Courtney ('America's Next Top Model')

Her time on Top Model may have been short-lived, but cheerleading instructor Courtney Davies will certainly go down as one of the pluckiest contestants of recent cycles. After turning up to casting with a broken foot, the 22-year-old went on to impress Tyra by catwalking and completing the challenges despite being in pain. Unfortunately, she failed to deliver in her equestrian-themed photoshoot and was given the boot after landing in the bottom two with Bianca. We gave her a call to chat about her time on the show.

How did it feel to be eliminated at this stage?
"I'm okay. It wasn't really a shock because like they said, I gave up and let my emotions get the best of me. You could tell in the photo that I wasn't very happy. I'm not afraid to say how I feel [and] show it on my face. That's just how I am and I was honest and that's really all you can ask of a person. I don't really regret not hiding my feelings because that wouldn't have been me. I don't sit there and just pretend like nothing is wrong."

Were you surprised to get as far as you did with your injury?
"I didn't even think they would let me do it. I was in a lot of pain because it just happened, it was only a week after I broke my foot. I struggled a bit but I didn't want to let it get the best of me and I wanted to do the best I could but I understood there was nothing I could do about it. I broke my foot and I couldn't change it!"

During this week's photoshoot, you said you were confused about what was wanted. They wanted cute, the outfit was the opposite...
"I didn't feel cute, I felt like a warrior, like a fierce bitch! I wanted to hurt someone, not be all cute and dainty. If they wanted me to look cute then they shouldn't have put that huge belt on me and made me look like a warrior!"

And then the broken foot issue came up... What exactly happened with Jay?
"He said, 'Oh well your feet won't be in the picture anyway so you don't have to worry about putting heels on'. But I just felt like, the whole time I was there, I didn't want to feel babied or different from the other girls which is how he was making me feel at that moment. I wanted to put the heels on and I felt like it should have been my choice because it is my body, it's my foot and it's connected to my body! Who wants to model with a boot on?"

Looking back, do you understand why he wanted to keep the boot on? Tyra suggested it was for safety...
"I was just a little annoyed by that point and then it just kept getting worse! I felt like everyone was not on the same page and the negative energy just brought me down. I was one of the last people to model and it was hot outside and everyone was like, 'Oh let's just get this over with', so I was like that too. I knew after that photoshoot I would be in the bottom two just by me saying that I was upset and letting that affect my modelling."

Did you like your final photo?
"It didn't look that bad at all! I definitely do not think it was the worse compared to some of the other girls! Definitely, Bianca's was not cute and Ashley's wasn't even that good. I was like, 'How can they pick someone who has a guy in the background of her photo because she's just standing there letting them test the light?' I just felt like it was a hard photoshoot for everyone. It was frustrating for all of us."

We saw some tension between you and Brittany - was that just because you'd all had a hard day?
"She made a comment about how I shouldn't blame other people when I wasn't - I take full responsibility, I know I had a poor attitude. But I don't feel it was her place to say anything and I was like, 'Honestly I don't really care what you have to say, this is how I feel so I'm going to say it'. I don't care who is listening or watching me. I had a bad photoshoot, period. I'm allowed to have that opinion, I was just describing what happened to me on set and there's nothing wrong with that!"

There were also a couple of clashes between Bianca and the other girls. Do you see the potential for some drama there?
"Bianca and Jennifer don't get along at all and their fights were just so stupid! Bianca fights about everything, she's that type of person. Who is going to argue with her? You're not going to win regardless of whether you are right or wrong, so why would you even bother? She's an argumentative person, she believes what she wants to believe and no-one is going to change that. I feel that's why we got along, because I didn't really care what she had to say. I took it with a grain of salt. If she was on the show by herself there would still be drama!"

Obviously, it's very early in the competition but who are you tipping to win?
"Erin definitely has the look and her pictures have come out great so far, but I am all the way for Laura! Completely hands down, I want her to win because I feel like she deserves it out of all the girls and I think she wants it the most."

Will you continue to model?
"Yes, definitely. I modelled before and now I can go back to my agency and start working again. I'm very happy and excited about this season - I was on the show, my name is out there and my face is out there and now my agency can step it up a notch and hopefully take it to the next level."

America's Next Top Model continues next Wednesday on The CW

> Click here for our interview with Rachel Echelberger
> Click here for our recap of America's Next Top Model episode three