A Reality Check With ... Brittany Hatch (CW's "Top Model")

Before being a Top Model, 21-year-old Brittany Hatch was a bartender in Savannah, Georgia. The early frontrunner in the competition, Brittany did not receive a picture this week from Tyra. She sits down to talk to RealityCheck about her weave, her meltdown, and her short-term memory.



RC: Do you have any previous modeling experience before going on ANTM?
BH: No I didn’t. My mother tried to get me into it & because she wanted me to, I didn’t want to.

RC: Tell me about the audition process for the show. How were you chosen?
BH: I went to an open casting call in Atlanta. They line you up against the wall, pick out the girls that they think that have the right look and call them back for interviews.

RC: You started the season extremely strong – did you expect to be a frontrunner throughout?
BH: It was absolutely a surprise to me!

RC: Let’s talk about the weave for a second. What was the worst part about it?
BH: They dyed my hair 7-8 times before putting on the weave so my scalp had blistered & was bleeding underneath.

RC: Which photo shoot did you most enjoy?
BH: I really enjoyed the criminal shoot, it was more editorial.

RC: Was your outburst after being late for the go-sees addressed in the judging room? I thought for sure it would come up.
BH: They absolutely brought it up & I did apologize for my behavior. I was out of line.

RC: Watching the episode back, did you really not ask the driver to meet you or was that clever editing to make it look like you didn’t?
BH: I actually did ask the driver to meet me. I didn’t communicate it as well as I should have.

RC: Dionne called you out saying you remembered the scene with Efren Ramirez but not the Australian Cover Girl commercial script. What was that about?
BH: There’s a difference between short & long term memory. The long term memory exists after a half hour. Short term memory – you can read something quickly & regurgitate. I have no short term memory. I had two hours to learn the scene but only a few minutes for the Cover Girl shoot. It’s my fault for relying on the cue cards.

RC: Which model did you feel was your biggest competition?
BH: Probably Nastasha, she’s really fantastic.

RC: Speaking of Natasha, on next week’s episode, all the girls turn on her. Is this something that had been brewing in the house?
BH: I think that it was sort of growing. Natasha has a really interesting personality – they always showed her bubbly side but she can be cocky & mean at times. She had an issue with telling the truth a few times.

RC: What was the most challenging part of living with so many girls?
BH: I mean, really, it’s the same as any situation where you had to live with a lot of people. There’s going to be conflict.

RC: Who will you remain friends with?
BH: Jael absolutely, she’s a fantastic person & a whole lot of fun. She’s sitting next to me picking her nose right now. Sarah, Samantha, and Felicia – all of them, too.

RC: What’s in your future?
BH: I actually plan on going to New Yowrk this summer to pursue a modeling career & we’ll see how that turns out.

For more Top Model links, check out sirlinksalot.net!

Survivor: Kinda Like A Ninja (5/3/07)

When I interviewed Mookie last week, he told me that the tribe wanted Alex out before him because he had been hurt & not eaten much. They felt Alex was a bigger threat in the individual immunity competitions. Alex must have gotten wind of this plan. In tonight's episode, we find out that at the last tribal council, Alex turned on Mookie, voting him out, and saves his own butt. Alex goes undercover to try to figure out where can shake things up ... just like a ninja.

At the reward challenge, tribe members must rip pieces of pork off a hanging rope & bring it back to their plate using only their mouths. The winner & 2 runners up will be picked up by a helicopter tour of the islands & white water rafting. The challenge was pretty gross but the survivors gave it all they had. In the end, Boo comes in 1st with Yau Man & Dreamz in 2nd & 3rd respectively. As the winner, Boo gets to choose who he'll send to Exile Island and he sends Earl. Boo ALSO wins an advantage at the next immunity challenge - damn, this guy cleaned up!

Upon arriving to the immunity challenge, Boo finds out he automatically advances to the finals. The rest must fight it out to advance by digging up 3 paddle steps buried deep in sand. Dreamz & Alex move on the finals to take on Boo. They now must use the paddle steps to build a ladder, climb a pole, and grab their flag. Alex makes a valiant effort by trying to scale the pole but in the end, Boo pulls out a win, earning him immunity which he so desperately needed.

Back at camp, the general concensus seems to be to vote Alex unanimously out. He decides not to fight for his life but let people come to him. His plan works and soon, is approached by Cassandra & Alex uses last ditch efforts to sway her. Alex tried to get the tribe to turn on Yau Man so the idol is out of play & a strong candidate for the million dollars is out. Alex's efforts were in vain as he becomes the 12th person voted out of Fiji.

For more Survivor links, check out sirlinksalot.net

ANTM: Bye-Bye To Brittany (5/2/07)

Last night, Brittany's tears, excuses, and inability to book a job left her without a photo from Tyra. The models first had to go on a series of go-sees in Australia. While Dionne, Renee, and Jaslene shined, Natasha & Brittany made it back too late to qualify. Natasha took the news well but the same cannot be said for Brittany who launched into a tyrade of expletives, blaming her cab driver. This week's photos were shot in part by Tyra. Male models were used to help the girls create two sexy photos on the beach - one aimed at females & one aimed at a male audience. Despite strong photos, Brittany found herself in this week's bottom 2 with Dionne but the judges felt they saw more in Dionne. Just like that, Brittany (an early frontrunner) was out of the competition. Check back here tomorrow (Friday 5/4) for an exclusive interview with Brittany!

American Idol: Two Get The Boot (5/2/07)

I am not a happy camper. First, I had to relive the Simon/Lakisha kiss - yucktastic. Then, I had to watch some creepy guy sing a song I've never heard in his falsetto while skulking around the stage. (Skulk - SAT word. The only one I remember. To sneak around.) But then, Phil eats it instead of Lakisha. NO! Like I've said, Phil grew on me throughout this competition. Don't get me wrong, I didn't think Phil should be in the top 4, I just wanted him out before Kiki. Then, to no one's surprise, Chris left his best buddy Blake behind. But don't worry, guys, they're touring together ... for $85 a ticket. Sanjaya & Haley aren't worth my 85 cents. I like how, on Idol, they make people sing the very song that got them voted out. "Well, Chris, America thought you sucked but why don't you sing that piece of crap for us one more time? Remind everyone that they made the right decision!" I expect record deals for both so I think they'll be fine. Now hula dance your way over to Sanjaya & wait until you get to come back for the live finale singing "Wind Beneath My Wings" in 12 part harmony. Next week, Barry Gibb is the mentor - and I assume they're singing disco. Trying to highlight the girls much???

For more Idol links, visit sirlinksalot.net

A Reality Check With … Theodore Leaf (Bravo’s “Shear Genius”)

RC: How did you hear about the show & what made you want to apply?
TL: I actually heard about Shear Genius through a friend & email. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get on tv, which was a goal of mine.

RC: How did you end up getting on Shear Genius?
TL: You definitely jump through a lot of hoops. The first interviews are based on your personalities. We had to do a test for hair to show our styling & cutting techniques.

RC: Tell us a little about your training & background.
TL: I started at the Paul Mitchell School in Ohio. Three weeks into beauty school, I was traveling & going to every hair show I could. I met the top artists. I traveled the country as an assistant for a few years.

RC: You started strong in this competition – were you expecting to be a frontrunner?
TL: I’d hoped to! Most definitely! Each challenge was going to bring it’s own set of challenges so you never know.

RC: What went wrong for you in the long to short challenge?
TL: When I was choosing models, I went with the texture I work with all the time. That model had a beautiful head of hair. The products let me down. I hoped for a more natural kind of blow dry. Everything everyone does is so styled. I wanted to work with natural style. But she had a length limitation and it does create an issue when a model only wants her hair so short in a long to short challenge.

