AE: At the reunion show, you two were most often chosen by the judges
as the most improved. Who do you both think improved the most between the two
of you?
BD: I don't know. We both
changed in different respects. This whole thing, going into this between Ronnie
and myself, we knew that we both had weaknesses and strengths and we were going
to use those to help each other with our weaknesses, not lower ourselves but
bring each other up to a higher level. I feel like that's what we did
throughout the competition.
AE: Ronnie, how did it feel to have the judges constantly telling you
that you're too commercial or not versatile enough?
RK: It was really frustrating
because I wanted this so bad and the panel continuously telling me I didn't
have what it takes to be versatile, it made me want it even more so. But I
didn't know how to change it, so when I had gone into the bottom and came back,
I asked them if I could do anything to physically change my appearance. That's
when I got the haircut and shortened my hair and got a little more of an edge,
and proved to them that I had a little bit more versatility then they had
thought I had. When I was able to do that, and got an apology from panel, it
felt really good.
AE: You both ended up in the
bottom a lot, but the voters obviously loved you. How did that affect you? Did
the other models frequently say or imply to your face that you didn’t belong? Did
the votes encourage you, challenge you, or what?
RK: They never vocalized the fact
that they thought that either my friendship or alliance with Ben affected us
getting back into the house or not. Maybe some of them thought it, and I think
probably at the reunion, some of them may have vocalized that a little bit, but
you know what? We made it as far as we did because we worked hard and we
realized that it was a competition not only on the catwalk and the photo
shoots, but it was about a competition involving character. I think Ben and I
had some of the strongest characters. We were there, we were focused, and we
knew what we wanted. We tried not to let any of the other drama get in the way
of what we wanted.
AE: What was your favorite
and least favorite runway challenge?
BD: Least favorite, the farm animals. [both laugh] I'd have to say the one
where I had to carry a goat. And my favorite was fashion week, although the
most fun one was the drama one we did, when we trying to kill Holly? I think
that was my favorite because we had the most fun with it.
RK: Yeah, I think one of the most
difficult challenges was to work with the animals. It was like taking a petting
zoo down the catwalk. [laughs] I think my favorite was probably the Ben Sherman
one where we had to do the turnstile and do three different looks. That was one
of the most challenging, but the one I really feel I did the best at.
AE: What was your favorite
and least favorite photo shoot?
BD: All my favorites are near
the end because that's when I really came into it, but I think my favorite
would be the last one with the four elements. Probably my least favorite one
was the one in the mansion. I think it was like the fourth week.
RK: I think for me I'd have to say
the tank with the snake. That was the week I'd just gotten back from two weeks
being in the bottom and trying to prove myself, and I felt like that picture
was probably one of my strongest next to working with Sarah Silver and being
suspended in the air. That was pretty cool, too. I think my least I'd have to
go with Ben and say the mansion one with Russ, because I just felt like the
whole picture lacked a lot of energy, and I think for me, it was one of my
worst photos.
AE: Watching the show, it
seemed as if there were three distinct camps in the house. There were the
girls, there was Perry's room, and there was your room. Was it really as
divided as it seemed?
BD: Not really. It seemed more so
that way because we'd sit in our room because we didn't want to deal with the
BS and immaturity. The girls just kind of never hung out with the guys, and
Perry and his little minions did their thing.
Ronnie and I just had a different
approach to it where we were going to stay away from all the negativity and all
the stuff that's just going to aggravate us, with the constant hooting and
hollering and joking around and whatever. We just hung out there, and it was
actually a place a lot of people went to just to talk. It was like a real
confessional, because they walked in that door and we gave them what's real,
not just what they wanted to hear. It was cool. It wasn't as divided as it
seemed on television, but it was definitely somewhat divided.
RK: I have to agree with Ben that our room was definitely the comfort zone
of the house. People knew that when they came in there it was somewhere they
could just be themselves. Even some of the guys who were in Perry's room and
bouncing off the walls all the time, even when they walked in our room, it was
very calming for them, too.
