She became famous for adding "Pop off!" to the reality TV lexicon during the second season of Oxygen's Bad Girls Club, but this winter, Tanisha Thomas faces an even bigger challenge than tattooed troublemakers tampering with her fruit juice: surviving eight weeks of weight-loss boot camp on the seventh season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club (beginning Monday, Feb. 8, at 9 PM ET), where her castmates include R&B star Bobby Brown, Project Runway's Jay McCarroll, actress Nicole Eggert, singer Sebastian Bach and Britney Spears' ex, Kevin Federline, and his ex, Shar Jackson. But although she shed some pounds during the experience, she thankfully didn't lose an ounce of attitude, as we found out in this candid conversation:
TWoP: You've always presented yourself as someone who's very self-confident and comfortable with who you are. What made you decide that you needed to go on a weight-loss show?
Tanisha: I'm a fashionable person. I love wearing the latest trends and it's kinda hard going into stores at times, finding things that fit exactly right, and, you know, having the people look at you like, "Hey, were you looking for a restaurant? How'd you end up here?" I kinda got sick of it. So [doing Fit Club] was a health decision and pretty much I got fed up with not finding what I needed to look fine when I needed it.
TWoP: Did you have a doctor that recommended you change your habits
Tanisha: Yeah, my doctor has been telling me for years I need to lose weight. But I was just like, "Nah, screw you! I'll do what I want!" But for years she was telling me about diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease all the kind of stuff that's really the leading cause of [death for] people that are obese. I kind of ignored it. But the reality was, I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air like the 5-0's been chasing me for blocks.
TWoP: You have to be able to outrun the 5-0!
Tanisha: [laughs] Right, exactly. Especially in New York.
TWoP: But it's not like your diet has been completely unhealthy. We know from Bad Girls that you love the fruit juice, right?
Tanisha: [laughs] Yes, I love juice. I love the soul food. I love a lot of chocolate. I have a really big sweet tooth and I'm a snacker. Some people like meat and stuff, but I'm a snacker and I love dessert. That's my thing.
TWoP: I think a lot of your fans are going to be surprised to see a different side of you on Fit Club, a vulnerable side. Were you nervous about letting your guard down on camera like that?
Tanisha: I wasn't nervous, but I knew going in that Celebrity Fit Club was going to be a very different type of show for me. I did have my guard up all the way at first 'cause I was really, really hesitant. In the back of my mind, I just knew that in order for me to really let go of the weight, I would also have to let go a lot of emotion that I've been carrying around for years, and once I decided to finally commit and agree to that transformation, that transformation was amazing.
TWoP: We're used to seeing you in situations where you're pretty much in control, not to mention the loudest person. But Fit Club's trainer, former U.S. Marine Harvey Walden IV, is not someone you want to talk back to, much less yell at, right?
Tanisha: Right, right. Well that was another thing I had to deal with. Harvey is known for running things, but you guys know who the HBIC [Head Bitch In Charge] is. I mean, when I come through, it's a wrap! [laughs]
TWoP: Did Harvey ever stop screaming at any point during taping? How did he not have a heart attack?
Tanisha: [laughs] Exactly! That's what I wanted to know... Harvey was tough but as time progressed, you could genuinely see that he was a really, really nice guy and he really cared about us. It took a while for me to realize that he's not picking on me; he's not attacking me; this man is really here to help us. And I just gave in. After a while I was like, "You know what, I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of going against everything. I'm just gonna give in and give this 100 percent and see what happens." That was it. It's a competition, and if there's one thing I am, it's competitive.
TWoP: Let's talk a little about some of your castmates. What was it like being on a show with someone you grew up listening to, like Bobby Brown?
Tanisha: Aw, man. The day I saw Bobby Brown, I was like, "Oh my God! This is one of Hollywood's most interminable bad boys... What is about to go down?" And it was amazing. Bobby Brown is so cool, so down to earth. I told him, "A lot of kids are out there because of you!" He started laughing. I told him, "A lot of people were conceived as a result of your music." It was great being to Bobby Brown when I grew up listening to him. It was an amazing feeling.
TWoP: Did you comfortable to ask him at all about some of his well-publicized drama with Whitney Houston, among other things, or was it not the right situation to broach those topics?
Tanisha: The situation wasn't right at all. I really try to mind my business because I don't want somebody opening up my personal business, so I respected that, and I left that alone.
TWoP: But speaking of personal business, it must've been hard to ignore the awkwardness between Kevin Federline and his baby mama Shar Jackson. It seems incredibly awkward just watching it on TV, so what was that like to be around in person?
