Exclusive: Annaliese Dayes talks 'Top Model: British Invasion' (Part 2)

Annaliese Dayes, a 5' 7" 24-year-old from London, England, finished America's Next Top Model: British Invasion in third place.


Annaliese recently talked to Reality TV World about her Top Model experience and being the twelfth girl eliminated from the competition -- including why it was so important to her to receive judge Kelly Cutrone's approval, whether she believed there's a happy medium of how much personality a model should show the judges to impress but not overwhelm them, and what she thought about Tyra Banks' decision to fire Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and Miss J. Alexander.

Below is the concluding portion of our exclusive interview with Annaliese. Click here to read the first half.

Reality TV World: In your final words, you seemed to focus on the fact you were so happy Kelly Cutrone finally warmed up to you and became a fan of you. Could you talk a little bit about your relationship with her? What did you believe she thought of you throughout most of the competition before that moment and why was it so important to you for her to like you?

Annaliese Dayes: It was just weird to me having somebody who was so obviously not on my side as one of the judges, which is a really important position. Throughout the whole thing, I do think that I'm one of those people where I don't really care what people think about me.


Either you're going to like me or you're not, and if you don't, there's not much I can do about it because I am who I am and I'd rather stay true to myself than try to please somebody else -- to try to make somebody like me.

I think Kelly Cutrone literally had issues with my personality... I think she thought I was a bit fake, like I was putting on this kind of stage presence, "I'm a debbie-dozey" personality rather than [having] actual ability. But my personality, I can't turn it off.

This is just how I am and I refuse to turn it off. I think that's kind of why I got kicked off Britain's Next Top Model. They kind of said my personality did not match my photos and I should tone my personality down. I was just kind of like, "Well that's just not going to happen."

I think also [when] Kelly Cutrone spent a little time with us like on different challenges... I think she realized, "This girl is just a bit nutty. She is how she is and she's not putting it on for me." And I think that's when she started to appreciate me.

Reality TV World: Something you said that just stood out to me was that during Britain's Next Top Model, they asked you to tone down your personality to match your photos. What do you think is the happy medium they're looking for? It seems like so many previous Top Model contestants got critiques that they needed to show more personality, while other girls get criticized for not showing enough.


Annaliese Dayes: Yeah, I mean, it's hard to be the total package, isn't it? It's hard to be that high-fashion editorial model [with a great personality] in real life. It's very uncommon. So, I don't know what the happy balance is, but I know that I'm not trying for that either. I'm just trying to be me.

Reality TV World: Tyra Banks fired Nigel, Miss J. and Jay Manuel, and they won't be returning for Top Model's next season. What are your thoughts on that and how big of a loss do you think it's going to be the show?

Annaliese Dayes: I know, I'm so upset. But I'm actually quite glad. I'd be so irritated if I came up to do America's Next Top Model and Jay and Nigel weren't there. I would have been irritated! But at the end of the day, I understand why they want to do it.

The show needs to be shaken up a bit. It needs something different, and that's how you achieve it, by mixing up the cast. So, I understand why it's been done. I think it's a bit of a shame, but they'll be fine! I'm sure they'll have their own show or something or other. (Laughs) 

Reality TV World: The CW has recently announced that international male model Rob Evans will be a new judge and stylist Johnny Wujek will be the new creative consultant -- basically taking the place of Jay Manuel. They also said they're going to allow home viewers to vote to ultimately help Top Model's judges determine who will be eliminated each episode. So I just wanted to get your thoughts on that as well. Do you think the new format will work well? Are you excited about the new additions to the show?


Annaliese Dayes: I think the new additions are going to be great. Like I said, they need to shake things up basically and that's a great way to do it. I think that Rob Evans, whoa, I saw a photo of him on my Twitter and I was like, "Damn, he's hot!" I think he's also younger as well, so he's kind of going to be the same age as the girls in the competition, which I think will bring a kind of new angle to it.

In terms of fans voting, I would've pooped myself if I knew that people were voting even though, to be honest, I've had some really fantastic responses from people -- and that would've really helped me out in this instance. But at the same time, I don't think the public know what works well, you know what I mean?

Reality TV World: Right, like they may not know exactly what people are looking for in the high fashion industry, right?

Annaliese Dayes: Yeah, and they will see the edited version of the people and think that's exactly how they are. I think that could be a little bit dangerous to be honest.

Reality TV World: Overall, how would you say being on America's Next Top Model differed from your experience on Britain's Next Top Model?


Annaliese Dayes: Hmm, okay well the main difference, I would say, is that -- somebody said this to me earlier -- it's like Britain's Next Top Model but on speed. Everything is bigger, everything's better, the celebrities are like "A-listers," the challenges are insane, and that kind of thing.

On that kind of scale, it's just bigger. But I would say my experience is, the main difference to me, is that I think I had quite a lot of hate on Britain's Next Top Model -- quite a lot of hate -- which is fine because people aren't always going to like you.

But I've been overwhelmed with all the support and love I've gotten from America's Next Top Model. I don't know if that comes down to me lasting longer -- I don't know. People seem to think that I've changed.

Reality TV World: Do you think America's Next Top Model was more difficult than Britain's version for any reason or would you put them on the same level in that sense?

Annaliese Dayes: It's that whole competing thing. Was it more difficult? I mean, to be honest, no. I think it's the same format. I think the difficult thing about it that relates to each other is that you are accountable for yourself at the end of the week. You have to stand up in front of the panel and get criticism, and I think that wasn't any more difficult on America's Next Top Model than it was on Britain's.


It was awful on both sides to be honest. (Laughs) It's just a bit more pressure. It's so worldwide, America's Next Top Model, that it reaches the Philippines and Hong Kong and South America -- all watching. But Britain's is very much British.

Reality TV World: What's next for you? What are your plans for the near future?

Annaliese Dayes: Well, I'm actually in Miami at the moment. That's the benefit of being on one of the TV shows over here. I get to go to fashion events and show my face [around] as much as possible. But I'm just going to continue to model. Before, I worked as a model back in London and that's exactly what I want to do.

I've got my own radio show back in London, so I want to do the radio show, but I would move over to America in a flash if someone gave me an opportunity. So, I'm just going to keep on doing what I've been doing and model as much as I can, but my ultimate dream and passion in life is definitely presenting.

Above is the concluding portion of our exclusive interview with Annaliese. Click here to read the first half.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski