America’s Next Top Model contestant, Brittany, aka ShaRaun, certainly made a strong impression on last night’s cycle 11 premiere.  Too strong.  She walked into the competition, acting like she already had it in the bag – an attitude the rubbed the judges the wrong way.  When she didn’t take a strong enough photo and it landed her in the bottom two, her arrogance became her undoing and she was the first model sent home.  Today, ShaRaun spoke to BuddyTV in an exclusive interview, saying that she wasn’t arrogant at all and the judges had it all wrong.  Read on and decide for yourself what you think about her.

Below, you will find the complete transcript and mp3 of the interview.


Hey everybody, this is Gina from BuddyTV and today, I’m talking to ShaRaun from America’s Next Top Model.  Well, how long have you wanted to be a model?  Is this something that you’ve dreamed about since you were a little girl?

Oh my God, of course.  I wanted to be a model forever, ever since the first cycle one of America’s Next Top Model and I saw the show and I was like, “Yeah, I have to be on there!”  Ever since I was very little.  I watched Tyra in the Victoria’s Secret fashion shows and just studying how one foot goes in front the other and walking around and doing mock fashion shows.  This is something I’ve always wanted to do.  I got the opportunity with the show so yay!


What was it like when you got to meet Tyra for the first time?

Oh my God, it was amazing.  I couldn’t even believe it and it was crazy because the whole time I there, it just felt like I was dreaming.  It felt like it was a dream.  I still haven’t woke up from that dream yet.  It still feels like I’m dreaming and that dreaming is all too good to be true.  When I first met Tyra, it was just … I was in awe because I see it all the time on television.  I see the girls going through exactly what I went through and then, to be like inside of the television screen?  That was just unbelievable for me so it was an amazing experience meeting her.

When you had to change your name, because there were so many Brittanys this season, did you have any reservations about it or were you on board?

No, I was all on board, totally!  Coming into it, I wanted to change my name as well and ShaRaun is actually my middle name.  I just grabbed that from my middle name and ShaRaun is what I go by now.

What happened, do you think, in this episode that you ended up going home first?  Do you think that you just came on a little too strong or you weren’t listening during the photo shoot?  What do you think happened?

No, I just think that I was misinterpreted, starting with the interviews we did with the judges.  I came in and I said, “Hi, I’m ShaRaun, and I’m America’s Next Top Model.”  Everybody saw that part but you guys didn’t see all the other things I said on top of that.  I think that it was just interpreted as me coming on too strong or something.  My whole intent in that was – I was brought up and raised and taught that whatever you want, you have to go after it.  You have to name and claim what you want and if you don’t believe in yourself, then nobody else will believe it.  So I believed in myself that I was America’s Next Top Model and I just wanted to show the judges how hungry and how ready I was and how bad I wanted this and how I believed in my heart that I had this and that I can get it.  Not that I had it, ’cause I didn’t have it, but that I can get it and I can get to that point.  I just wanted to show them that.  I didn’t want to do it to be cocky or arrogant or anything like that but just to show them that I really wanted this.

What do you think we didn’t get to see about you, as a person, since you were only on the show for two episodes?

Oh my God, you guys didn’t get to see a lot!  I mean, the show only focuses on one side of me and that’s not all of me at all.  You got to see how I was confident, I’m a very confident person, but you didn’t get to see the story of my life and what made who I am today.  You saw me being confident but you didn’t see the wonderful and sweet person that I am.  You didn’t hear the story of how I spent my spring break and some of my summer vacation helping with Habitat for Humanity with Hurricane Katrina victims.  Not only am I a confident person but I’m a humble person, I’m a sweet person and there’s so much more to ShaRaun that I don’t think everyone got to see.

And what’s in the future for you now, ShaRaun, you gonna keep modeling?

Oh my God, of course!  I’m not gonna stop here.  The sky is the limit for me.  This is just the beginning.  This is just a stepping stone.  It doesn’t stop here at all.  Not only do I model but I act and I’m a dancer, trained in ballet, tap, and jazz.  I can do so, so much.  I’m a Broadcast Journalism major.  I was a news anchor at my school all throughout high school and everyday on television.  I can report.  The sky’s the limit.  I’m gonna blossom out from here and you guys are gonna be seeing a lot from me.  Get ready! 


Well, thanks so much ShaRaun.  I wish you good luck and I appreciate your time.

No problem.  Thanks and I appreciate it so much.


– Gina Scarpa, BuddyTV Staff Writer

(Image courtesy of CW)

Gina Scarpa

Staff Writer, BuddyTV