An Interview with Diana
"Size doesn’t matter!"– An Interview with America's Next Top Model 8's Diana by Phil Kural -- 04/02/2007 Diana was the fifth girl eliminated this season on America’s Next Top Model. In this interview with RealityNewsOnline, Diana talks about the pressure of being labeled a “plus sized model,” how she thought she was edited, and so much more! Oh, and she addresses Renee’s comments to Whitney as well! Before this season of America’s Next Top Model began, I not only said that Diana would do better than Whitney, but that she’d be in the final three. It became pretty clear by about episode three that I was totally wrong, and it’s Whitney who will probably make the final three now. However, I did have a chance to talk to Diana about her time on the show, and she shed some light on a few things, like was she really that lackluster about being there? Of course, I also asked her about Renee’s comments to Whitney! Read on, my friends! RealityNewsOnline:Hey Diana, thanks for taking time to talk with me today about your time on the show. Had you watched previous seasons and what factored into your decision to apply? Diana:Hey Phil! Yes, I had watched previous seasons of the show and was a fan going into it. As for why I auditioned, well, I was always interested in getting involved in the modeling world, but never really knew how to do it, so I figured that this would be a good way to put my face out there. RNO:What were your thoughts when Whitney was called by Tyra to be in the house? Did you think that your chance of making it were non-existent? Diana:Oh yeah, the second Whitney was called to be in the house was when my tears started flowing. I still had a little bit of hope that I would be picked though. I figured that if I had any chance of being called, it would be last since I know they would want to make it pretty dramatic. I knew it would either go two was though – have two plus sized girls in the house, or I’d be sent home heartbroken. RNO:Would you say that you were comfortable with yourself going into the competition, or did the bodies of the other girls make you feel uneasy about yourself? Diana:I was comfortable with myself before the competition started and all the way through the whole thing. I think we all have an off day, and it just so happened that whenever I had an off day, that’s how I was shown. There were plenty of good times in the house, but whenever I was shown, it was when I was feeling down. There’s a bottom line here: Size doesn’t matter! RNO:I think it’s fair to say that the reason you were eliminated wasn’t because you are a plus sized model, but because the judges didn’t see any passion from you. Were you giving more than what we saw or were you just over it all? Diana:Well, I’ve realized one thing about the whole process – we were each typecast into a role. For whatever reason, I was made out to be the quiet, insecure, introverted girl. There was plenty said at judging to me, but all you ever saw was when the judges were telling me about personality. My photos stood up, and the judges always complimented them. I was definitely giving more than what was shown. RNO:Of course, we need to talk about Renee. After you heard her comments to Whitney about a plus sized girl never winning, you were clearly mad. Did you ever confront Renee about this or say anything about it to her? Diana:I’m glad you asked me about this – that whole scene was fake, and when you saw me complaining, saying I was mad, that was a scene from a week prior to the whole thing. Whitney and Renee were playing around with one another. The whole thing was fake, however, the editors took the whole thing, chopped it up, and made it look like Renee was coming down on Whitney. Then, for good measure, they added me saying I was mad, making it look like it was over Renee’s comment, but it was about something a week before. RNO:Now, an even more important question. Knowing what you do now, do YOU think it’s possible for a plus sized girl to win? Diana:I’m hoping that it’s possible for a plus sized girl to win this thing. Just because I’d like to see it happen. I’d love to see Whitney win and represent for both of us, but in all honesty, this competition isn’t geared or designed for plus sized girl. For instance, take the photo shoots – our size was always available for our wardrobe for the shoot. However, they NEVER had our sizes when it was time for challenges. If you’re going to have a competition, it should be fair and everyone should have the same access to clothing, shoes, etc. RNO:Back to Renee for a second though. In episode three, we saw you sitting with her, talking about Brittany. In episode four, you said that Renee can’t be trusted and was looking for someone that she could pull their strings. From the editing, it looked like you were in her “clique.” Was that the case? Diana:In the beginning, Renee got along with almost everyone, and I really liked her. Over time though, and as the competition moved on, I really did begin to lose trust in her. She was letting everything get to her, and I can understand how she felt that way with all the competition, but we just sort of drifted apart. RNO:After your “Just ‘cause” comment to Jay at the photo shoot, why didn’t you have something more elaborate to say to the judges? Did you ever explain to them your passion to be there? Diana:That was literally