RC: If you could go back, would you have done anything differently?
TL: I definitely would have gone with my styling power, I can blow dry really well. I would’ve gone from wet to dry real fast with a round brush & made it real smooth.

RC: What other contestants really impressed you?
TL: I love Tabitha, she’s really fierce. She’s actually really nice! Donna actually cuts my hair, we’re good friends. We get along really well and I’ve been keeping in touch with a few people.

RC: Which judge were you the most nervous to show your work in front of?
TL: I was really nervous to show my work in front of Fredrick. Early in my research, his name kept popping up as a force to be reckoned with. We never know who the guest judge is going to be and when he came in, I was shaking in my boots!

RC: When cutting & styling, what are your strengths?
TL: I’m great at bringing inner beauty out. I’m the last stylist that’s going to cut an asymmetrical bang on your hang. I love gorgeous, pretty hair. I live in LA & our look is to make everyone look younger!

RC: Where can we find you now & what are you doing?
TL: After the show, I opened my own salon. It's a fabulous little boutique. I've been doing runway shows, I did 18 fashion shows during Fashion Week, and photo shoots. I have a website and all my service menus are on there. We have a feature where you can make appointments online & we reply very quickly!

A new episode of Shear Genius airs tonight on Bravo at 10pm EST

For more Shear Genius links, please visit sirlinksalot.net!

American Idol: Two Must Go (5/1/07)

I have to admit, when I heard tonight was Bon Jovi night, I got scared. What the heck were these finalists going to sing (and sound good with)? We find out as the final 6 vie for the top 4 spots in the competition.

Phil – Blaze Of Glory: Guess what? I’ve turned into a little bit of a Phil fan. I thought he did well on country night 2 weeks ago & he was even better tonight. I think he’s the best male singer but the other two have more charisma & are better looking, so they stand out more. While Randy & Paula raved, Simon called him a bad actor & called it “okay”.

Jordin – Livin’ On A Prayer: I didn’t think the girls were going to fare well this week. That song didn’t do it for me. She looked like she was playing dress-up & the song wasn’t in a great key to really show off how awesome she is. The judges agree, saying it wasn’t her best. Yeah, I’d say! Hopefully, her fans bring her back next week.

Lakisha – This Ain’t A Love Song: Lakisha was able to do what Jordin couldn’t, pick a song that’s right for her voice. I’m not jumping on any Lakisha bandwagon anytime soon & I’m not sure she’s totally safe next week. It was a good song choice with a good vocal with a fair performance that kicked into gear 2/3 of the way in. The 3 judges raved mostly & Simon said he could kiss her … which he did! Did that just happen?! Her lip gloss is still lingering on his lips. :::shudder::::

Blake – You Give Love A Bad Name: Blake decides to change things up with both his look & the arrangement of the song. I’m not sure what the judges will say but I LOVE the arrangement. Judges too often complain about karaoke renditions of songs & I think Blake put his own flavor on it. This is really a great opportunity to highlight what he can do! I’m back to loving Blake. The judges raved – YAY!

Chris – Wanted Dead Or Alive: Let’s not forget Daughtry recorded this last year for the season album. Chris has got some cahones taking this on. I ended up fast forwarding through most of the song because I’m not a huge fan of his voice. The judges were semi-complimentary. They’re unsure of his fate tomorrow night. I think he’s silly.

Melinda – Have A Nice Day: This just isn’t a night for the girls. I have to say that there is no denying her voice but I just feel that Bon Jovi is ill suited for this group of contestants. I would have rather seen her pick one of his ballads. She did the best she could with the song. Randy called it not her best, Paula adds nothing (what else is new?), and Simon calls her a young Tina Turner.

President Bush just showed up on Idol, thanking the audience for Idol Gives Back but not before doing some shtick with Laura. That was stranger than the Simon/Lakisha kiss. Anyway, in my world, I’d see Chris & Lakisha going home tomorrow night. Votes from last week are combined with this week’s & 2 are headed home. Check out the Idol results tomorrow night on Fox at 9pm EST.