Tanisha: It was like the big elephant in the room. But I didn't even know what the big elephant was till everybody kept bringing it up
.TWoP: Well, K-Fed was the big elephant in the room, right?
Tanisha: Aw, come on! Kevin is a sweetheart. That's really mean... Like I said, I respect people's privacy, so I never pried at all. I just kept to my business cause we weren't there for that. We all went there to lose weight. And that's that.
TWoP: I'm glad you mentioned why you all were there, because I have my doubts about Nicole Eggert. She may not conform to Hollywood's insane standards, but she's still a beautiful woman. Don't you think she was just there to get on TV again?
Tanisha: Well, I could see how you could feel that way, but Nicole, in her eyes, felt like she was a little bit overweight. In her eyes, Nicole wasn't who she used to be. So that's the reason why Nicole wanted to join Celebrity Fit Club. Nicole's a great person and it doesn't matter what we think. At the end of the day, when we look in the mirror, it's about how we feel about ourselves. When Nicole looks in the mirror, she's like, "Shoot, I need to lose a couple of pounds," and hey, who are we to judge?
TWoP: Fair enough... Tanisha, in you're wildest dreams, did you ever think you'd be in close proximity with someone like Sebastian Bach?
Tanisha: No, never! I didn't know who Sebastian Bach was and he changed my life forever. You guys will all witness that. Sebastian Bach changed me life forever!
TWoP: Are you a heavy metal girl now?
Tanisha:[laughs] I am a heavy metal fan, yes. I love Skid Row, Skid Row all the way. Sebastian Bach for life, man. I love Sebastian. He just changed my life. He's like a rock and roll version of me.
TWoP: Wow, who could've predicted that?
Tanisha: Yeah, I think he's like my alter-ego. We're very much alike in a lot of ways, believe it or not.
TWoP: We know you can't reveal what happens at end of Fit Club, but can you at least tell us if you're happy with your eight-week experience on the show? Did you achieve the goals you set out for yourself?
Tanisha: I'm happy with the experience, definitely. Fit Club came at a great time in my life. At first, like I said, I was fighting it, but once I let it in, the results were amazing and I wouldn't take it back for the world. Although I was complaining throughout, I would really do it all over again. Honestly, I would, because it really taught me a lot about myself. It taught me how much willpower and how much drive I really do have. It tested me in ways that I've never ever been tested before. It's amazing; it really let me get to know Tanisha -- like all the parts of me. I learned so much about myself doing Celebrity Fit Club that I never knew before, and it was great.
TWoP: Are you happy with your weight now?
Tanisha: I'm happy with my weight now, definitely. I just always think there's room for improvement [laughs] and the pressure is always on, especially when you're in the public eye and everybody's watching. We all said to each other, "Oh my God, you know what's gonna happen forever now? Everybody's gonna be looking at how much we weigh." You know, I don't like numbers. I've said this before and I'll say it again: numbers on the scale don't mean squat to me. What matters to me is: can I walk into a store and walk out with something feeling great? That's what matters to me. Can I step into a room and think, "Damn, I look good, and nobody can touch me," you know that song, right? [singing] "Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, I don't care what people [sic] say!" You know that song, right?
TWoP: [laughs] I'm not sure I do, actually.
Tanisha: It's a popping song! [singing] "Every time I walk in the club, they hating on me cause they know I look good." You don't know that song "Took the Night," by Chelley? I want be able to hear that song in my head when I walk into a room. That's what matters to me... and guess what? I hear that song.
TWoP: That's fantastic. You're able to feel more guys than before?
Tanisha: Yes, yes, definitely. My boyfriend -- when I first came back home, he couldn't even look at me. He was just like, speechless when I came back home.
TWoP: Is this the same man you've been with since the last time we talked to you after you were on Bad Girls?
Tanisha: Yes, same guy. He ain't going nowhere, come on now!
TWoP: Well, you're famous, now. Of course he's not going anywhere.
Tanisha: Aw, why you gotta say that?
TWoP: I'm not saying you're not great, I'm just saying he's definitely not going anywhere.
Tanisha: We've been through a lot. That's my dude for life. We've been friends forever. I just can't imagine leaving him for anybody else, 'cause you know what, they won't know Tanisha like he knows Tanisha. And that's just it.
TWoP: That's your dude for life? If he likes it, maybe he should put a ring on it.
Tanisha: He should, he should. Well, we were talking about it. There's a lot of things that need to be worked out. You know, a relationship's like a job. There's a lot of work. They're not easy.
TWoP: No kidding... And are you watching Bad Girls Club this season?
Tanisha: Yes, I am watching Bad Girls Club.