only the first thing out of my mouth – there was more after that, but it was cut out to make it look like that’s all I said! I’ve been watching the show from the beginning and realize how much they do that now. I tried explaining to the judges what was going on, but after I told them, Tyra told me that it wasn’t how I was really feeling, so I was basically in a lose-lose situation! RNO:Is it me, or is Twiggy against the whole concept of a plus sized girl being in the competition in general? Diana:I’m glad you noticed that too! The thing with Twiggy is that she started the whole waif thing back in her day, and now she is very negative to any girl on the show that is considered plus sized. Honestly, she never had a nice thing to say to me or Whitney. It was very frustrating, but at least I understand why she feels that way. RNO:What would your message be to other plus sized girl who think about applying for the show but don’t think they have a chance at winning? Diana:I’d say that you really just have to be confident. There’s no guarantees in the competition, or in life, so you really just have to know who you are and go for whatever you want. There’s always a chance! RNO:Does Jay Manuel wear more makeup than Tyra? Diana:Ha! No… Tyra wears more. RNO:We saw on the show that you were trying to lose about 10 lbs. Are you still trying to lose weight or has the stress of losing weight subsided since being on the show? Diana:That comment was made because we had run out of food! All I had left to eat was that can of tuna – there was no mayo, mustard, or anything! Therefore, I told Whitney that apparently I was trying to lose 10 lbs. They editing really did make me out to be this person that I’m not. RNO:I’m assuming you want to continue to pursue modeling, but do you think it will be harder for you than it will be for the other girls, considering that you aren’t built like them? Diana:If anything, I’m expecting that it might be a bit easier for me to find modeling work than the other girls, since I don’t really have to compete with them and will technically be in another market. The whole plus sized thing really is growing, and I think it will be easier for me to find work, and I’m looking forward to it! RNO:What are your other plans for the future? Anything besides modeling striking your interest right now? Diana:I’m back in school and only have a year left until I have my degree, but for right now, I’m focusing on the modeling and trying to make it work – it’s what I want to do! RNO:Is there anything you would like to add or say to fans of the show and your supporters? Diana:Just thank you so much for the support because it really does mean a lot to me! RNO:Thanks, Diana!
"Size doesn’t matter!"– An Interview with America's Next Top Model 8's Diana by Phil Kural -- 04/02/2007 Diana was the fifth girl eliminated this season on America’s Next Top Model. In this interview with RealityNewsOnline, Diana talks about the pressure of being labeled a “plus sized model,” how she thought she was edited, and so much more! Oh, and she addresses Renee’s comments to Whitney as well! Before this season of America’s Next Top Model began, I not only said that Diana would do better than Whitney, but that she’d be in the final three. It became pretty clear by about episode three that I was totally wrong, and it’s Whitney who will probably make the final three now. However, I did have a chance to talk to Diana about her time on the show, and she shed some light on a few things, like was she really that lackluster about being there? Of course, I also asked her about Renee’s comments to Whitney! Read on, my friends! RealityNewsOnline:Hey Diana, thanks for taking time to talk with me today about your time on the show. Had you watched previous seasons and what factored into your decision to apply? Diana:Hey Phil! Yes, I had watched previous seasons of the show and was a fan going into it. As for why I auditioned, well, I was always interested in getting involved in the modeling world, but never really knew how to do it, so I figured that this would be a good way to put my face out there. RNO:What were your thoughts when Whitney was called by Tyra to be in the house? Did you think that your chance of making it were non-existent? Diana:Oh yeah, the second Whitney was called to be in the house was when my tears started flowing. I still had a little bit of hope that I would be picked though. I figured that if I had any chance of being called, it would be last since I know they would want to make it pretty dramatic. I knew it would either go two was though – have two plus sized girls in the house, or I’d be sent home heartbroken. RNO:Would you say that you were comfortable with yourself going into the competition, or did the bodies of the other girls make you feel uneasy about yourself? Diana:I was comfortable with myself before the competition started and all the way through the whole thing. I think we all have an off day, and it just so happened that whenever I had an off day, that’s how I was shown. There were plenty of good times in the house, but whenever I was shown, it was when I was feeling down. There’s a bottom line here: Size doesn’t matter! RNO:I think it’s fair to say that the reason you were eliminated wasn’t because you are a plus sized model, but because the judges didn’t see any passion from you. Were you giving more than