A Reality Check With ... Mookie Lee (CBS's Survivor: Fiji)

Born in Seoul, Korea, Mookie Lee moved to Storrs, Connecticut at the age of three and then was raised in Northbrook, Illinois, for the majority of his teenage years. In 2003, Lee received his Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he studied Actuarial Science and Finance. He was also a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Lee is currently a program manager at an internet loan company. He enjoys traveling, playing competitive sports (particularly basketball and volleyball) and spending time with his friends and family. Mookie takes time out of his busy schedule to talk about being a villain & bullying Yao Man.

RC: What was the audition process like for “Survivor”?
Mookie: I was actually found on MySpace. A casting director sent me a message, asking if I was interested. I called back to make sure it wasn’t a joke. They sent me out there for a couple weeks. I did have to submit a tape last minute though.

RC: How quickly did hunger & starvation set in once you arrived at the Moto camp?
Mookie: I think they didn’t show it but it was like day 1, 110 degrees, and we completely forgot there was no water boiling. It literally hit us the first day. Thirst was the worst part.

RC: How did you stay hopefully & positive when Moto was losing challenge after challenge?
Mookie: It’s like a mind game. You think that you can’t possibly lose every single challenge. In the back of your mind, you’re thinking, “The producers have to put in one where we’ll win”. But then, you keep losing! You don’t give up, but you need to start strategizing.

RC: Were you happy to be part of the 4 Horsemen when the tribes were switched up or did you do what you needed to do to survive?
Mookie: I liked the 4 Horsement, I liked it when it was just the guys. You didn’t have to worry about what you were saying. With the girls, you had to listen to their issues. When you’re starving & you’re thirsty, you get kinda pissed off. At the end of the day, it was a choice that I had to make but at the time, it was the right choice.

RC: You obviously wouldn’t go through people’s personal things in real life … we HOPE! Did you feel guilty for going through Yao Man’s bag to find the immunity idol?
Mookie: Yeah, I got so much crap for that for doing that. It’s happened before in previous seasons. If you’re smart like I was (to some extent) I buried my idol somewhere else . I don’t feel guilty. Yao Man is the favorite of the season, everyone loves the guy. He’s coming through in challenges, he’s a nice guy, he’s funny. Most girls I talk to think he’s cute. They all think I’m the villain. It was blown out of proportion.

RC: Whose idea was that?
Mookie: It was my idea. I was laying under the tree with Dreamz thinking of ways I could stay in the game. I approached Alex with the idea. They kind of blamed Alex for the blackmailing thing but he’s the lawyer so I just let him talk.

RC: Were you surprised to have been voted out?
Mookie: Once everyone found out what happened & that big tribal council happened when Edgardo got voted out, we knew we would go 1-by-1. I knew it would possibly be me. There was talk around camp that they wanted Alex out because I was hurt, tired, and had no food. They felt I wouldn’t have a chance of winning immunity. I was ready for it either way.

RC: Would you say that you were accurately portrayed on the show?
Mookie: I think I like to have fun but the fun parts I had were shown right after Yao Man did something. They cast me as a villain which, in some ways, I can be. Whatever is good for tv. People are surprised to find out I’m a lot nicer in person.

RC: Who are you pulling for to win?
Mookie: I’d love Alex to win! One of the 4 Horsemen. And Yao Man – he was always giving me food, water. He’s a real stand-up classy guy. When I think back to it, he was always in the background & nobody was thinking about it – that’s how he made it this far.

RC: What kinds of things are you up to now in Chicago?
Mookie: I’m back to work at the loan company I was working at. I started my own charity, Active Chicago (site currently under construction but up again very soon). I always wanted to start a charity because I never trusted where my money went. That’s basically for underprivileged children sponsoring them for athletics & other activities.

