shoes-I’ve had my shoes, set them down and not known where I left them, and they’ll be right by the front door. I’ve put things on the mantle so that I know they are there when I’m walking out the door and have no idea where they are. I call my fiancé about seven or eight or nine or ten times a day just to figure out where something might be, and he just goes through the list of everywhere I leave things. It’s always the same four or five places, and for some reason I can’t remember that. I get really frustrated, and it’s real interesting.
Some of the girls were insinuating that you were using the short-term memory loss as an excuse during the Aussie CoverGirl shoot because you seemingly had no problems memorizing your lines during the acting challenge. I’d just like to hear what your response is to that.
Sure. That is a very ignorant statement because short-term memory and long-term memory are two completely different things. Long-term memory was used for the script in the acting challenge. Short-term memory is different. I made the mistake of trying to rely on the cue cards, and short-termed memory is a two to five second window in which you read something, and you can recall and regurgitate it, and then it’s gone. It’s lost. It doesn’t matter. It’s a quick recollection. In reading the cue cards, I would read it and look at the camera and have no idea what I’d just read because it wasn’t committed to my long-term. I was trying to just regurgitate this. With the lack of my short-term, it is absolutely impossible.
Thank you for explaining that.
On the last show, you blamed the taxi for not being where it was supposed to be. In fact, the episode was named after that incident. Did you tell the driver to wait for you at a specific place?
I did and they didn’t show that! Actually, last night’s episode was one of the first I’ve watched in a while. I watched it because I know what happened. I had left and then walked back and said, “Wait. Can you meet me over there?” They didn’t show that clip, but really it was more my fault because I should have allowed myself more time for any extenuating circumstances. I mean had there been traffic, it would have been the same situation. So, it was poor judgment and a poor call on my part. The temper tantrum was over-the-top and ridiculous, and I knew I was going home, and I was very upset. I felt that I had lost absolutely everything, and like I’ve said before, you feel there is nothing beyond Top Model when you are there, and that’s how they want you to feel. It’s sort of very cultish in a way.
Since you just touched on it, when you were disqualified for the challenge and Priscilla was listening to your whole melt-down, were you aware that she was hearing that, and, if not, when did you become aware that she heard everything you said?
I did not know she could hear me. She actually . . . Renee told me when we figured out Priscilla might be one of the judges. I did apologize to her, which they did not show, when I first got called up when we were in the elimination room, for my behavior and my outburst and told her I was completely out-of-line and that I owed her an apology-that that type of behavior was very un-poised and unbecoming of anyone.
You seemed very flustered finding your way around during the go-sees. What caused you problems?
Um, I got a little flustered. Actually, also with the 15-19 thing-where it was number 13, that was in the same building, and it was that same button. It was right upstairs in that building, and it was the correct place. When I went back and rung the doorbell again, they answered, so I was actually in the right place, but you know reality TV shows.
What kind of feedback did you get from the clients during the go-sees, and how did you feel you were doing at the time?
Other than my walk, which was a disaster, I actually got some pretty good feedback. I was told that I was very eloquent, that I was very clear-speaking, and that my portfolio was absolutely the best that a lot of them had seen out of the girls that had been there.
Did any of the clients mention your runway walk being a problem at the time?
Uh, one or two did. The others did not. There were two that did mention it.
Did you just sit there not speaking to the clients the whole time?
No! I actually had a conversation with Kit about her daughter and about how excited her daughter would be to have a fashion-designer for a mommy. I had a small conversation about Australia with the women with the swimsuit thing. When they were looking over my book sort of talking to each other, I didn’t really want to interrupt them. It seemed rude.
Since your runway walk seemed to cause concern, are you taught on the show how to walk by Ms. Jay, who’s the runway coach, because it’s listed enough on the name every time we see him as a judge?
About 15 minutes. We get three lessons on walking. We literally walk like three times, and he tells us what we’ve done correct or incorrectly, and then we’re sort of sent out into the world. Lots of training from Ms. Jay. [laughs]
Did you say you had about 15 minutes total or three different times with 15 minutes?
About 15 minutes total. It was literally walk up and out, and here’s what you did.
How about prepping before the "go-sees?" Are you told what to expect, how to act, what to wear, or are you just sent out there to fend for yourselves?
