Hadiyyah-lah Fatimah Sa'id the first contestant cut from 'True Beauty'

Hadiyyah-lah Fatimah Sa'id, a 23-year-old audio engineer from Minneapolis, MN, became the first contestant eliminated from ABC's new True Beauty twisted "inner beauty" reality competition during Monday night's premiere broadcast.


"It doesn't really matter what you guys say to me or anything like that, I know myself and I know what type of person I am," Hadiyyah-lah said after learning that her elimination had as much to do with her personality and treatment of other people as it did with her outward beauty.

Hadiyyah-lah had failed both of the secret challenges that, unbeknownst to the contestants, the show had planted to test their honesty and helpfulness.

The premiere episode of True Beauty began with the show's judges -- fashion stylist and former America's Next Top Model judge Nole Marin, former model Cheryl Tiegs, and former MTV host Vanessa Minnillo -- watching surveillance cameras as the show's ten contestants arrived at a private pool party in the Hollywood Hills.

After the contestants met each other -- and repeatedly complimented each other's eyelashes, muscles and clothing -- they unknowingly took part in their first challenge to judge their inner beauties when an actor posing as a waiter spilled a tray of water and a chocolate fondue on them.


While in shock, Hadiyyah-lah first showed her prickly personality and immediately suspected that the waiter had meant to spill the water on them, but only because they were so attractive.

"I don't know what the hell happened, but he slipped, and he knocked the chocolate all over everyone, she said later. "The waiter was hating. You know there's a lot of hate going on when you're beautiful."

Among the most affected by the spilled water and chocolate was Laura Leigh, a 21-year-old model from Staten Island, NY, who had chocolate spilled all over her shoes.

"My shoes! Oh hell no!," she said angrily. "I'm pissed off right now."

While the contestants cleaned themselves up, Ray Seitz, a 29-year-old artist from San Diego, CA, earned some brownie points by helping clean the face of Joel Rush, a 26-year-old imaging software salesman from Tampa, FL, and the legs of Monique Santiago, a 21-year-old go-go dancer from Manhattan, NY.


"He's actually a pretty good guy, he's helping people," Nole observed from the judges' spy room.

The contestants then met the judges and were only told that they would be competing for a chance to be "America's most beautiful person" by Vanessa. They also learned that they would be staying in the house that they had arrived at for the pool party and went to find their rooms, which featured large portraits of each contestant above their beds.

"I kinda like that because, well, I'm kinda conceited and I admit it," said Chelsea Bush, a 21-year old model/artist from Brentwood, TN.

The following morning, the contestants separated to make themselves up for the upcoming day's events, with most of the girls adorning the bathroom mirrors while many of the guys hit the house's outdoor gym.

While waiting in the house, Chelsea "connected" with CJ Miller, a 26-year-old barista from Los Angeles, CA, as they talked about their common experience of growing up overweight.


"All the guys in the house come across as just caring about their looks and just caring about their muscles," Chelsea said. "But CJ seems as if he actually has a brain."

Chelsea had a less favorable run-in with Julia Anderson, a 23-year-old magician's assistant from Dallas, TX, when she jumped into the bathroom ahead of Julia to quickly use the mirror. After Julia cursed at her and gave her attitude, Chelsea quickly made her displeasure of Julia known to Hadiyyah-lah, who agreed and called her "fake."

The contestants then met with Vanessa and learned that while the bulk of the competition would feature challenges that will be based on subjective opinions about the contestants' beauty, the first challenge "[was] gonna leave it up to science."

The contestants were told that they would be traveling to a Beverly Hills doctor for a "beauty analysis" that included the measuring of their physical features and use of a scientific formula to reveal each contestant's "beauty score."

The scores would range from 1-100, with any score over 85 meaning the person was "good looking" and any score over 95 qualifing as "star quality." The contestant with the highest beauty score would be safe from elimination, while the bottom two would be up for elimination in the competition's "Hall of Beauty" that evening.


While waiting for the doctor to greet them, Chelsea drew the ire of another contestant after mishearing a joke and being called-out on it by Joel.

"I just don't like you. I'll put it on record," Joel told her bluntly.

"For what?" she responded.

"I don't know, because you annoy me," Joel shot back. "So, like from here on out, where ever I am, don't be there."

Each contestant then met with the doctor (who was real) and his nurse (who was a planted actor) and was measured by them. Following the measurements, the contestants were unknowingly subjected to their second test by the judges. After being left alone in a room with only a hidden camera watching them, the contestants were judged on whether or not they decided to look at the other contestants' private medical files, which were purposefully placed within reach of their chairs.


While most of the contestants passed up the opportunity to read up on their competition, Laura, Hadiyyah-lah and Ray each failed the challenge and looked at the files.

The contestants then met with Vanessa, who revealed each contestant's beauty score.

Both Joel and Billy Jeffrey, a 31-year-old vitamin store owner from Lewiston, ID, received scores of 95 and tied to win the challenge.

CJ, Laura and Ashley Michaelson, a 21-year-old designer's assistant from Rochester, NY, tied for third with scores of 94.

Ray came in fifth place with a score of 92, while Julia and Monique followed with scores of 91.

Hadiyyah-lah was extremely angry when she found out that she and Chelsea had received the lowest scores and would be up for elimination.


"This is stupid anyway, how did I get the lowest score!" she screamed through tears before storming out of the room. "I'm mad, for real. It's stupid! I'm not ugly, that doesn't make any sense, seriously."

Prior to the elimination ceremony, a third "Final Straw" secret challenge was staged to better determine Chelsea and Hadiyyah-lah's "inner beauty" measurements.

As they arrived at the "Hall of Beauty" and attempted to enter the building separately, each contestant encountered an actor posing as an intern who was carrying coffee and struggling to open the door and get inside. While Chelsea opened the door for the intern and allowed him to enter the building first, Hadiyyah-lah sealed her fate when she not only failed to open the door for the actor, but also cut in front of him and then didn't even hold the door for him.

Prior to Vanessa's announcement of which contestant would be eliminated, both contestants were asked what they considered beauty to be.

"I just don't think its fair," Hadiyyah-lah said. Honestly I don't agree with what the doctor said. Real beauty is natural beauty. Take the makeup off and that what I believe is beauty."

"I mean I don't necessarily agree that you can measure beauty," Chelsea added. "I think that when your unique you standout more. I thin that's what beauty is."


Vanessa then revealed that Hadiyyah-lah had been eliminated.

"Um, why?" she responded.

"There's more to this competition than meets the eye," Vanessa responded before showing Hadiyyah-lah clips of her rude behavior after Chelsea had already headed back to the house. After saying she hadn't meant any harm in looking at the other contestants' files, she left the hall angrily, only saying "Peace out."

True Beauty's next episode will air on Monday, January 12 at 10PM ET/PT on ABC.






About The Author: John Bracchitta