Jackie Rukeba, left, gets cut at auditions for Next Top Model.
photo by septembre anderson

Jackie Rukeba wanted to walk the runway on national TV but one thing held her back

Septembre Anderson
A & E Reporter

Student Jackie Rukeba came up short in the nationwide search for competitors on Canada’s Next Top Model.

“I always watch Canada’s Next Top Model and America’s Next Top Model,” said the 21-year-old Justice Services student at Lakeshore Campus. “So when I heard that there would be one in Toronto, I said ‘let’s go try it’.”

She went to the auditions held in Toronto on Jan. 23.

But when her turn came, she was politely dismissed for being too short. She is 5’8, but potential top models must be taller than that.

She was among hundreds of hopefuls filling the Fairview Mall. Toronto was only one of five preliminary audition locations across Canada set up to find the CTV show’s next stars for summer 2009.

“We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of young women come out to the calls,” said the show’s executive producer Sheila Hockins, twice as many as in previous years.

Modeling agency owner Elmer Olsen said the turnouts in Vancouver and Edmonton were just as strong.
“It sort of shocked me why everybody wants to be a model,” he said.

“The lineup was around the mall. Olsen’s modeling agency offers the $100,000 prize contract for one year after the show.

“We have a lot of agents coming from around the world that fly to Toronto to see our talent, our girls, our Canadian girls,” he said.

“I just knew that there was going to be a superstar girl out there that was going to be discovered from some farm in the middle of nowhere,” said Olsen. “It’s wonderful to be a part of helping her dream come true.”