We are sort of told, at least in this season, we were told what not to wear by Elite, and that was sort of it. Then, we were handed our books and given a brief, you know, Priscilla did prep us a little bit. She did tell us to try and fit our personalities to the client and to keep in mind what the client was selling. If it was designer gowns, be a little more eloquent. If it was swimsuits, be a little more fun, so we were given a little bit of an explanation, but it wasn’t really like a teach. It was just sort of a heads-up.
You had arguably one of the strongest portfolios this cycle, and were consistently called out near the top, except the past two weeks, having an average call-out at number three. Did you have any thought that you might be eliminated, especially after seeing your photo shoot pictures?
I was pretty sure I was going home after I got the comment on the go-sees, but I was pretty sure I was going home weeks before that after I had done consistently well, because I had heard from other girls-I haven’t watched the show, but I had heard-that it’s usually the fifth girl around number six, five, four that get the boot. It’s the shocker eliminee.
Since we’re out of time, I’ll just say congratulations, Brittany, and best of luck to you in the future.
Thank you very much!
Source.
A chat with "America's Next Top Model"'s top five finisher, Brittany Hatch.
Not long after Brittany Hatch moved to Savannah last year, she auditioned for "America's Next Top Model," the CW network's most popular show. The 22-year-old beat out thousands of hopefuls to make it on air and competed against a dozen others for runway fame.
By the time the panel of judges, headed by show creator Tyra Banks, whittled the competition down five, Brittany was still in the running. But then - disaster. She did poorly on a series of "go sees" with Australian designers, and threw a tantrum after missing a deadline.
In a recent phone interview from Los Angeles, Brittany talked about Tyra, her roommates and that snarky comment about her short-term memory.
Savannah Morning News: You tended bar at the Caledonian, right?
Brittany Hatch: I actually started the day it opened, on St. Patrick's Day. I didn't know where anything was at all. I was like 'Um, how about a Guinness?'"
SMN: Have you been watching the show?
Hatch: I got to the third episode then stopped. I figured I had things to do and a life to live and I'd already lived that part of my life. Then I watched the episode where I was kicked off because they made me.
SMN: Who are you rooting for?
Hatch: Renee or Natasha. They're fantastic people and have a lot of heart invested in the competition. I think they'll really go far in the industry.
SMN: Did the models bicker as much as it appears on the show?
Hatch: There wasn't as much fighting. The (producers) had a week's worth of footage for each episode, but they chose to use the clips that made it look like everyone was crying and complaining all the time.
They set things up to create stress, so we had to compromise a lot. Like, there were 12 beds and 13 girls, so I gave mine to Jael to avoid problems.
SMN: On the show one of the girls accused you of using your impaired short-term memory as a crutch. What was your reaction?
Hatch: She was obnoxious. It was an ignorant, uninformed statement to make. Short-term memory is a challenge for me - how can I use a challenge as a crutch? It doesn't make sense.
It's still a struggle for me. I lose everything I own on a daily basis. But you deal with the hand you're dealt.
SMN: You were pretty emotional on the show (screaming, cursing, crying, throwing things). Were you surprised by that?
Hatch: Normally I'm a happy-go-lucky goofball. My friends are like, "Why were you stressed out? You never get stressed out about anything."
The show is designed to create stress, to create drama and make you react a certain way. It's almost cult-ish.
I signed up for it, and I have no complaints, but you don't realize how much it affects your psyche when you're in the middle of it. When one person's opinion becomes everything and every failure is the end of your world. But now I'm back in the real world and I know it doesn't really matter.
SMN: Do you plan on staying in L.A.?
Hatch: I don't have what the industry considers an "L.A. look," so I'm trying to get work in New York this summer. But I'd like to remain in Savannah as much as possible. My fiancé's there with my two dogs and my two kitties, and I have my friends there. It's my home and I plan on trying to keep it that way.
Source.
How did you get involved with America’s Next Top Model?
Oh boy. My friend told me to go out for casting and I told her I’d try out if she swore to me that she’d never ever, ever, ever bother me with modeling again. And she agreed, so I tried out again.
Were you a big fan of the show?
I had never seen the show before I tried out.
Did you have any prior experience with modeling prior to the show?
No I had never modeled before. My mother actually drug me to New York when I was about 14 and had me meet with agencies and I had a few offers. But because I was 14 and my mother wanted me to do it, I wanted nothing to do with it. (Laughs) Stubborn 14-year-old.
On last night’s episode, Dionne made the comment that you used the whole short-term memory thing as an excuse to stay on the show last week. Do you have anything to say about Dionne’s remark?
