December 7, 2006 – CariDee’s personality and ability to take beautiful pictures pushed her to the top of the heap on cycle seven of America’s Next Top Model. After a lackluster runway performance, it wasn’t a shoe-in for her by any means, but she persevered thanks in part to her stunning CoverGirl photo, beating out Melrose as this season’s winner.

We talked to the winner about her experiences on the show. CariDee told us what her favorite experiences were and what she’s up to now as the official winner of America’s Next Top Model cycle seven.

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IGN TV: How did you come to be on the show?

CariDee: I tried out over the internet. I took the application off the internet and went to an open call in Minneapolis. And just started from there.

IGN TV: How long have you wanted to be a model?

CariDee: My whole life. I mean, all I remember is fashion and just being on camera. My mom had a great old-fashioned camera and my favorite thing to do was to dress up, go outside in the garden, go to the park, and do poses. I look at Christmas pictures and everyone is smiling and I’m laying on my stomach with my feet up in my hands and this cheesy expression. My mom would always be like ‘ok just look natural’ and I’d be like ‘no, I can’t.’ I’ve always had a love for the camera.

The CW
CariDee as the dumb blonde model.

IGN TV: You talked a lot about your battle with psoriasis. How did you manage to beat it?

CariDee: There is no cure. That’s what people don’t understand, there is no cure. I’ve found a medicine that just until this year got approved, and it’s been the biggest blessing in my life really. It’s called Rattiva, and it’s an injection. I give a shot to myself once a week. And it cleared my skin. And I’ve been clear for about eight months. This has been the best eight months of my whole life. Really, it’s just amazing.

IGN TV: And it enabled you to win America’s Next Top Model. That has to give hope to other people.

CariDee: Yes, exactly. Exactly. I would say, when I was under stress, going through that awkward stage of 12-13-14, I’d wear long sleeves in the summer and jeans in the summer and when I went to school, there’d be pool parties, and I wasn’t at any of those. And I’m a social person, but I felt really outcasted, not like my friends would outcast me, but outcasted within myself where I couldn’t share the same experiences as my classmates. I always wanted to cheerlead when I was younger, and I got to actually my junior year, but I always wanted to be on the swim team also, but being in a swimsuit in front of a crowd, I was like ‘nah, forget it.’ I would sooner wear an elephant nose for the rest of my life.

IGN TV: Were you surprised when you made it to the final 13?

CariDee: Absolutely. I was absolutely surprised. Not like, ‘oh I can’t believe I got it’, but just surprised, like ‘thank God.’ That was the happiest moment until my win to date. That feeling of complete satisfaction and complete self-pride.

IGN TV: Do you think your personality was shown off well on the show?

CariDee: Very well. They showed extreme highs and extreme lows. There was a lot of time where I got really close to the girls and we would talk and just hang out and be very chill, and they didn’t really show that. But yeah, I’m just as goofy as you see me on TV. I say weird things, that’s just me.

IGN TV: What would be going through your mind when the judges would criticize you for being too out there?

CariDee: I’m sorry, but I’m not going to be changing it. After I won, Tyra said ‘what you see is what you get, and we like that you didn’t change that.’ When it came time to working, I wasn’t goofy. When it came time to doing the shot, I wasn’t goofing around or making faces. I’m very serious when I work. When it comes time for other things, like playing around, yeah, I’m a different person. But at the same time, that’s what a lot of models should embody. They have to be something else besides just good looks. You have to be able to talk to clients and be person and just be out there. I think that’s a very important thing for a model to embody.

IGN TV: Do you wish you could have done anything differently?

CariDee: No.

IGN TV: Not even the comment to Nigel?

CariDee: Yeah, I would take that back, definitely. But the thing that they didn’t show is that he actually joked right back afterwards and after I said it he left and then he said something and we all laughed, but they edited it to stir things up. It was just to stir things up at home. And to stir things up even in my own head. Two hours after that, they came and were like ‘that’s not acceptable’ and I was like ‘oh my God’. I totally thought in my head ‘absolutely, I would never, ever say that to a client.’ You just feel close to the person and everything. It was great now that I look at it and he forgave me. I think it’s just the moral of the story: you mess with the bull, you get the horns.

