Jay McGee became the fourth hopeful to be voted off of Bravo's Make Me A Supermodel after being in the bottom three twice before.  Week after week, he struggled with photo shoots, enduring criticism from the judges that he was too stiff.  Jay spoke to BuddyTV today about his experience on the show, what he's doing to improve his photos, and the song he uses to inspire him during fashion shows.  Below, you will find an audiofile and a complete transcript of the interview.

Hey everybody. This is Debbie at BuddyTV, and I'm talking to Jay from Make Me A Supermodel. Hey, Jay, how's it going?

I'm doing real good. How are you doing?


I'm good, I'm good. So, let me ask you, how did you feel after you found out that you were eliminated?

Actually, I was pretty much mad because I really wanted to keep going on into the competition, just try my best and learn as much more as possible from the best of the best. But also, I appreciated it because it was a beautiful experience, a beautiful opportunity. It had to end, but I really loved it. I wish it could have went on. So, basically, just looking back, it was a beautiful experience, and I'm going to just try to move forward with it and just keep my head up and keep on trucking for my dream.


Did you agree with the critiques that Niki and Tyson gave you?

Yeah, I agree with them because I knew going into this competition that it was only one thing that I lacked, and that was photo shoot. I've been modeling for two years now, and for the whole two years that I've been modeling, everything that I've been doing was fashion shows in Atlanta. I pretty much had my walk down pat, and they didn't have much to critique on my walk. The only thing they could critique me on was my photo shoot.

So, basically, what I see on TV and hear from people is for you to practice on it is for you to look in the mirror. And I was practicing 30 minutes to an hour a day in the mirror, working on my facial expressions and just trying my best to get those photo shoot up to par because my catwalk was sky-high. It was just my photo shoots that was down at the bottom. So, I just wished that I had another opportunity to show them that I am photogenic and I can do photo shoots real, real good. But, I'm going to just have to do it on the flip side.


You know, I bet a lot of people who don't have modeling experience, when they watch shows like this, they probably think, "Well, how hard is it to take a good photo?" Well, how hard is it? I mean, what goes into it?

Well, actually, what goes into it, you got to get your mind set to everything, you got to get your motivation going right for the photo shoot. They might say they want you looking sexy-cool, and you got to have that motivation sexy-cool expression on your face. Get that motivation into your system so you can go ahead and get that feedback for that photo shoot. Most of the time when I was in a photo shoot, because in a mirror, I would practice, but I wouldn't move, like, I wouldn't move my body around. And when it came to me about a week ago, I was thinking, "You know what? When I get in a photo shoot, I don't move around. I just stand still in one spot like I'm a statue."

So I told myself, in the next photo shoot, I'm going to do a whole lot more movement, change my face at every time. Because I would just change my face maybe, like, once or twice or three times, and if I would have just changed my face every time I heard the camera click, maybe something would have came through. So, that's what I like being too, because I really didn't know the whole process of it. So when Tyson told me to put the swagger in it and just move around much more and ask more questions to see what the motivation is, that's when I was like, "Okay, when the next photo shoot comes, I'm definitely going to give it my all. It's not going to be 100 percent, it's going to be 200 percent, and I'm going to try my best." But I never got that chance to.


Do you have a personal inspiration that you use while in a runway show, or you're doing a photo shoot? Like, what drives you?

What drives me? I've been facing this...since I was a sophomore in high school, so my drive is basically just driving for my dreams, basically, just trying my best to capture my dreams, and just showing people that dreams do come true. You can chase your dream and one day, it will come true.

And then, on catwalks, they play the music, but in my head, I got my own little thing so that I wouldn't have to think of their music, so I just have my own little catwalk. And the song that was in my head is Kanye West "Stronger. So, every time you see me, I might not be on beat because I got in my head, I got the Kanye West song, and not their song. I just try my best to keep that going and keep my positive vision on the catwalk and just give it 200 percent.


Great, great. And speaking specifically about Make Me A Supermodel, how do you think that you compared to the other models in the house?

When I first walked in, I compared myself as not as much experience as everyone else. 'Cause, you know, me and Ben, we pretty much didn't know too much about modeling because Ben was a police guard and I was a mechanic. Most of time, all the things that I did was just catwalk, so that's the only thing that I really could get my vision on. And in the photo shoots, I was pretty much scared. So, I was just basically there willing to learn and follow as much direction and get direction as much as I could, so I could proceed into the competition.


And, did you get along well with everyone in the house?

Oh yeah, I loved everyone in the house. It was just crazy because normally when I get around people a lot, basically living with people, I normally be cussing out one or two of them. But in that house, I really got along with everyone. I didn't have a problem with no one. We all just got along. I loved every last one of them, and they loved me back. It was just beautiful.


I'm curious. You said that you started modeling two years ago. What got you into that? Like, why did you choose this career instead of something else?

Well, actually, I've been pursuing it since seventh grade, but when I was in seventh grade, every person me and mom would get in contact with, they always want money. And my mom would always tell me, if an agency or whoever wants you, they'll pay for everything. So, as I went through high school and then graduated, I started working and making my own money. I just told myself, I'm going to jump into it and see what happens. Yeah, I paid my money to certain people and I didn't get anything out of it.

And then two years ago, I was like, "You know what? I'm going to just try my best to do as many fashion shows as I can" because that's what I love. I love the catwalk. So I did as many fashion shows, I was doing like four to five fashion shows a month and basically just doing that a whole lot. I was just chasing my dream. And even though I knocked down and a whole bunch of nos and a couple yeses, I just kept on pursuing because this is what I love. I love to model, I love the industry, and I'm going keep my best to keep on pushing and driving until I get to the top.


You know, as a model, you probably have to be really versatile in your look, depending on what your client wants and what they're selling. But, how do you describe your own personal style? Who is Jay McGee?

Who is Jay McGee? Jay McGee is basically a person that grew up on the south side of Chicago, where it was real rough at, and grabbed his style from Chicago to Atlanta and just put it all in one, and just basically mixed up the whole game, and just came out to be Jay McGee. I used to be the baggy boy, but now I'm more the fitted-clothes man because the baggy stuff may show off your figure, you got to show your figure off for fitted clothes, especially if you want agencies and agents out there to look at you.


Right, right. I saw on your exit interview on BravoTV.com that you're planning to move to New York and pursue your career. Are you still thinking that? And also, where do you see yourself three, four years down the line?

Actually, I am moving back to New York. Probably by the end of this month. And maybe, three to four years from now, I just hope to be doing as much as possible. Getting a lot of ad campaigns. I'd say the first or second year, I hope to get an ad campaign with Gap or Old Navy or somebody. And then, three or four years, hopefully be the next Tyson Beckford, because that's what I'm driving for. Even though I lost the supermodel competition, doesn't mean I still can't be a supermodel.


Right, exactly. Great, so best of luck in the future. I really hope to great things from you. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me.

Thank you!

-Interview conducted by Debbie Chang
(Image courtesy of Bravo)