That really is an ignorant remark to make. Overall, especially from someone that does not understand brain trauma or short term memory versus long term memory. Long term memory, which would have come in part to the acting challenge, has something to do with where you commit something to your memory, and therefore can recall it. We had two hours to memorize that script. With short term memory, it is a two to five second window, in which you can recall and regurgitate something and then you lose it. And it’s that two to five seconds that you recall something, and so when we were given cue cards, I was completely incapable of using them because I would read them, look at the camera, and then have no idea what I just read.
You had some trouble with your Go See’s right off the bat and then ended up not making it back in time which meant that you were disqualified from the challenge. You were obviously pretty upset about the whole thing. What are your thoughts about the whole challenge?
Well, honestly, I think I worked myself up in a state where I was so worried and afraid that I would do poorly in it, that I set myself up to do poorly. I was nervous and I felt like I had everything riding on these Go See’s since I had done so poorly the week before, that I was just bashful and uncomfortable going into them, and that showed. I was way too professional about them and didn’t allow any of my personality to come through.
What could you have done differently looking back?
Definitely been more of myself than a little less cordial and a little more fun. But overall, I don’t know how I would do in an Australian market. I don’t have an Australian look, I don’t have an LA look. I’ve been told numerous times that I have a New York/European look, and it’s an entirely different market. So that also probably played into it to an extent.
Were you surprised when Tyra told you that none of the designers that you saw on the Go Sees said they would book you?
At the time I was shocked. But watching the footage from last night, I wouldn’t have booked me either. I was obviously nervous, I was obviously uncomfortable. I had never been on a Go See in my life and I fell flat on my face. And getting to see that is a life experience. Most people don’t get to watch their mistakes and look at them and learn from them in that same way that they have actually video footage. And by being able to watch that, I can see exactly what I did and hopefully in the future, go back and present myself a little bit more openly and not as held back and not as awkward and not as uncomfortable.
Tyra and the judges all agreed that you take absolutely gorgeous photos, but said that you lack the personality needed to really make it in the industry. Did you agree?
I wouldn’t agree with that completely. I think I was in a situation where I may have come across that way. I’m a very persuadable person. I bartend for a living, my job is to talk to everybody and be everybody’s best friend and have everyone like me; that’s how I get tips. So I wouldn’t agree that I’m that type of person, but I do agree that I came across that way, and that I just need to be more comfortable in those sorts of situations and just be myself. But at the same time, reality TV has nothing to do with reality, and you are setup to be in uncomfortable situations and setup to have to deal with stress, and setup to have to sort of be in the microcosm of this controlled environment, that they want you to over-play everything and over-do everything and over-think everything. And they basically make you feel like when you screw up, it is the end of the world. Like, there’s nothing beyond America’s Next Top Model, and when you leave, you’re like, “Oh wait a minute! There’s a real world outside of here!” And at the time it doesn’t seem that way and it makes everything a lot harder than it would be in reality.
What was going through your mind when you found yourself in the bottom-two again?
Um, I kind of already knew I was going to be in the bottom-two and I already knew I was going home, so I was just thinking how nice it was going to be to get back home.
We’re down to the final four…who do you think will win it all?
I would think that probably either Renee or Natasha would win. I think they’re both fantastic people with a lot of potential as far as modeling goes and they both have a lot of personality and I hope that they both do fantastically.
What are your plans now that you’re off the show?
I’m actually planning on moving to New York after the summer and attempting to pursue my modeling career. Hopefully it goes over well and my Go See’s there go better than they did in Australia. I would think they would, because like I said, it’s a completely different environment and a different situation. So as long as I’m able to present myself a little better and a little more poised than in the past, hopefully it will turn out well and I will be able to have a fantastic career out of me.
Any final thoughts about last night or the show in general?
Not really. I would just say to all the viewers; do remember it is reality television and out of a week’s worth of footage, they have five minutes to put to a girl and when you think about everything you say and do in a week, if somebody could pick five minutes apart, they can make you look like anything.
(Interview conducted by Royce Yuen)
Source.
Hi Brittany! How are you?
I am fantastic!
Congratulations on making it to the top five.
Thank you very much.
I really wasn’t expecting to be talking with you. I had you picked as my winner.
Really? I’ve heard that every season the girl that does consistently well is always the surprise elimination around number five.
How did you become interested in applying for America’s Next Top Model?
