Brittany becomes the third contestant eliminated from 'Top Model'

Criticized by judges for her cutesy look and lack of modeling knowledge, Brittany became the third runway-wannabe eliminated from America's Next Top Model on Wednesday evening's broadcast.


"I want you to go home and buy every single high fashion magazine. Not the American ones, the European ones," Tyra told the 19-year-old customer service rep from Henderson, NV after revealing that she would be leaving the competition. "I want you to study them and really immerse yourself in fashion and practice every single thing that they do because it's there. We see it. It's just not being reflected."

"I didn't come here knowing everything, I came her and I'm learning and now I've got to take everything that I've learned and begin applying it," said Brittany, teary-eyed and somber following her dismissal. "I'm not fading away. I'm too bright a star to just fade away."

America's Next Top Model's third episode began with the girls traveling home in their bus following the elimination of Nikeysha in the series' last episode. With twelve of the fourteen contestants remaining, many of the wannabe-models began to sense the weight of the competition beginning to set in.

"It feels more like a competition now that people are actually gone," said McKey, the 19-year-old Illinois student.


"Sometimes I look at the pictures and I'm like 'what do I not see that they do not see," Brittany said of the judges' previous elimination decisions.

After arriving back at their California house, the girls entered the living room to find host Tyra Banks waiting for them wearing a tiara and surrounded by gift bags and pizza.

After telling the contestants of the makeover that she had to go through in order to succeed as a model, Tyra -- along with runway expert J. "Miss J" Alexander and photo shoot director Jay Manuel,  revealed that the girls would be receiving makeovers the following day.

Upon arriving at a hair salon with all of the mirrors covered, the girls were introduced to salon owner Neil Weisberg and his hair stylists who took each contestant to a chair and began the makeovers.

In order to make Marjorie, a 19-year-old student France native, more edgy, her short blonde hair was turned brunette.

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Joslyn, a 23-year-old Louisiana student, was given hair extensions to lengthen her dark hair.

Samantha, an 18-year-old student athlete from California, cried as stylists cut her ponytail off and styled her hair to be much shorter.

Hannah, a 19-year-old student from Alaska, was deemed "too mousy" by Tyra and given bangs and shorter hair to soften her look.

"Oh my God are you serious!" she screamed excitedly as stylists revealed her new look.


Clark, a 19-year-old student from South Carolina, had her blonde hair dyed brunette to "edge her out," according to Tyra.

Lauren Brie, a 20-year-old Virginia native, had her blonde hair dyed platinum in order to strengthen her look.

"There can only be one Kimora [Lee Simmons], so we've got to give Sheena highlights," said Tyra of the
21-year-old hostess/go-go dancer from Honolulu, HI who had blonde highlights added to her hair in order to achieve a more unique look.

"I'm so ready to see what they're going to do with this mop," 19-year-old Los Angeles student Analeigh said  about her hair and her desire to change it. Stylists layered the hair of the former figure skater and dyed it blonde in order to give her "some pop," according to Tyra.

McKey's hair was shortened and dyed black, while 22-year-old New York City resident Isis' hair was given extensions to make it longer.


Brittany was given a weave with curly hair to "edge her out" and address the "catalogue syndrome" Tyra felt she had been seeing in her challenge photos. 

Most of the girls were excited about getting their makeover, however Elina, a 19-year-old Ukraine native, was worried that she would get a "drastic" change that would make her look silly.

"I would like to be portrayed in the image I'm creating for myself, so I'm hoping that they decide to give me long black hair or long brown hair. I'm really real hoping for long hair," said Elina.

However, she was indeed told by Miss J. that she would get a makeover, the likes of which had never been seen before in the show.

Deemed as having too similar a look to Angelina Jolie, Tyra chose to give Elina red curly hair weave to make her style more unique.


Upon seeing the new style, Elina teared up and was initially disappointed by the makeover.

"I don't even know where to start," the shocked model said following the makeover. "I'm not angry that I have this look. I just don't look like myself anymore and letting go of that is really hard."

