I was recently lucky enough to catch up with Leah Gillingwater to talk about her time spent on the "Real World" and MTV's "The Inferno". Leah says she wasn't a fan of the "Real World" before she auditioned for the show. "I actually wasn't a fan. I had only seen a few episodes of Chicago. I just thought it would be funny to audition," she laughs. So, what was it like to actually be on the show? "I have mixed feelings about it. I think I learned more about myself than any of the other cast members did in any of the seasons." As for pinning Leah as the "dramatic" one, she says that she didn't realize all the drama that the show creates. "I was stereotyped, but I did say all those things. I just didn't realize that the show had a goal or that it was edited so much."

For those of you who watched the Real World vs. Road Rules challenge "The Inferno," you likely took note that Leah and fellow Paris cast member C.T. grew much closer. The friendship between the two seemed to crumble when C.T. voted to send Leah to the inferno which indeed sent her packing. But, their friendship got back on track soonafter. "I was in the airport and my phone rings. It was C.T. and he was like 'I'm really sorry! I didn't mean what I said.' which was really nice." Leah continues, "When I stepped out of that world I saw the drama. But, when you are there, you are there to win." C.T. and the rest of the Real World went on to lose "The Inferno" to the Road Rules cast members. So, can we expect to see Leah in the next RW/RR challenge? "I'm not sure yet. They are casting for a new one for this Summer, but I want to focus on my career. I graduated last Summer," she explains. You can expect plenty of drama filled episodes to come in the next challenge, just as there was in the "Inferno". When asked about Coral (RW) and Katie (RR), Leah has nothing but good things to say about both. "I was really scared to meet Coral. I thought when she met me she would rip me apart. But, when I met her she was so nice, she is a great person!" As for Katie, "I love Katie! She is a good competitor. I think what her team did was a little harsh. She came there with a plan and to win - and she did. We were the underdogs together."

On top of doing all kinds of shows for MTV, Leah Gillingwater has plenty of other things happening to keep her busy. She has recently become involved with the Reality Cares Foundation, plus she can be seen touring the country doing speaking tours on college campuses. "I've been doing speaking tours which is great because you get to go back to college campuses plus travel everywhere like Missouri and Oklahoma." Be sure to watch for many great things to come from Leah in the coming years!

- Chad Kennedy, Editor-in-Chief