'Top Model" reject Hannah White: "Everything was such a blast!"

According to Hannah White, she never had a strong drive to become America's Next Top Model's winner.  In fact, she never even planned on trying out for the show.


White, a 19-year-old student from Fairbanks, AK who became the fourth contestant booted off America's Next Top Model on Wednesday -- told reporters during a media conference call on Thursday that she had in fact been dragged to her Top Model audition by friends.

"I said 'Gosh that sounds like a lot of fun but it doesn't sound like something I would really do,' White told reporters of her initial reaction to trying out for the show. "but [my friends] pressured me into going and then they ended up bailing out on me!"

However White hardly regretted the decision. After being selected as one of the show's 14 finalists she told reporters that her ensuing trip to California and experiences throughout her stint on the show were like nothing she had ever done before.

"Oh my gosh I think the whole entire show was just super exciting for me because everything was a new experience and It was so fun to meet Tyra [Banks] and 'The Jays!' she gushed to reporters. "I just enjoyed everything equally. Everything was such a blast!"


She also admitted that upon hearing that a contestant would be eliminated during the fourth episode's runway walk challenge -- an aspect of modeling she said she had never tried other than when "goofing off" with friends -- she knew her chances of continuing on the show had dipped significantly.

"I was like 'This is trouble, this is not my strong suit, oh man...' Honestly, this sounds pretty bad but that was my best walk. I was pretty impressed with myself, that's how bad it is," she told reporters with a laugh.

But while she enjoyed her time on the show significantly, White did admit to reporters that she had been both surprised and troubled by some of the girls' accusations that she was prejudice against minorities and a house meeting that ended up resulting from them.

"It was a shocker for me. I really didn't feel like [the meeting] had to happen. If they had some questions I really would've preferred that they came to me in private with these things."

She added that she felt the tension had come through a series of miscommunications, including some that involved her last name that were not broadcast on the show.


"Obviously my last name is 'White,' [and] I had written a letter to my family and I addressed it to 'The White Family.' And I wrote one to my little brother [and addressed it to] 'The Little White Person,' like just joking around," she insisted to reporters. "The girls who saw that... I think it raised some eyebrows like 'whoa there, what does she have like a tribe or something?"

However while she did not like having to deal with the accusations, she maintained that everything had been sorted out.

"I felt that in general they were very respectful of me and my space and she was definitely very respectful of my space, but yeah Brittany and Joslyn had questions," she told reporters. "They asked me and we were able to clear it up later so, you know, what happened."

White also said that she was proud of her Alaskan heritage, but had tired of how often the show's broadcasts had mentioned it.

"I was kind of annoyed with how many times they mentioned it. I was like 'alright we get it, lets move on,' she told reporters. "But that's all a part of just how it was edited, so you can't be that upset about it."


As she looked forward and spoke of what she wanted to pursue next, White -- sounding much like a girl who had to be dragged to her Top Model tryout in the first place -- said she was keeping her options open.

"[Modeling is] something I never thought I'd ever do. But now that the door's been opened, that's really exciting," she told reporters. "We'll see. I mean gosh! I'm [only] 19."






About The Author: John Bracchitta