by Mike Bandy

This week on ANTM All-Stars, Kayla, the stunner from Illinois who made it all the way to the top 4 in Cycle 15, was sent home in a double elimination with Bianca. The judges felt that her personality was fading away, and that she didn't have as much spark as she did back in Cycle 15. We spoke to Kayla about her time in the competition, and what's coming up next!

Q. Mike, RealityWanted: A few episodes back, viewers saw you rushed to the hospital, diagnosed with an arrhythmia. It was pretty scary, but it looks like you pulled through okay. How are you doing now?
A. Kayla: I'm good - you know, when I was born, I was actually born with a hole in my heart, so it's not the strongest. I make jokes with my little cousin, because he tries to scare me and I tell him, "Stop, you know my heart can't take it!" [laughs] I've had it happen before, but not that bad. It was scary to have it happen on TV, but thankfully there were a lot of people around to help.

Q. Mike, RealityWanted: You mentioned that an arrhythmia can be brought on by stress - was the All Star cycle more stressful than Cycle 15? How did your experience differ between the two cycles?
A. Kayla: Um, I wouldn't say it was more stressful. I think the all star cycle was a lot more fun. In cycle 15 I was coming out about a lot of things in my past, if anything, THAT was stressful because I knew my mom would see, and I was worried about the repercussions it would have on my family. Cycle 17, it was all out there, and I could enjoy myself. I actually really did enjoy myself, but I don't think it came off that way on TV. In Cycle 15, I was really stressed out worrying about if I would win or not. I realized that you don't have to win to be successful!

Q. Mike, RealityWanted: Since Cycle 15, you've done a lot with your career, what with a stint on the Grammys and traveling to Tokyo to model. Do you get recognized a lot in public? What is that like?
A. Kayla: You know what's funny, I feel like I get recognized more in California than anywhere! I went out with Bianca one time in California, and everybody knew who I was, and nobody knew who she was. She was like, "How come nobody's recognizing me?", and I was like, "Calm down, these are my people!" [laughs] I do a lot of work in Boystown in Chicago and a lot of public speaking, and it's really weird because people love me! It's hard to know how to react to that.

Q. Mike, RealityWanted: This cycle, your branding word was "Free", which was the same word you chose for the bullying photo shoot back in Cycle 15. Tell us - what does the word "Free" mean to you, and do you feel that you've reached "freeness"?
A. Kayla: To me, free meant being free from the holds of your past. I had a pretty rough upbringing and I never talked about it. Even when I was in high school, I was popular and I came dressed nice, everyone thought that I had a lot; nobody knew that I didn't have a bed. To be on TV and tell the truth, that was a freeing process. I wanted to gain confidence for myself because I had none. After hearing these positive things, it made me feel like I'm free. I have SO much more confidence! I used to be so shy and reserved, but now I feel like my real personality has come out. I'm a lot more proud of who I am...I grew up in a religious household, and I finally felt like there was a lot of people like me. My family might not be proud, but I am.

Q. Mike, RealityWanted: If you could have brought back any other girl from Cycle 15 to compete with you, whom would you have picked?
A. Kayla: Well...my best friend, Jane! I still talk to her on a regular basis, if she was in that house I would have been the happiest person in the world. Jane didn't really have the biggest personality (I was having a hard time bringing mine out what with Lisa being crazy), so I think she would have been a lot of fun.

Q. Mike, RealityWanted: What's coming up next for Kayla?
A. Kayla: Um, well right now the only think I'm currently booked for is in February - I'm going back to Japan for six weeks, and I'm getting my first billboard out there. I'll also be a judge on a local modeling competition they have out there, and I'll be doing another TV thing out there, so I got Rosetta Stone but its' not working out too well [laughs]. Most of what I'm doing is happening overseas, not really here. But it's good, because I can go there 4 or 5 times a year and make enough to live to rest of the year.