My friend, who has always told me since I was little that I should be a model and yells at me every time I get told that on the street, told me that if I tried out for the show she would never ever, ever, ever, ever bother me about it again. I figured getting smacked every time someone says, “Are you a model?” was getting a little old, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Did you do it all on your own-just going through casting, or did someone contact you?
I did it all on my own. I drove out to Atlanta in Georgia with my fiancé and spent two days out there, and flew out to LA, and apparently they liked me a whole bunch.
Did you have any previous modeling experience?
No. I had never modeled before. I actually . . . my mother had tried to get me into it when I was 14, and I was absolutely determined not to do it because my mother wanted me to, and I was 14. [laughs]
Are you planning on pursing modeling as a career, and have you taken any steps toward that?
Absolutely! I plan on going to New York this summer and seeing what happens and trying to get some work. Just sort of giving the whole thing a shot outside of reality television.
What kind of modeling are you interested in?
I’m interested in every kind, really. Modeling is an art, and there are all sorts of different aspects of it, and I was only able to experience a small portion of that on the show. I would love to give sort of everything a try and see how it works out.
What was it like for you living in a house with all those girls and constantly being surrounded with drama?
We weren’t really constantly surrounded with drama. It was actually a lot of fun living in the house with all the girls and getting to know them all. There were moments of drama, but when you are given an entire week’s worth of footage, and you have 40 minutes of space to fill, it’s pretty easy to make it look like all we did was fight and whine.
Are you saying editing is deceiving? [laughs]
On reality televison? Nooooo! [laughs]
Who did you have the easiest time getting along with?
There were a few girls I got along with really well. Jael was incredibly easy to get along with because she really just is one of those people who wants everyone to be happy. Sarah was so easy to get along with. She is very intelligent, great to talk to, and completely understanding of a lot of things. Felicia . . . me and Jael and Felica used to sleep outside every single night on that little outside couch-type thing. Samantha, before she got eliminated, I’d known her since castings in Atlanta, so she was also very close to me.
Who was the most difficult one to get along with?
Geez, for me it was probably Diana because Diana didn’t really like me much. She sort of thought I was kind of annoying, which she told me, and, you know, I am kind of annoying, so it’s completely fair. I think I had the most difficult time getting along with her.
Was there any one person that was responsible for creating the most drama in the house?
Not really because it does take two people to have an argument and create a fight, so I think it was really sort of everything combined.
How tall are you?
I am 5’11”.
Our readers always like hear another contestant’s opinion of the other girls in the house. In a one or two word description, please tell me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear these names:
Cassandra: Loving and very sweet.
Diana: Proud and stubborn.
Dionne: Quiet and reticent.
Felicia: Fun and bubbly.
Jael: Artistic and intriguing.
Jaslene: Cha-cha diva.
Natasha: Positive and confusing.
Renee: Motherly and strong.
Samantha: Sweet and silly.
Sarah: Intelligent and creative.
Whitney: Very intelligent and very strong.
Yourself (Brittany): Oh, no! A damn mess! [laughs]
Do you read Fans of Reality TV?
I have not, but I will in the future!
You were given the edit of being the emotional one and always crying on the show. Do you feel that was an accurate portrayal of you during your time on the show?
I think it was a partial portrayal of me. I think that everybody had their moments, and I think a lot of things were taken out of context that occurred with me. I do think it was somewhat accurate to an extent. You have to understand that it is reality television, and they are creating the most stressful environment they possibly can. It’s a controlled environment meant to do that, and it’s meant to break you down. You feel like when you get to the end of it, there is nothing outside of America’s Next Top Model, but that is it. If you fail, you will fail miserably, and that will be the end of your life. Then, you finish and you’re like, “Oh wait! There’s a real world.”
The crying seemed to start with your weave. What was the problem with your weave that it was causing so many problems?
They braided my . . . first off, they gave me $27.99 hair out of a package, but beyond that, they dyed my hair about seven or eight times to match the color in the weave, and it blistered. My scalp had blisters on it, and, then, they braided it up, which ripped the blisters off and my skin off. So, my scalp was actually scabbed and bleeding underneath of the weave, and it got to the point where it was so bad that I had blood running down at points.
Oh, my goodness. Now I feel sick having heard that. So, you were not being portrayed as being a whiner; you had some real problems going on there.
I’m sorry. [laughs] Yes, it was a lot worse than they let on, too.
