Interview with Leila Goldkuhl From 'America's Next Top Model'
From the University of Rhode Island, Leila Goldkuhl fell short on her climb to the top, and was eliminated from the competition. At 20 years old, Leila continues to pursue her passion for modeling. Was her downfall in the competition the arguments that took place or her runway walk? Find out below as we discuss her picks to win, the Tyra room, and more!
You got in an argument with some of the girls this week, was there more to it than we saw and how did it conclude? Did you guys come to an agreement?
“You can hear it in the episode where Laura said “You should have come to me first” and I said “I did come to you first,” because I had approached her a few times about the situation. It just escalated to the point where I could hear the other girls talking about me. So, I went to confront her, I needed to vouch for myself. It was driving me insane that I was getting lied to.”
Looking back through your pictures, are you proud of how you performed?
“I’m definitely proud of how I performed. I like all my pictures, some more than others. But I definitely did well and I wouldn’t change much.”
What are your thoughts on the new social media aspect of ANTM?
“I do like that social media is involved. However, I’m not sure how effective it was. The scoring was week by week. It wasn’t looking at the big picture, it wasn’t looking at future potential or past performance. It was a matter of what happened in a few days. For instance, I was doing well towards the beginning of the competition, and I had one bad week, and that one bad week took me out of the competition. In seasons past, if a girl had a bad week, she could make it past and go on and win the show. I didn’t get that chance because of the scoring system.”
What was the toughest challenge of being on ANTM?
“The toughest thing about being on ‘America’s Next Top Model’ was being away from my support system. I have close relationships with my friends, my family and my boyfriend, so being on my own was difficult. Living with the people you are competing against and are all that you have to talk to can be your downfall sometimes.”
What did you think of your makeover?
“I liked my makeover. I liked brown hair, I miss it some days. It wasn’t anything too drastic and I always wondered what it would be like to be blonde. I’m happy with it and I’d be happy either way. I still have my blonde hair today.”
Who in the house are you rooting for to win?
“I would love to see either Brittany or Nastasia win. Nastasia just has such a unique look, I can’t think of anyone else that she looks like and Brittany also has a different look, plus she’s a great model and I wish her success on the show.”
Tell us more about the Tyra room. Are you really able to shop in it and take the clothes and keep it?
“Yeah, that was probably one of the best parts; being in the room and being able to pick out an outfit and a pair of shoes and take it home with me. That was really exciting and an awesome addition to this cycle.”
Was there a piece of advice from Tyra or any of the other judges that really stuck out to you?
“Yeah, when Tyra said that maybe I’m just a model in a photo, but not on a runway. That’s just pushing me to work on my walk so I can become a better model.”
What are you going to do differently if you come back?
“I’m definitely not going to let any drama get to me. I’m sure with the girls who are eliminated there isn’t going to be that much drama to deal with. I just want to put my head in the game and focus on keeping my fans happy.”
What advice do you have for girls who want to enter to be on ANTM?
“My advice would be to just focus on yourself and the competition and not so much the competitors. Just make sure you are prepared and work on your runway walk!”
Make sure to catch the new episode of America’s Next Top Model tonight at 8/7c on the CW