Shievonne Robinson
Going from a building site surveyor to a TV model might be a bit of a jump but Shievonne Robinson from Lewisham, London has done just that. Since winning our MinxyBingo competition Shievonne has swapped fluorescent jackets and hard hats for make-up chairs and TV cameras. We caught up with her to find out how she got on.
Hi Shievonne, congratulations on winning the competition. What made you decide to enter the competition?
Thank you! Well I saw it on the website and I thought, 'This looks like fun maybe, just for a laugh I'll enter'. I thought I'd just give it a try and I'd see how far I can get.
Did you ever think that you'd win?
No! When I went to the first casting, there were so many really nice girls and we all had such a laugh there that I wasn't really concerned with wether or not I'd win. I was just glad to be short listed. There was no way I thought I'd actually win the competition and the holiday. No way!
How did your friends react to you winning?
They couldn't believe it! After I came to the audition, everyone phoned me and said, 'How do you think it went?' and I said, 'Oh it was ok, I don't know if I'm gonna get it', but they were really excited! They were like, 'Well that's about time Shievonne!' They all think I should be doing something to get my name out of there, so they were really pleased for me.
I bet they all wanted to come on the holiday with you too!
Oh god yes! I had a lot of people just "calling to see if I was alright", my sister was been really nice to me and I said, 'You wanna come on holiday with me don't you?'!
Had you ever thought about modelling before?
No, I love having pictures taken but I'm really critical of them. I could take 100 pictures and only one would really be good, I'm quite critical of myself like that. My sister used to do modelling, she's got the height for it and I don't so I didn't really think it was something I wanted to do. It's something I find fun and it's good to see what happens behind the scenes and stuff like that.
How was shooting the advert?
It was really good. I didn't really know what role I was gonna do, but I had my hair done and my make up done and there was so many really cool people there. The whole day was just a bit of a whirlwind because it was pictures, then getting my part done... I didn't know how much work went into filming an actual advert. It was good to get the background knowledge as well.
How different was it from your every day life?
Very, because I actually got to wear make up! I don't get to do that at work, it's just a bun and very basic make-up, no high heels, so it was a chance to be made a fuss out of. I really enjoyed it.
Were you interested in fashion before you entered the competition?
Oh yeah I love fashion. I'm always on FemaleFirst checking out the celebrity gossip! All celebrity magazines and I love seeing what new and wonderful things are out. I'm quite a girly girl, despite my job!
What designers and styles do you like at the moment?
I like the LA, celebrity look, like Juicy Couture, the really relaxed look. I like my Uggs and the high street, Topshop, Mango, Zara. I don't have a particular brand but I look to websites and magazines for my style. I like to mix and match a bit of designer and a bit of high street. It's the perfect way.
Would you like to continue modelling?
Well, I've got a full time job so maybe something here and there, or something that I could do as a hobby as well would be really cool. I always wanted to have something to fall back on and my career is something I can always fall back on because I'm nearly qualified so if a really big opportunity would come up I would be free to take it because I've always got my qualifications behind me. I'm open to all opportunities really!
Are there any models that you aim to be as successful as?
I love Agyness Deyn, I know she's quite new on the scene but she's really funky, she's really out there, she does her own thing. I think I would like more of a model who has a TV life and an editorial life as well, a bit like Tyra Banks, you know she does the presenting but she also does modelling. Obviously I'll never be as big as her but that's the dream!
You never know Shievonne, everyone has to start somewhere!