As noted, Mandy Rose recently appeared as a guest on Lilian Garcia’s Chasing Glory podcast for an in-depth interview. Featured below are some of the highlights.
On playing up the role of “mean girl” for the sake of the cameras during her run on Tough Enough: “It was rough because honestly, I remember, it’s one thing when you are living together, but I felt really bad that I even said some of the stuff I did on national television, but she is a really sweet person, and I got along with her fine when the cameras were off, but that fakeness, because it’s like, I can be so mean to you on camera, but she never said anything to me or addressed the issue. She is very quiet, she didn’t want any of that, but inside it just didn’t feel right. I thought that I wasn’t this type of person, but I was so wrapped up in it and thought that it is what it is. I went with it, but I felt really bad, even towards the end of the show. I don’t see her as much, but we talk here and there, but she never confronted me about it, which I was surprised, because if I was her, behind those cameras I would have.”
On learning from her experience on Tough Enough, being added to Total Divas and more: “She ended up winning and I ended up in second place. I still ended up getting a contract, and was put on Total Divas. In my head I was like, oh, I must have done something right because they see something and see a reality star, so I thought I did something right, that is why I say that I don’t regret anything, and I learned for sure, but I didn’t have to be influenced by people to show who I am, but I also thought, well, I did get signed any way and got this great opportunity to be on Total Divas, and got this great exposure.”
On the perception that she was added to Total Divas strictly because of her good looks: “It’s almost like, I don’t like to do things for that reason, because I was told that a lot of girls aren’t going to like me, and I was like, well, that’s great. It’s one thing where you have to do you, and it’s the kind of business we are in unfortunately. But it’s also like, no, I want people to like me and I want a long career in this business, and I want to have a name that people can respect because I know respect is huge here, and I felt like I was looked at like I’m just here because I’m hot, and I get that all the time, and I have to constantly look at it like, no, I am not just a Barbie doll looking girl, I have worked hard, and the struggles that I went through when I was younger, I didn’t always look like this. I trained my butt off and competed and got to where I wanted to be from rigorous training and dieting. I didn’t just wake up like this.”
Check out the complete Mandy Rose interview from Lilian Garcia’s “Chasing Glory” podcast at PodcastOne.com.