The CW
CariDee as the elephant girl.

IGN TV: Did you have a hard time with the nude shoot?

CariDee: No. God no. Honey, I was the second person up there. I went topless around the house a lot. I wouldn’t go topless in public, but around the house, I’m very, very comfortable with my body. I’ve always been comfortable, but if you can go up there and be nude. It used to be that I had been someone who had been self-conscious of somewhere from the tip of my toes to my head, over your whole body, over 70% of my body. Once it’s clear and I had the opportunity to get naked and not just naked but being completely bare, using just my skin as my tool was such a liberating and healing thing for me. I felt so alive and I felt so great. Nudity was a non-issue. It was such a liberating thing. I’m beautiful now on the outside and it felt good to show it.

IGN TV: What was your favorite photo shoot?

CariDee: All of them. I think the great loved one on set was the celebrity couples. Everyone really got into that. It was fun. There wasn’t any backtalk or anything like that. Everybody was just having so much fun because it was so goofy. That was my favorite photo shoot on set. My favorite photo of me would have to be the water one or the circus freak or the black & white. I LOVE the black & white. I had so much fun working with Tyra. I mean all of them really. There’s not one certain favorite one that sticks out. I had fun working with Tyra, though, I’ll admit that.

IGN TV: Did you bond with anyone?

CariDee: Everybody. I bonded with everybody. I loved everybody. I loved the friendships I made. They were great.

IGN TV: Even Monique?

CariDee: I tried. But she was… I said ‘here’s the way you are, and let’s just be cool around each other.’ I didn’t do anything to her, but I just always tried to be goofy and silly. She was a negative person to be around and I didn’t like that. And the fact that later in interviews she said she was acting was B.S., not to be rude, but it’s not. It was scary to be around her. I was scared for myself. Unpredictability in somebody can be a really scary thing when you are living with them. Especially sleeping in the bed next to them.

IGN TV: What was your favorite part of the experience?

CariDee: All the experiences. I wish I could say. It was everything. It was meeting new people and working with different people. I liked not knowing what I was going to do that day. The element of surprise, that was great. When we got going and not knowing, having any idea what we were going to do, it was great.

IGN TV: Was modeling on the show what you expected?

CariDee: Definitely. All and more.

IGN TV: Were you surprised when your picture came up?

CariDee: Absolutely. Absolutely. It was a good surprise. ‘Oh my God, really?’ It was more of a relief, like ‘yes, I did it!’ It was great.

The CW
CariDee modeling with Fabio

IGN TV: So you’re the new CoverGirl.

CariDee: Oh, girl, I am the new CoverGirl! I love it and it is so great. It is every model’s dream to have a cosmetics campaign, like, are you serious? That is huge. So being able to be a part of CoverGirl and have them have my back and have my name attached to their company is amazing. I used to look at Nikki Taylor when I was younger. I just love her, I love her face. I remember her in the CoverGirl ads and I was like ‘oh my god, absolutely breathtaking’. I hope I can have that affect on other people. Actually, I’m going to Sydney, Australia next week to do my first CoverGirl commercial. And I come out in US Weekly next week in my ad.

IGN TV: What else are you up to now?

CariDee: Living life, honey. It’s like a different world and there’s so many emotions. Thank you to all the people. I love all the support I’m getting from everybody, from fans to people who have worked with Tyra who are now working with me.

IGN TV: Was it hard to watch the show, knowing the outcome and wanting to get on with it?

CariDee: Wednesdays couldn’t come fast enough. I’d just hang out with my family and friends. I just really enjoyed being with my friends and my boyfriend.

IGN TV: Any last words?

CariDee: Thank you America. This is not the last you’ll see of me. And I’ll never change.