Following their salon vist, the girls returned home and received Tyra Mail telling them that "Sometimes even Top Models have to work the late shift." They were then whisked off to a nearby Wal-Mart, where they participated in a makeup challenge hosted by Covergirl spokesmodel -- and wife of America's Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker -- Chrissy Barker.

After choosing their makeup, each girl made a thirty-second improvisational video advertising the makeup company. After each model created their video, Chrissy announced that Hannah had conveyed the most effective explanation of the Covergirl personality and would have her video featured on the company's web site, her image posted on Walmart's Covergirl website, and be given a $1,000 gift card to the store.

"This is huge," Hannah exclaimed following her win. "I'm so thrilled I'm gonna be online! I can Google myself this is so cool!"

After returning home, the girls received more Tyra Mail asking "which one of you is suited to be America's Next Top Model?"


In between debates as to whether the message was referring to swimsuits or business suits, Analeigh continued to worry about the pressure to succeed that the judges had placed on her in each round due to her previous experience posing for figure skating.

"I'm not delivering, and that is when I get very upset," she said worriedly.

The following day, many of the girls were excited to learn that the week's photo shoot would be done featuring Susan Holmes swimsuits at a Malibu beach house with photographer Russell James.

With Susan present to judge the girls, Jay revealed that he would be taking on a supporting role and not directing the girls in their photo shoot, leaving their poses up to the girls themselves.

"We've worked together for three weeks, we're gonna take the training wheels off," he said.

After watching Analeigh pose on a rock for her pictures, Holmes expressed concern over her poses.


"Analeigh really needs to kind of work on her moves a little, feel comfortable in her own skin. She needs to educate herself more," said the designer and former model.

After stressing herself by worrying how to improve before her shoot, Brittany was told by Jay to be more "engaging" with the photographer.

"I'm really praying that this photo, you know, shows that I do have more than just being pretty and taking pretty photos," she said.

However, Russell described Brittany's shoot as "painful to watch at first." While saying that she had a "gorgeous smile," he added that she "didn't burn any impression in my mind as a model."

The following day at the girls went before the judges Miss J, Nigel, Tyra, former supermodel Paulina Porizkova, and Susan.

Tyra called the swimsuit an important part of modeling to master, calling it "a big part of high fashion and commercial modeling."


Regarding Analeigh, Paulina said that her arms looked "like tree branches" and that she needed to do more research and look at more magazines in order to improve her posing.

Nigel told Hannah her picture was "very European sexy."

"[The picture] is not what you would usually see in a an American magazine," he added.

Tyra like Hannah's photo, but told her that all her photos had seemed to feature the same few poses and that she needed to give the photographer more options during the shoot.

Brittany's photo was heavily scrutinized as having a relaxed look that lacked an edge.

"Twenty shots go by and it looks like you're not present," said Tyra. You're going so natural that it looks like you're not there."


Fresh off of her extensive makeover, Elina's picture was chosen by the judges to be the best shot of the week, with Nigel calling it "stunning and beautiful."

Tyra said that while general modeling rules advise against displaying tattoos in pictures she felt that Elina's tattoos "worked" in the picture. She also added the makeover had made Elina more "racially ambiguous" and easier for the public to relate to.

"Every little girl can look at this picture and see herself in that picture, and I think that's extremely special," said Tyra.

Following the judges' deliberations, Tyra told the girls that Elina had taken the shoot's best photo. 

Tyra then proceeded to call out additional photos for Lauren Brie, Samantha, McKey, Sheena, Joslyn, Marjorie, Clark, Isis, and Hanna -- leaving Analeigh and Brittany as the week's bottom two girls.

Before she revealed that Analeigh was safe, Tyra once again made it clear that she felt Analeigh's figure skating background should be giving her an advantage over some of the other girls.


"The judges expect more," she warned, before revealing Brittany had been eliminated.

America's Next Top Model's next episode will air Wednesday, September 24 at 8PM ET/PT on The CW.






About The Author: John Bracchitta