what we saw or were you just over it all? Diana:Well, I’ve realized one thing about the whole process – we were each typecast into a role. For whatever reason, I was made out to be the quiet, insecure, introverted girl. There was plenty said at judging to me, but all you ever saw was when the judges were telling me about personality. My photos stood up, and the judges always complimented them. I was definitely giving more than what was shown. RNO:Of course, we need to talk about Renee. After you heard her comments to Whitney about a plus sized girl never winning, you were clearly mad. Did you ever confront Renee about this or say anything about it to her? Diana:I’m glad you asked me about this – that whole scene was fake, and when you saw me complaining, saying I was mad, that was a scene from a week prior to the whole thing. Whitney and Renee were playing around with one another. The whole thing was fake, however, the editors took the whole thing, chopped it up, and made it look like Renee was coming down on Whitney. Then, for good measure, they added me saying I was mad, making it look like it was over Renee’s comment, but it was about something a week before. RNO:Now, an even more important question. Knowing what you do now, do YOU think it’s possible for a plus sized girl to win? Diana:I’m hoping that it’s possible for a plus sized girl to win this thing. Just because I’d like to see it happen. I’d love to see Whitney win and represent for both of us, but in all honesty, this competition isn’t geared or designed for plus sized girl. For instance, take the photo shoots – our size was always available for our wardrobe for the shoot. However, they NEVER had our sizes when it was time for challenges. If you’re going to have a competition, it should be fair and everyone should have the same access to clothing, shoes, etc. RNO:Back to Renee for a second though. In episode three, we saw you sitting with her, talking about Brittany. In episode four, you said that Renee can’t be trusted and was looking for someone that she could pull their strings. From the editing, it looked like you were in her “clique.” Was that the case? Diana:In the beginning, Renee got along with almost everyone, and I really liked her. Over time though, and as the competition moved on, I really did begin to lose trust in her. She was letting everything get to her, and I can understand how she felt that way with all the competition, but we just sort of drifted apart. RNO:After your “Just ‘cause” comment to Jay at the photo shoot, why didn’t you have something more elaborate to say to the judges? Did you ever explain to them your passion to be there? Diana:That was literally only the first thing out of my mouth – there was more after that, but it was cut out to make it look like that’s all I said! I’ve been watching the show from the beginning and realize how much they do that now. I tried explaining to the judges what was going on, but after I told them, Tyra told me that it wasn’t how I was really feeling, so I was basically in a lose-lose situation! RNO:Is it me, or is Twiggy against the whole concept of a plus sized girl being in the competition in general? Diana:I’m glad you noticed that too! The thing with Twiggy is that she started the whole waif thing back in her day, and now she is very negative to any girl on the show that is considered plus sized. Honestly, she never had a nice thing to say to me or Whitney. It was very frustrating, but at least I understand why she feels that way. RNO:What would your message be to other plus sized girl who think about applying for the show but don’t think they have a chance at winning? Diana:I’d say that you really just have to be confident. There’s no guarantees in the competition, or in life, so you really just have to know who you are and go for whatever you want. There’s always a chance! RNO:Does Jay Manuel wear more makeup than Tyra? Diana:Ha! No… Tyra wears more. RNO:We saw on the show that you were trying to lose about 10 lbs. Are you still trying to lose weight or has the stress of losing weight subsided since being on the show? Diana:That comment was made because we had run out of food! All I had left to eat was that can of tuna – there was no mayo, mustard, or anything! Therefore, I told Whitney that apparently I was trying to lose 10 lbs. They editing really did make me out to be this person that I’m not. RNO:I’m assuming you want to continue to pursue modeling, but do you think it will be harder for you than it will be for the other girls, considering that you aren’t built like them? Diana:If anything, I’m expecting that it might be a bit easier for me to find modeling work than the other girls, since I don’t really have to compete with them and will technically be in another market. The whole plus sized thing really is growing, and I think it will be easier for me to find work, and I’m looking forward to it! RNO:What are your other plans for the future? Anything besides modeling striking your interest right now? Diana:I’m back in school and only have a year left until I have my degree, but for right now, I’m focusing on the modeling and trying to make it work – it’s what I want to do! RNO:Is there anything you would like to add or say to fans of the show and your supporters? Diana:Just thank you so much for the support because it really does mean a lot to me! RNO:Thanks, Diana!