You said you were run over by a car, and it affected your short-term memory loss? How does that affect your day-to-day living?
I lose just about everything I own on a daily basis. I think I’ve left my cell phone at the grocery store at least six or seven times this month. Usually, they just call my fiancé’s phone now they know I do it. I lose my keys, my purse, my cigarettes, my everything. My shoes-I’ve had my shoes, set them down and not known where I left them, and they’ll be right by the front door. I’ve put things on the mantle so that I know they are there when I’m walking out the door and have no idea where they are. I call my fiancé about seven or eight or nine or ten times a day just to figure out where something might be, and he just goes through the list of everywhere I leave things. It’s always the same four or five places, and for some reason I can’t remember that. I get really frustrated, and it’s real interesting.
Some of the girls were insinuating that you were using the short-term memory loss as an excuse during the Aussie CoverGirl shoot because you seemingly had no problems memorizing your lines during the acting challenge. I’d just like to hear what your response is to that.
Sure. That is a very ignorant statement because short-term memory and long-term memory are two completely different things. Long-term memory was used for the script in the acting challenge. Short-term memory is different. I made the mistake of trying to rely on the cue cards, and short-termed memory is a two to five second window in which you read something, and you can recall and regurgitate it, and then it’s gone. It’s lost. It doesn’t matter. It’s a quick recollection. In reading the cue cards, I would read it and look at the camera and have no idea what I’d just read because it wasn’t committed to my long-term. I was trying to just regurgitate this. With the lack of my short-term, it is absolutely impossible.
Thank you for explaining that.
On the last show, you blamed the taxi for not being where it was supposed to be. In fact, the episode was named after that incident. Did you tell the driver to wait for you at a specific place?
I did and they didn’t show that! Actually, last night’s episode was one of the first I’ve watched in a while. I watched it because I know what happened. I had left and then walked back and said, “Wait. Can you meet me over there?” They didn’t show that clip, but really it was more my fault because I should have allowed myself more time for any extenuating circumstances. I mean had there been traffic, it would have been the same situation. So, it was poor judgment and a poor call on my part. The temper tantrum was over-the-top and ridiculous, and I knew I was going home, and I was very upset. I felt that I had lost absolutely everything, and like I’ve said before, you feel there is nothing beyond Top Model when you are there, and that’s how they want you to feel. It’s sort of very cultish in a way.
Since you just touched on it, when you were disqualified for the challenge and Priscilla was listening to your whole melt-down, were you aware that she was hearing that, and, if not, when did you become aware that she heard everything you said?
I did not know she could hear me. She actually . . . Renee told me when we figured out Priscilla might be one of the judges. I did apologize to her, which they did not show, when I first got called up when we were in the elimination room, for my behavior and my outburst and told her I was completely out-of-line and that I owed her an apology-that that type of behavior was very un-poised and unbecoming of anyone.
You seemed very flustered finding your way around during the go-sees. What caused you problems?
Um, I got a little flustered. Actually, also with the 15-19 thing-where it was number 13, that was in the same building, and it was that same button. It was right upstairs in that building, and it was the correct place. When I went back and rung the doorbell again, they answered, so I was actually in the right place, but you know reality TV shows.
What kind of feedback did you get from the clients during the go-sees, and how did you feel you were doing at the time?
Other than my walk, which was a disaster, I actually got some pretty good feedback. I was told that I was very eloquent, that I was very clear-speaking, and that my portfolio was absolutely the best that a lot of them had seen out of the girls that had been there.
Did any of the clients mention your runway walk being a problem at the time?
Uh, one or two did. The others did not. There were two that did mention it.
Did you just sit there not speaking to the clients the whole time?
No! I actually had a conversation with Kit about her daughter and about how excited her daughter would be to have a fashion-designer for a mommy. I had a small conversation about Australia with the women with the swimsuit thing. When they were looking over my book sort of talking to each other, I didn’t really want to interrupt them. It seemed rude.
Since your runway walk seemed to cause concern, are you taught on the show how to walk by Ms. Jay, who’s the runway coach, because it’s listed enough on the name every time we see him as a judge?
About 15 minutes. We get three lessons on walking. We literally walk like three times, and he tells us what we’ve done correct or incorrectly, and then we’re sort of sent out into the world. Lots of training from Ms. Jay. [laughs]
Did you say you had about 15 minutes total or three different times with 15 minutes?
