Canada’s Next Top Model: Heather axed for being awkward

June 23rd, 2006

Being eliminated from Canada’s Next Top Model contest took Blenheim’s Heather Dorssers by surprise. “That was my initial response, because I really thought I was doing OK, not great, but OK,” said the 20-year-old former factory worker, axed on an episode that aired Wednesday. “I have nothing negative to say about being on the show. Everything about the experience was positive. Even the criticism I got was constructive.”
Her departure left six contestants to compete for the reality TV show’s cache of prizes. They include a $100,000 beauty contract from Procter & Gamble, a modelling contract with Sutherland Models and a major photo spread in Fashion magazine.
Dorssers admitted being uncomfortable in her last episode, which required her to pose in lingerie with a male model. “It was an awkward photo shoot for me, right from the very beginning.” She prefers to remember her peak moments on the show on the first episode May 31. “I did awesome. I won the very first challenge and Kelly Streit said some nice things about me,” she said, referring to the president of Calgary-based Modemodels International.
Dorssers, whose decision to enter the contest was “a spur-of-the-moment thing,” was selected as one of 10 contestants on the series, which was taped in February and March.
“I think I was picked because they weren’t looking for girls with the same cookie-cutter good looks,” she said. “The show wanted girls who had personality. I guess I became the neutral one who got along with everyone.”
Dorssers recently left her job at Mallory’s Industries, which manufactures car window brushes and squeegees, and plans to move to Toronto and pursue a modelling career. She’s hoping Andrea of Whitby or Natalie from Vancouver will be Canada’s Next Top Model.
“We became very good friends, so I’ll be rooting for them when I watch the show now.” The next episode of the Canadian Citytv series airs at 8 p.m. next Wednesday.