Exclusive Haley Scarnato Interview in Entertainment Weekly

What’s that sound you hear? Men around the country weeping because they won’t be able to watch Haley ”Legs” Scarnato get on stage in the shortest of shorts anymore. Turns out the leggy songbird couldn’t move to the Latin beat: The 24-year-old got the boot last night. One could even say she didn’t have legs after all. (Okay, I’ll stop creepily putting the word ”legs” into every sentence now. Until I ask her about them, because frankly, we’re not gonna talk about vocal range, people…)

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I have to give you props for rising to the occasion and singing your song after you got voted out. How hard was that to do without bursting out crying?

HALEY SCARNATO: In the moment it’s just like, ”Get the job done.” The final performance is a big thing. I just wanted to do the best I could do. It was definitely hard after watching the video they put together. But once the band kicks in and the music takes you, you just let go.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: As a viewer, I always feel bad for the finalists during Latin week and country week because some people always end up singing songs so far out of their comfort zone. Did you feel out of your element during Latin week?

HALEY SCARNATO: Not really. I’m kind of a cover artist. I’ve been singing in bands for quite a few years now. I’ve had to do a lot of Gloria Estefan songs in wedding bands. It’s just another song with a different beat. You just give it a little more flavor.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Were you offended by Simon’s lechy comments about your skimpy outfits?

HALEY SCARNATO: A little bit. It’s hard to take something like that. I just tried to keep going and just know what I know and I know who I am. It’s just kind of part of the whole deal of it.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Because a lot of pop singers dress like that?

HALEY SCARNATO: Yeah. He was saying I was very cabaret for a while — I thought maybe I should go more trendy and young and look more pop. I thought to focus more on what’s in style. And that’s what’s in style, so that’s why I went with shorts and leggings. It just kind of was what it was.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Have any offers come in now that you’re off the show?

HALEY SCARNATO: I hope they do. We’ll see. It’s only been a day, so we’ll see what happens.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Would you consider modeling?

HALEY SCARNATO: Definitely. That would be so much fun. It was great just doing the photo shoots for the show.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Do middle-aged men, like the one in the man-on-the-street video that Ryan did, come up to you and hit on you all the time now?

HALEY SCARNATO: No, nothing like that. A lot of kids come up to me and that’s what’s important. It’s all about the kids. It makes you feel good when they come up to you. I really hope that wasn’t the vibe that I was giving everybody, that I was always wearing short outfits. That’s not how I want to be remembered.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Well, I think you’re somewhat out of luck there. But on the plus side, you could help women everywhere with exercise tips to get great legs. So what’s the secret?

HALEY SCARNATO: I’m telling you, this makeup they have is amazing.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It’s not all makeup, sorry.

HALEY SCARNATO: I swear. It’s the best makeup. I work out a little bit but I’ve got cellulite. The makeup gives the illusion of skinnier legs. It’s great. When it’s not on I look at myself in the mirror and it’s like, ”Ooh. No.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You were holding hands with Melinda on the couch and all the guys ran up to you and embraced you after you got voted off. Anyone you were particularly close to on the show?

HALEY SCARNATO: We were all so close. But probably Melinda, who was my roommate, and Jordin. When you live with people you get a different bond. I was really good friends with Phil and Blake and Chris also. At least we’ll all see each other for the tour.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Aren’t you getting married around the time of the tour?

HALEY SCARNATO: I totally have to plan my wedding now, before the tour starts. We had the date scheduled for November 10th but that’s way too close to the tour, so we’re going to push it back to January.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was up with your ”clock in and clock out” statement to the judges earlier in the season? A lot of people heard that and felt like you weren’t invested enough in the show.

HALEY SCARNATO: Really? That’s not what I meant. I meant like what I had to do last night. I was crying but I had to perform. You have to clock in and do what you have to do. It’s so funny how people misunderstand you.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What were you planning on singing during country week next week?

HALEY SCARNATO: I was planning on doing ”When God-Fearing Women Get the Blues” by Martina McBride. It would have been great. Oh well. It was a fun ride. I still definitely want to record and be a recording artist. That’s my dream. We’ll see if it happens.

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