by Michelle Spigner

 

America's Next Top Model cycle 14 contestant Alexandra Underwood loved the rush of waking up every morning in the Top Model house, not knowing what she was going to do each day. She misses being in the competition but is glad the show has ended its run because not everything on reality TV is what it seems.  Today, she spoke to RealityWanted in an exclusive interview about her experiences on the show.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted:  How does it feel to have made it so far?

A. Alexandra: It was really exciting. I'm glad watching the show airings are done. Although, I'm kinda sad we're done filming. It was exciting waking up every day and not knowing what we were doing every day and having a new photo shoot or new challenge, that was fun.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: Do you feel that there was anything the show that portrayed you models incorrectly?

A. Alexandra: I didn't really watch a whole lot of the episodes. It's so weird to see yourself on TV and see yourself broadcast so one dimensionally. I didn't really particularly watch. I didn't really like myself on there that much because it was very one dimensional as far as my personality goes. I'm not that serious. I don't take life that seriously. That was the biggest thing I would say.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: When did you know you wanted to model?

A. Alexandra: It was something that I always had in the back of my mind like a lot of little girls. It was something that I never knew how to go about pursuing so I never did.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: What made you go out for Top Model?

A. Alexandra: My mom's best friend signed me up. She saw an open casting call downtown so she came and ripped me out of my bed. And took Faceboook pictures of me that she turned in because I didn't have professional photos. She kind of drug me there.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: Were you excited to have made it?

A. Alexandra: Yes, I was very excited. I didn't think I had a chance in hell.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: What was your favorite photo shoot?

A. Alexandra: I really liked the vampire shoot, because it was so different from the rest. I loved all the photo shoots.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: Some former ANTM plus-sized models have said they had less choices of clothes in shoots than other girls because the designers had mostly sample sizes. Did you face any challenges as a plus sized model in the competition?

A. Alexandra: No I didn't. The girls did a really good job of making that not an issue. It's easier to fit my body than Krista or Raina. Because I'm very evenly proportioned and they actually had to take in clothes or find different items for Raina's figure because it is so interesting. They had to ask the seamstress to take in clothes on Krista. Plus sized is just a word. It doesn't dignify who you are or the way you act. It is just a word to let people know that you aren't a size 0. So no it wasn't a big issue.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: On the show, you talked about a message you want to send to plus-sized girls. What is that message?

A. Alexandra: Just don't be afraid to do it. I think a lot of girls get out there and they think they have to be a certain way in order to be found beautiful by people or just find themselves beautiful and that's just not the case. Just go out and do what you love and trust your instinct and go with your gut feeling about things. Just be confident. Confidence makes you beautiful and so many people forget that.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: Do you feel that you were eliminated too soon in the competition?

A. Alexandra: I was really mad that I didn't make the final 2 after it happened. Because it did seem as though it was going to be Krista and I. They made that pretty clear. But you know you never know. There are a lot of politics that go into the show. And you never know how strong those are actually going to be. And sometimes its not always up to the competition itself a lot of it is reality television. And you never know what's going to happen.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: What was one of the most important things that you learned in the competition?

A. Alexandra: Trust yourself. If you have a way that you wanna do something. You definitely need to go about it don't second guess. There were times that whenever I didn't go with my gut feeling or do what I wanted to it ended up costing me to not do as well. I always want to go with how I feel about things.

 

Q. Michelle, RealityWanted: What are you looking to do in the future?

A. Alexandra: We weren't allowed to model until the show concluded. Now I'm waiting for those opportunities to come about. Hopefully I'll get to move to NY or LA. I'm at a point in my life where I'm ready to do that. I just finished up my degree and I'm trying to get certified in therapy. So I get to work with kids with disabilities and horses. So its just a really great experience. So I'm just going with that for now and just waiting for something to come about with modeling.

 

 

(Image courtesy of the CW)

 

 

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