TWoP: I thought, watching your season, that Jennavicia was one of the worst human beings on the planet, but this Natalie...
Tanisha: [laughs]
TWoP: Horrible beyond belief, correct?
Tanisha: Okay, you're probably gonna call my bluff. I've been having this conversation on Twitter, but hear me out: Natalie is great TV.
TWoP: Definitely, without a doubt.
Tanisha: I find her very entertaining. In the beginning, I was like, who is this chick? Why did they cast her? But then, after time went on, I started seeing this girl is actually funny. She's cute, she keeps it real and she defends herself. And she's quite the fashionista!
TWoP: Tanisha, you're breaking my heart. I wanted you so badly to show up on this season and just pull that weave right out of her head.
Tanisha: [laughs] Stop it!
TWoP: She's entertaining, yes, but she's evil. She's cruel to the core.
Tanisha: I think that has to do with her past and there are things that she has to talk about. Maybe she should do a session with Rhonda [Britten], the therapist on our show [Fit Club]. Is Natalie a mean person? Yes, she can be very mean at times. Is she a bitch? Of course she can be a bitch sometimes. I don't have anything against her. I'm happy for her and I love watching her. I would be lying if I told you I didn't like watching her.
TWoP: We all love watching her. We love to hate her.
Tanisha: [laughs] Oh yeah, I can agree. Some people love to hate her, yes.
TWoP: So how about the rest of the girls? What do you think about Kate?
Tanisha: I liked her at first because she was a cute little Barbie doll, but I have to keep it real, I don't like what's going on between her and her best friend. What kind of nonsense is that? Her boyfriend clearly told her: "I don't care who you cheat with, it's cheating," and she still went ahead and did it. To me, she's lost, she doesn't know where she belongs and she's kinda ying-yanging her way through this thing. In the back on my mind, I'm still trying to figure out: how is Kate a Bad Girl? I mean, even Annie has proven herself!
TWoP: Well, Annie doesn't seem like a Bad Girl at all to me. What does Annie do in her life that's bad?
Tanisha: Listen, Annie's the conniving, sneaky one. Did you not see the last episode?
TWoP: Yeah, she did a little bit of messing with Kate's food. We don't like that, do we, Tanisha?
Tanisha: Exactly, that was kind of out of place. I was watching just hysterical, thinking, "Oh my gosh, please don't do what the other girl did to our food" [during Tanisha's season]. I'm like, didn't this trick learn anything from our season?
TWoP: Did you just call her a trick?
Tanisha: Yeah, I just don't know what to say. I mean, these girls just don't learn. Leave the food alone!
TWoP: What do you think of Flo? I started off hating her, but now I think she's a tragic figure in a weird way. I feel a little sorry for her.
Tanisha: At first I really wasn't on Flo's team at all. Especially when she cursed out my girl Kendra, I was like, "Who are you to judge?" Kendra's a grown woman. She's allowed to do what she wants to do." I was like, "What are you, jealous?" But then, with the whole incident with Flo and Amber... Amber's the one who pushed her in the water. I would've never, ever, ever apologized to Amber. Never. That couldn't have been me. Not at all.
TWoP: Well, Flo apologized so she could stay in the house, right? She didn't mean it.
Tanisha: Right, but I was sitting there thinking, how is it that someone pushed you into a pool of water and the person who got pushed has to apologize? Why?
TWoP: I guess it's because Flo retaliated in a violent way.
Tanisha: Yeah, she got really upset and started going off, but it just couldn't have been me. If that was me, I would have kicked her behind and just walked out of the house. It would have been over. I don't like Amber at all. At all.
TWoP: Well, I don't know if I like her, but I'm definitely more on that team -- Team Amber, Team Annie -- than I am on Team Natalie or Team Kate.
Tanisha: [laughs] Right... My favorite girl out of all of them is Kendra.
TWoP: Kendra's sweet.
Tanisha: Yeah, I met her a couple of times, actually, in person. She's a really nice girl and she stays true to herself, I don't care what anyone says. People are saying she's phony, or whatever. I really like Kendra a lot, and I like Portia as well.
TWoP: Are you in contact with any of the girls from your season?
Tanisha: Yes, I actually am. I just spoke to Cordelia. She's a manager at Starbucks, and she says she doesn't even watch television anymore. She says Bad Girls Club was ages ago and she's just living a normal life. I talked to Darlen... Darlen is still a bad girl. And Jennavecia surprisingly reached out to me on Twitter!
TWoP: Wow. Is it because you're going to be on Fit Club?