About 15 minutes total. It was literally walk up and out, and here’s what you did.
How about prepping before the "go-sees?" Are you told what to expect, how to act, what to wear, or are you just sent out there to fend for yourselves?
We are sort of told, at least in this season, we were told what not to wear by Elite, and that was sort of it. Then, we were handed our books and given a brief, you know, Priscilla did prep us a little bit. She did tell us to try and fit our personalities to the client and to keep in mind what the client was selling. If it was designer gowns, be a little more eloquent. If it was swimsuits, be a little more fun, so we were given a little bit of an explanation, but it wasn’t really like a teach. It was just sort of a heads-up.
You had arguably one of the strongest portfolios this cycle, and were consistently called out near the top, except the past two weeks, having an average call-out at number three. Did you have any thought that you might be eliminated, especially after seeing your photo shoot pictures?
I was pretty sure I was going home after I got the comment on the go-sees, but I was pretty sure I was going home weeks before that after I had done consistently well, because I had heard from other girls-I haven’t watched the show, but I had heard-that it’s usually the fifth girl around number six, five, four that get the boot. It’s the shocker eliminee.
Since we’re out of time, I’ll just say congratulations, Brittany, and best of luck to you in the future.
Thank you very much!
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A chat with "America's Next Top Model"'s top five finisher, Brittany Hatch.
Not long after Brittany Hatch moved to Savannah last year, she auditioned for "America's Next Top Model," the CW network's most popular show. The 22-year-old beat out thousands of hopefuls to make it on air and competed against a dozen others for runway fame.
By the time the panel of judges, headed by show creator Tyra Banks, whittled the competition down five, Brittany was still in the running. But then - disaster. She did poorly on a series of "go sees" with Australian designers, and threw a tantrum after missing a deadline.
In a recent phone interview from Los Angeles, Brittany talked about Tyra, her roommates and that snarky comment about her short-term memory.
Savannah Morning News: You tended bar at the Caledonian, right?
Brittany Hatch: I actually started the day it opened, on St. Patrick's Day. I didn't know where anything was at all. I was like 'Um, how about a Guinness?'"
SMN: Have you been watching the show?
Hatch: I got to the third episode then stopped. I figured I had things to do and a life to live and I'd already lived that part of my life. Then I watched the episode where I was kicked off because they made me.
SMN: Who are you rooting for?
Hatch: Renee or Natasha. They're fantastic people and have a lot of heart invested in the competition. I think they'll really go far in the industry.
SMN: Did the models bicker as much as it appears on the show?
Hatch: There wasn't as much fighting. The (producers) had a week's worth of footage for each episode, but they chose to use the clips that made it look like everyone was crying and complaining all the time.
They set things up to create stress, so we had to compromise a lot. Like, there were 12 beds and 13 girls, so I gave mine to Jael to avoid problems.
SMN: On the show one of the girls accused you of using your impaired short-term memory as a crutch. What was your reaction?
Hatch: She was obnoxious. It was an ignorant, uninformed statement to make. Short-term memory is a challenge for me - how can I use a challenge as a crutch? It doesn't make sense.
It's still a struggle for me. I lose everything I own on a daily basis. But you deal with the hand you're dealt.
SMN: You were pretty emotional on the show (screaming, cursing, crying, throwing things). Were you surprised by that?
Hatch: Normally I'm a happy-go-lucky goofball. My friends are like, "Why were you stressed out? You never get stressed out about anything."
The show is designed to create stress, to create drama and make you react a certain way. It's almost cult-ish.
I signed up for it, and I have no complaints, but you don't realize how much it affects your psyche when you're in the middle of it. When one person's opinion becomes everything and every failure is the end of your world. But now I'm back in the real world and I know it doesn't really matter.
SMN: Do you plan on staying in L.A.?
Hatch: I don't have what the industry considers an "L.A. look," so I'm trying to get work in New York this summer. But I'd like to remain in Savannah as much as possible. My fiancé's there with my two dogs and my two kitties, and I have my friends there. It's my home and I plan on trying to keep it that way.
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How did you get involved with America’s Next Top Model?
Oh boy. My friend told me to go out for casting and I told her I’d try out if she swore to me that she’d never ever, ever, ever bother me with modeling again. And she agreed, so I tried out again.
Were you a big fan of the show?
I had never seen the show before I tried out.
Did you have any prior experience with modeling prior to the show?
