Interview with America's Next Top Model's Victoria Henley

Victoria is an 18 year old model from Colquitt, GA. She made it all the way to the top 5, but was eliminated in 6th place because of the comeback twist. She was quite the controversial model on this season, you either loved her, or hated her. Either way, she was true to herself, and has gone on to start quite a successful modeling career. Read our interview with her below as we discuss her elimination, her thoughts on the other contestants and more!

Are you planning on continuing your modeling career now that ‘America’s Next Top Model’ is over for you?

“Oh yes, I am definitely planning on continuing my modeling career. I feel like in the long run, it just mattered that I was on America’s Next Top Model, not that I won or not. Of course I wanted to win and to be number one. I wanted to take away the crown so to speak. I feel like the international exposure was really beneficial to me. It’s already opened up a lot of opportunities. I actually recently did an editorial spread in a magazine in Eastern Australia. I also did some editorials and covers for magazines based in New York and LA. I’ve been really busy doing all of that. I’ve been collaborating with different photographers. I’m actually working with a photographer who has her own magazine, and I’m writing a fashion based column for that magazine. I also have a life long dream of being in New York fashion week, and I actually am really working hard to make that happen in this coming year. I’ve already lined up one designer and I’m trying to get some more lined up. Modeling is something I’ve always wanted to do and pursue. So to have this opportunity on an international level was so great.”

Since you were doing so well in the competition, are you surprised you got sent home when you did?

“You know I think I have mixed feelings about that. It was an all new judges panel, there were new aspects that they added in, and the they did the comeback series where they brought back eliminated girls. I didn’t really agree with the comeback series because the eliminated girl that came back added a lot to the drama of the house. There were a lot of new aspects this year, so I really didn’t know what to expect. Of course, personally, I knew my strengths as a model, I knew that I was definitely capable of going far and capable of going all the way to the end if the scores let me do so. In a way I was glad to make it to the point that I did, but of course I was disappointed. I wanted to go a lot further. I felt like some of the advice that I got from the judges at times was a little bit conflicting, like the back-stories that I came up with. Sometimes it seemed like they really liked them , but on camera Jonny said they got on his nerves. I don’t really know some of that factors that played into my elimination, but I am very thankful for the exposure I got from this show. I feel like it definitely will lead to some big career opportunities for me.”

Were you glad that Leila was the girl that came back?

“It’s nothing personally against Leila, but I definitely was not happy that they did the comeback series at all. I was really happy that I made it to the top 5. I felt that was prestigious and I kind of started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When Leila came back in, I felt like that was definitely a setback for me especially, because they eliminated me in the following panel. Again, nothing against Leila, but I can’t say that I’ll be watching the show and rooting for her or even watching the show at all now that I’m not on it. I wanted the best for myself, and I wanted to win. I knew how hard I worked and what I’d been through in the house. When I heard about the comeback series I though it was a little unfair to me and to all of the competitors left in the show. We were all going through a lot of stuff and all these negative things in the house especially me with all the other girls. Meanwhile, the comeback girl was off in a hotel somewhere just enjoying herself by herself and she came back refreshed and had the chance to win it all. I feel like parts of that were unfortunate. There were some girls other than Leila that I felt like I did speak with and got to know a little better. I thought they were a little more genuine. Jesse, the first girl eliminated, I feel like she wasn’t a nice girl or a genuine girl. Again, I didn’t have much time to really get to know her. Yvonne was a straight shooter, all in all I feel like she was a pretty nice girl. It’s really hard to say about some of them who made it as far as they did especially, Kristen, it’s unfortunate she was not eliminated sooner than she was.”

In the last episode you were in, the girls all flew to Jamaica. Did you have to fly to Jamaica and come right back home or were you able to vacation there a little after your elimination?

“I actually went immediately back home after I was through in Jamaica. There were a few times we got to go out and really see Jamaica. Those days were really relaxing and a lot of fun. We were able to walk on the white beaches and saw the glistening blue water and talk to some natives. It’s such a raw, real, natural lifestyle and while I only stayed in Jamaica pretty much a week, there was still time to see what the island had to offer.”

Did you read the comments left for you on the social media sites when you got home?

“I did not read a lot of the comments. I DO read a lot of my fan pages and fan blogs that have been constructed for me. I feel like those are really beneficial and positive to look at. Those are fans that have really come together and they’re creating something in your honor. They see something in you that is positive enough to honor by creating a fan page. I’m really thankful for all of those and I do keep up with some fan blogs. I do not go to the main ‘America’s Next Top Model’ site on Facebook and look at the comments. I’m not naive, I know that there’s some negative comments out there. There are some people that are only looking at the version of me that they saw on the show. They don’t know the real me, they don’t really know anything about me, and they might be saying some negative comments. You might see 100 positive comments and one negative one and you’d still be dragged down by the negative comment. I just feel like there’s nothing beneficial about looking at the site. It can’t really help me in any way.”