Survivor airs Thursdays at 8pm EST on CBS

For more Survivor links, please visit sirlinksalot.net

The Bachelor: Six Become Four (4/30/07)

Tonight, 6 women become 4 as Andy decides which women he’d like to travel with to meet their families. All the women board the yacht, spending the day with Andy who is happy he doesn’t have to hand out any roses until the ceremony. First, he spends times with the brunettes where Tina causes an awkward moment by picking Andy’s teeth! Then, he’s off to the blondes where Bevin steals him away for a kayak ride on what was supposed to be a group date.

A package arrives at the house later for the girls for Stephanie who is invited out on a 1-on-1 date. Andy takes her to a winery where they can mix & make their own wine. They have a great time and Andy keeps trying to get her to open up. He asked her a lot of questions but she really wouldn’t give him much. The date cooled off quickly & it was time for Andy to prepare for another date.

The date box arrives for: Amber, Tina, Bevin, and Danielle – meaning Tessa gets the other 1-on-1 date. The 4 girls are picked up & head to a schoolyard where they repaint the playground there for 60 kindergarten students. Once they were finished, Andy surprised them by bringing out half the students to check out their new playground. The girls were thrilled & everyone spent time playing with the little ones.

When Andy picks up Tessa, he is not alone – he brought 2 million dollars worth of jewelry with him! This does not sit well with the other girls in the house, particularly Bevin who has developed very strong feelings for him. Andy takes Tessa dress shopping to pick out anything she wants (ahhh, every girl’s dream!). They have a wonderful time even as Tessa continues to express reservation.

At the rose ceremony, it’s time to decide who is getting the hometown dates which proves to be very stressful to Andy. Bevin gets her rose first, much to her delight. Amber, Tessa, and Danielle receiving the remaining roses, leaving Tina & Stephanie out in the cold. Andy’s comin’ to CT (my home state)! Next week looks interesting and Bevin will spill her secret to Andy that she’s been married once before. I still think she might take the whole thing.

Kissing Tally: Bevin, Stephanie, Tessa

The Bachelor airs Monday nights on ABC!

For more Bachelor links, visit sirlinksalot.net

The Amaing Race: Teams Get Patriotic (4/29/07)

Marked for elimination, Danny & Ozzie set out on the 12th leg of the race determined to finish first & secure their spot in the final 3. Their next destination is Guam, an island in the South Pacific. All teams board a flight together, with the exception of Cha Cha. However, they board a different flight which should put them in Guam at the same time if they can make the 45 minute connection in Tokyo. They are successful & all teams now have an even playing field.

Teams travel to the US Air Force Academy & are driven to a tower where they find a detour. Teams choose between delivering a care package or scour clean a B-52 bomber. Everyone chose the engine except Charla & Mirna who chose the care package because it was a humanitarian challenge. I like them more & more each week. Dustin & Kandice finish first, followed by Eric & Danielle, Ozzie & Danny, and Charla & Mirna now in last place.

All teams find their next clue at the US Naval Base – it’s a Road Block. Teams have to navigate through the jungle to find one of four officers using a GPS device. Dustin completes her task with ease while Danielle & Charla struggle. Ozzie & Danny arrive last but set out right away on the Road Block. Danielle & Charla finally get it together, finishing their task while Danny & Ozzie end up last again.

The 12th pit stop is Fort Soledad & the last team to check in will be eliminated. The Beauty Queens arrive first & have a chance at becoming the first all female team to ever win The Amazing Race. They also won all terrain vehicles as a reward for the first place finish. They are followed by Eric & Danielle in 2nd place & Charla & Mirna. Just as they thought, Ozzie & Danny are eliminated.

This leaves me to root for Charla & Mirna in the final leg. Danny & Ozzie also express their support for that team, calling them a class act. Who will win? Be sure to check out the finale next week on NBC at 8pm EST.

For all things reality, bookmark RealityCheckByGina!

For more Amazing Race links, check out sirlinksalot.net.