Natasha Galkina, born December, 1985 in Rostov, Russia, is an American fashion model. Galkina is perhaps most known as the runner-up of America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8.

Before Top Model

In the America's Next Top Model finale episode, Natasha revealed to host Tyra Banks that her mother did not have enough money to send her to a local university, and so she ended up living in Moscow, under very poor living conditions at times. Natasha was a college student before America's Next Top Model, Cycle 8.

America's Next Top Model

Natasha's journey started off roughly, creative director Jay Manuel having said that her "High School Clichés" photoshoot in the second episode was among the hardest to direct in Top Model history, besides Ann Markley from America's Next Top Model, Cycle 3. However, as the competition progressed, the judges were amazed by Galkina's extraordinary progress, Tyra Banks having referred to her as the "most improved" contestant in the opening narration of the finale. This growth, as well as her endearing personality and ability to effectively market herself to prospective clients, earned Natasha a spot in the final two models. As a finalist in the competition, she got the opportunity to shoot a cover-try for Seventeen magazine, and to walk the runway for Sass and Bide clothing, in the season finale. Her skirt fell down during the runway show, but she was applauded by the judges for commiting to character, and making the wardrobe malfunction appear as though it were intentional. Jaslene Gonzalez was the eventual winner of the competition.

She was recently voted as one of the most memorable contestants by AOL entertainment.

Career

On the April 18, 2007 episode of Top Model, Tyra Banks announced that Galkina will serve as a special correspondent on her daytime talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, having impressed the judges in that week's interviewing challenge. Galkina says that she will be working on another television program, although she cannot give specifics at this time.

Galkina has continued to pursue modeling. She was signed with the MUSE NY modeling agency from July, 2007, to September, 2007, and is now represented by MGMT First and Beatrice Model agency. She has graced the covers of Modern Luxury Houston and DC magazines, and has appeared in a fashion spread for US Weekly magazine's May 21, 2007 issue, modeling looks of the summer with Top Model competitors Renee Alway, Jaslene Gonzalez, and Dionne Walters. She modeled in Athens, Greece and Milan, Italy, having shot fashion editorials for the magazines Cosmopolitan, Lucky, Elle, and the Greek magazine, Madame Figaro.. Natasha is also signed with Ace Model Management in Greece.

Personal life

In the first episode of Top Model 8, Natasha introduced herself as being from Dallas, Texas. She said that she is married to an American man, Stuart Hagler, who brought her over to the United States, and it was revealed in the seventh episode of the series, that they have a daughter, Angelina. There was controversy concerning Galkina's marriage, among the other contestants throughout various episodes of the series, because Galkina never wore a wedding band, nor did she seem to have pictures of her husband and daughter. Some contestants speculated that Natasha was a mail-order bride. Galkina has subsequently denied the claim, having said in an interview, "We met like the other people, like the other people meet each other. It was natural, we dated for a little bit less than a year, and I got married when I was almost 20 and after the year from the date of our marriage, and I got the beautiful baby and I was very, very happy with him."

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