Tanisha: Well, maybe that, or maybe she wants to tell me about her little appearance on Tool Academy coming up.
TWoP: Oh, well there you go -- she wants to promote herself.
Tanisha: [laughs] I was shocked! I said, "Out of all the people, you're messaging me on Twitter... why?" And she goes, "Oh, we're like hate-sisters! What ever happened in the past is the past, and it was all love in the end." And I'm like, this girl is sad, I didn't know what to say.
TWoP: There's no love there.
Tanisha: There isn't. Not on my part, anyway, there isn't. I'm sorry, I'll never forgive anyone for doing something to my food. Ever.
TWoP: I hear ya. Like I said, Jennavicia was horrible.
Tanisha: And what's going on this season with the spitting thing? I don't understand that whole spitting thing.
TWoP: I feel like spitting is a way to attack somebody but without getting violent and getting kicked out of the house.
Tanisha: It's the worst possible thing you can do to a human being... to hold up your mouth and spit on them.
TWoP: Roberto Alomar might not be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame because he spit on somebody, and these girls are doing it every other day.
Tanisha: Exactly. It's disgusting. It's not a Bad Girl thing to do at all. I've said it on Twitter and many people have agreed with me. I just don't get that whole spitting thing. I understand that you can't hit each other but find another way. Shoot, make up songs, start a marching band, make a part two to the "I didn't get no sleep 'cause of y'all" remix or something. You know, 'cause that's what I had to do, ultimately. "Okay, I can't hit these girls, so what can I do to just piss them off?" ... So, I'm watching; it's a great season. You're the first person to hear me say this, but I think this season is actually kind of up there with ours, just because there's so much going on. There's a lot going on, right?
TWoP: But there's no person like you on this show. There's no one that viewers would want to follow to other shows. No one's breakout like you were.
Tanisha: Aw, thank you. I like a lot of people would definitely argue with you about that.
TWoP: Who, who is breakout on this show?
Tanisha: Well, I don't know.
TWoP: Not Natalie. You were in-your-face, but you had a great catchphrase and you were likeable. People were on your side in the real world.
Tanisha: I appreciate that, thank you.... I don't know, I get people messaging me, saying, "Oh, Natalie is great, I love her, I think your season was the best." Like I said, I think she's entertaining. Would we be friends? I doubt it....
TWoP: Were you approached to do a one-shot guest appearance this season?
Tanisha: No, I have something else coming up. Sometimes I get offers and I turn them down and stuff. I've been hearing a lot of talk about Bad Girls: All Stars
TWoP: Oh yeah?
Tanisha: Oh, no.
TWoP: Why not?
Tanisha: Wanna send me back to jail again? Listen, I don't think I can go through with it, because you already know, okay? You put me and Natalie and all these other people in the house...
TWoP: The blood pressure would be through the roof.
Tanisha: The blood pressure would [laughs] absolutely be through the roof. It'd be crazy.
TWoP: It would be awesome.
Tanisha: I'd pretty much shut it down.
TWoP: It'd be a one-episode series.
Tanisha: I mean, I would definitely have fun. I talked to some of the Bad Girls about it, like Tiffany and I are really, really cool. We talk all the time. I really like her. I just think that the true meaning of Bad Girls would really come out. I know I had a big mouth on the show -- I have a big mouth in general -- but I'm always prepared to back myself up and I don't think that that's the case this season. I'm sorry, I just put it out there. I just don't. And I don't know these girls or anything, but I just don't think that's the case.
TWoP: So what is for you then? You're done taping Fit Club, so do you have anything else lined up yet?
Tanisha: We are in the talks of possibly working on other projects, yes. Nothing is set in stone yet. Definitely a couple of offers have come my way. Right now, I'm under new management and we're examining things to see how things go. I'm just really excited to see what happens. I think it's going be a great year for me. Definitely.
TWoP: I know already you're a star, Tanisha, because you're using the word "we" to refer to yourself instead of "I." You've got a team now; you've got an entourage.
Tanisha: I got people! [laughs] No, I don't think so. You know, I'm excited. At the end of the day, it's all about being true to who you are, not trying to be anybody else, not trying to be the baddest. Because you know what, I'll tell you everything: I'm a real bad girl, but I don't think I could beat up everybody in this world. There are a couple of people out there who are way badder than I am, who I could never take, and I know that and I think that's what sets me apart from the rest. I admit when I'm wrong, I'm not afraid to speak up but at the end of the day, I do know my boundaries.
TWoP: And you're not going around saying, "I run Brooklyn" like certain people are saying "I run L.A." If you have to keep reminding people, it probably isn't true.
Tanisha: Exactly.