Sugar & spice
06 JUL 09 @ 05:00AM BY CHRIS URANKAR
'Australia’s Next Top Model' comes to an exciting finish as Tahnee Atkinson, the 17-year-old sweet-faced darling of the competition is pitted against the feisty but truly stunning 16-year-old Cassi Van Den Dungen.
How does it feel to be in the final two of Australia’s Next Top Model?
Tahnee: It’s so good, I’m so proud of myself. I can’t believe it I really wasn’t expecting it so it feels really good.
Cassi: Kind of, yeah, shocking, surreal – cos I’m just sitting at home now and it’s normal life.
When you started the competition, did you feel you’d make it this far?
Tahnee: No way. I didn’t expect it at all. I thought I’d maybe get into the top eight or top six, but definitely not top two.
Cassi: I definitely didn’t think so. You just sit there and look at the other girls and never think you’re as good as anyone.
What’s been your favourite memory about the competition?
Tahnee: It was all the best experience ever. Probably just learning so much about the industry and getting to meet all the people in the industry and all the girls – just meeting new people. My favourite photo shoot was probably the last one and the one in the desert with Russell James.
Cassi: I loved the Jez Smith photo shoot.
Any moments looking back you didn’t like or weren’t too proud of?
Tahnee: No, it was the best experience and I’d recommend it to anyone.
Cassi: I hated modeling at the fruit market, the whole morning I just felt like a piece of meat. It was more full on than what they actually showed, we couldn’t walk around the place without having a crew member with us it was that bad.
Were you a fan of the show before you went on?
Tahnee: I watched the show a few times but I wasn’t the biggest fan. The first few weeks we were all saying "I don’t want to the 'b*tch' of the show, the Demelza, I don’t want to be the bully." It was all something we were concerned about. I don’t think it can be helped. It’s normal for 17-18 year old girls, it comes across badly because were filmed.
Cassi: I never actually watched an episode! Now I’m here in the top two!
If you win Australia’s Next Top Model, what’s next for you?
Tahnee: I think it will open lots and lots of doors, especially getting the trip to America. I’d love to model in America. I’d take each day as it comes, hopefully working overseas.
Cassi: I want to be the face of something. I know the winner will be the face of Maybelline but being the face of something like Sportsgirl would be awesome. I love a lot of sports brands type thing. I have a lot of Everlast, Mooks and Mossimo clothing.
How do you feel you’re a better choice to win over your competitor?
Tahnee: I just think, Cassi, she’s beautiful, she takes amazing photos and she’s going to get a lot of work. I’ve always said that you need so much more than just a good body and a beautfiul face if you want to do more than a cover of Vogue and a spread in Harper’s. I want so much more than that. I want to be a successful model like Elle MacPherson and Megan Gale. If you look at them they’re more than just a pretty face they’ve got the attitude and the personality. I think I’ve got that too, I think I’m a role model. I want so much more than a spread in a magazine, I just want to be a successful model. It’s so hard to compare Cassi and I.
Cassi: You know what, I think honestly, me and Tahnee are two totally different people, and everyone has their own personal opinion, everyone has the type of people that they do and don’t people. So if you’re going to vote for me, vote for me because you like who I am. Don’t just vote for me because of the stuff I’ve done through the show or anything like that.
What’s your favourite subject at school? What career would you want to go into if modelling doesn’t work out?
Tahnee: Well I’m not doing my Year 12. I love learning, my favourite subject was dance. At the moment I’m concentrating on modelling. I can study whenever I want, but I’m only 17 once, and I’m only going to look like this once so I’m going to use my age to my advantage.
Cassi, how do you feel about being labelled the ‘bogan’ by the media? Does this make you upset?
Cassi: Well, I take the bogan thing as the fact that Charlotte and Jonathan didn’t have any other way of expressing that I was different. I am not a bogan you know? Mum watches the football and everything but I don’t. It didn’t get me upset because I understood that it was the only way they could express I was different to the other girls.
Cassi, looking back how do you feel when you watch the punching the wall incident?
Cassi: I really think that “ok I got angry”. I’m not ashamed, I’m not embarrassed, I’m not regretting it because I know why I got so angry. They didn’t show me going down to that elevator – I was down there for about a good hour and half away from Lola, she came up to apologise and I was like “you don’t mean it get away from me”. The way they showed it was kind of what happened, kinda not.
Tahnee, your body type was a point of debate on the show – how did this make you feel?
Tahnee: I know that out of the competition I’m going to be asked to lose weight. I’m expecting that. I think it’s a real shame that you have to be the real skinny type. To be honest I watch Fashion TV and I almost have to turn it off because I can’t stand that gaunt look. I think it’s a real shame that’s the only body that designers want for their clothes. I’m expecting to hear that I have to lose. I will, lose a certain amount. But if someone asked me to look like the girls in Paris then I won’t do it. I want to be a successful model but if they ever ask me to lose too much weight I’ll just say no. If I have to stay in Australia with my body now then I will. I’m a strong believer of being healthy and exercise, but I don’t want to be that skinny.
Tahnee, one of your London agents said you’d be fantastic at acting/presenting. Is this something you’d want to pursue?
Tahnee: Definitely, I’ve always wanted to something with television. I enjoy it. As he said "you don’t have to be too skinny to do that!"