No I had never modeled before. My mother actually drug me to New York when I was about 14 and had me meet with agencies and I had a few offers. But because I was 14 and my mother wanted me to do it, I wanted nothing to do with it. (Laughs) Stubborn 14-year-old.
On last night’s episode, Dionne made the comment that you used the whole short-term memory thing as an excuse to stay on the show last week. Do you have anything to say about Dionne’s remark?
That really is an ignorant remark to make. Overall, especially from someone that does not understand brain trauma or short term memory versus long term memory. Long term memory, which would have come in part to the acting challenge, has something to do with where you commit something to your memory, and therefore can recall it. We had two hours to memorize that script. With short term memory, it is a two to five second window, in which you can recall and regurgitate something and then you lose it. And it’s that two to five seconds that you recall something, and so when we were given cue cards, I was completely incapable of using them because I would read them, look at the camera, and then have no idea what I just read.
You had some trouble with your Go See’s right off the bat and then ended up not making it back in time which meant that you were disqualified from the challenge. You were obviously pretty upset about the whole thing. What are your thoughts about the whole challenge?
Well, honestly, I think I worked myself up in a state where I was so worried and afraid that I would do poorly in it, that I set myself up to do poorly. I was nervous and I felt like I had everything riding on these Go See’s since I had done so poorly the week before, that I was just bashful and uncomfortable going into them, and that showed. I was way too professional about them and didn’t allow any of my personality to come through.
What could you have done differently looking back?
Definitely been more of myself than a little less cordial and a little more fun. But overall, I don’t know how I would do in an Australian market. I don’t have an Australian look, I don’t have an LA look. I’ve been told numerous times that I have a New York/European look, and it’s an entirely different market. So that also probably played into it to an extent.
Were you surprised when Tyra told you that none of the designers that you saw on the Go Sees said they would book you?
At the time I was shocked. But watching the footage from last night, I wouldn’t have booked me either. I was obviously nervous, I was obviously uncomfortable. I had never been on a Go See in my life and I fell flat on my face. And getting to see that is a life experience. Most people don’t get to watch their mistakes and look at them and learn from them in that same way that they have actually video footage. And by being able to watch that, I can see exactly what I did and hopefully in the future, go back and present myself a little bit more openly and not as held back and not as awkward and not as uncomfortable.
Tyra and the judges all agreed that you take absolutely gorgeous photos, but said that you lack the personality needed to really make it in the industry. Did you agree?
I wouldn’t agree with that completely. I think I was in a situation where I may have come across that way. I’m a very persuadable person. I bartend for a living, my job is to talk to everybody and be everybody’s best friend and have everyone like me; that’s how I get tips. So I wouldn’t agree that I’m that type of person, but I do agree that I came across that way, and that I just need to be more comfortable in those sorts of situations and just be myself. But at the same time, reality TV has nothing to do with reality, and you are setup to be in uncomfortable situations and setup to have to deal with stress, and setup to have to sort of be in the microcosm of this controlled environment, that they want you to over-play everything and over-do everything and over-think everything. And they basically make you feel like when you screw up, it is the end of the world. Like, there’s nothing beyond America’s Next Top Model, and when you leave, you’re like, “Oh wait a minute! There’s a real world outside of here!” And at the time it doesn’t seem that way and it makes everything a lot harder than it would be in reality.
What was going through your mind when you found yourself in the bottom-two again?
Um, I kind of already knew I was going to be in the bottom-two and I already knew I was going home, so I was just thinking how nice it was going to be to get back home.
We’re down to the final four…who do you think will win it all?
I would think that probably either Renee or Natasha would win. I think they’re both fantastic people with a lot of potential as far as modeling goes and they both have a lot of personality and I hope that they both do fantastically.
What are your plans now that you’re off the show?
I’m actually planning on moving to New York after the summer and attempting to pursue my modeling career. Hopefully it goes over well and my Go See’s there go better than they did in Australia. I would think they would, because like I said, it’s a completely different environment and a different situation. So as long as I’m able to present myself a little better and a little more poised than in the past, hopefully it will turn out well and I will be able to have a fantastic career out of me.
Any final thoughts about last night or the show in general?
Not really. I would just say to all the viewers; do remember it is reality television and out of a week’s worth of footage, they have five minutes to put to a girl and when you think about everything you say and do in a week, if somebody could pick five minutes apart, they can make you look like anything.
(Interview conducted by Royce Yuen)
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