by Gina Scarpa

 

For Alisha this season on America's Next Top Model, the competition was certainly full of ups and downs. From one week to the next, she was never sure if her name would be called first at panel or if she would land in the bottom two. After a fear-inducing photo shoot in Hong Kong, Alisha reached her breaking point and decided to leave the competition, saying there were things she knew she needed to work on. Today, we talked to the fiercely British model in an exclusive interview to learn more about her Top Model experience and what drove her to head home to the UK.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your reaction when you were asked to compete for a second time but this time, in the states?
A. Alisha: Oh my god! I was a bit shocked when I got the phone call. I thought it was a prank. I was like, "Yeah, right!" It took a long time for it to sink in because I had just finished my show and the production team told me Britain's Next Top Model was airing in the states. I was really excited and it was a dream come true. I've wanted to come to America all my life.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was there a big difference between Britain's Next Top Model and America's Next Top Model?
A. Alisha: Yes! I think there's a huge difference because Britain's Next Top Model is kind of like a spinoff. America's Next Top Model is like the real thing, it's gold. You want the gold! It's the best you can have. The audience is wider, a lot of people watch it. British people really watch America's Next Top Model. It's like a ritual! The pictures and stuff... Elle MacPherson would pick your best shot. In America's, Tyra didn't pick them. Someone else did. A majority of the time, it was the same.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Of course, there's always lots of drama and girls who don't get along but who were you close with?
A. Alisha: Eboni was like my little sister. Unfortunately, you didn't get to see that in the beginning of the show but when I met her, I clicked with her straight away. I didn't think I'd want to become friends with anyone on the American side. I value her friendship so much, along with Catherine's and Louise's.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How scared were you this week with that photo shoot on top of the building? It seemed so scary!
A. Alisha: In the real world, if my agent had that job and they wanted to book me, he would've said to them straight away, "She can't do it because she hates heights." I'm sure they knew that some of us would be a bit scared. To be honest with you, I wasn't going to do the shoot. It was windy, there were hailstones, it was manic! I felt like I was going to die. I'm so skinny, the wind is blowing me off, it was horrible! Because I wanted to be there so much and because I was in the firing lines, I just did what I had to do because I didn't want to go home. It was all too much for me. I knew that the pressure was on me because of the up and down journey.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Speaking of up and down, it must have been very difficult for you to be at the top of the back one week, then the bottom the next, then back at the top, and so on. Did it take a toll on you, emotionally?
A. Alisha: Yeah, extremely because in my heart of hearts, I know that I'm a good model. I work in London and get paid for what I do. It was just really heartbreaking to see that my supermodel qualities were not being portrayed on the show. I know what I can do for myself and every time I looked at the pictures, I thought, "This isn't me, this isn't what I can do." However, I'm happy to see that people saw my real personality because that's how I am in life. It was a bit disappointing that people couldn't see my modeling ability. That wasn't even a quarter of what I could do.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did you make your decision to leave the competition after you found out you were in the bottom two or was this something you were already thinking about?
A. Alisha: Do you know what? Believe it or not, it was some weeks before but I tried to keep a brave face. I kept saying that I was pretending to be happy when I really wasn't. When I was Elton John the first week, I was like, "What? What is this?" And then I thought, "Do what you have to do, have fun, you like being here." The production team was so great and then I think it when we had the photo shoot on the table with Estelle, my emotions were starting to get really, really bad. I was losing my confidence and it was hard to see myself on tv like that. I remember how I felt and I didn't tell anyone. I just got on with it.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Looking back on it, do you regret leaving the way you did?
A. Alisha: I definitely do not have any regrets, zero regrets. I'm so happy that I did that. If I stayed on the show, I would've been a maniac and lashed out at someone or just been a complete and utter bitch. I'm not a selfish person. I would never take someone else's dream if I knew I didn't want to be there. It's made me a stronger and better person. I've got a clearer outlook on life and I've learned so much about myself. It's okay to say no sometimes.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Do you want to come back to the states to model?
A. Alisha: I feel like I do have a little bit to handle in the UK but I feel like I owe it to come back to the US and show them, "This is who I am, this is what I can do, book me!" I love the US, like I heart the US. I'm a London girl wanting to be an American girl. I definitely want to show them what I'm made of.

 

America's Next Top Model airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on the CW.

 

(Image courtesy of the CW)

 

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