Tiffany Pollard

Tiffany Pollard (born January 6, 1982)^[1] is an American reality television personality and actress. She is best known for her participation in VH1's Flavor of Love and I Love New York. Pollard was given the nickname "New York" by rapper Flavor Flav. She is also known colloquially by her self-proclaimed nickname, the "HBIC (Head Bitch In Charge)",^[2] which she exclaimed in the Flavor of Love series to taunt her competitors.^[3] In 2016, Pollard took part in the popular British television show Celebrity Big Brother - finishing in 4th place. She is currently a main cast member in the reality television series The Next:15. She and her mother were main cast members in the first season of the reality show Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn. On November 3, 2016, it was announced that she joined the second season of E! reality show Famously Single.

Personal life

Pollard was born in Utica, New York to Michelle Rothschild-Patterson (also known as "Sister Patterson") and Alex Pollard.^[4] Pollard has used the surnames of both her parents, who are unmarried.^[5] She attended John F. Kennedy Middle School and graduated from Thomas R. Proctor High School.^[6]

Pollard was engaged to I Love New York season 1 winner Patrick "Tango" Hunter for a six-month period until Hunter called off the engagement on the reunion show.^[7] She was also engaged to George "Tailor Made" Weisgerber, the winner of I Love New York 2. On September 8, 2008, she announced on episode 6 of her show, New York Goes to Hollywood, that she had officially separated from Weisgerber.^[8]

Television appearances

2006: Breakthrough with Flavor of Love

Flavor of Love

Pollard clashed with virtually all the other contestants. Although these feuds were, in general, nothing more than screaming matches, an incident in the penultimate episode of season one led to violence. After her elimination, an outraged Brooke "Pumkin" Thompson spat on Pollard after the two had exchanged words.^[9] Pollard vowed to "whoop Pumkin's ass", and attempted to do so at the season one reunion.^[10] The moment was rated number one on various VH1 and MTV reality show specials, including VH1's 20 Greatest Celebreality Fights. While on the series, Pollard shared a kiss with Flavor Flav that was the longest kiss in reality television history. The final two contestants journeyed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where Flavor Flav chose Nicole "Hoopz" Alexander over Pollard, to be his mate.^[11]

Flavor of Love 2

After his relationship did not work out with Alexander, Flavor Flav chose to do a second season of his dating show and invited Pollard to help him eliminate contestants halfway through the season. She agreed and was later added as a participant.^[12] In the finale, Flav chose Deelishis over Pollard.^[13] Pollard verbally fought with Flav in the season finale, asking why he had brought her back only to be ultimately eliminated.^[14] However, the two announced on the Flavor of Love: After the Lovin reunion show that aired October 28, 2006, that they would remain friends.^[15]

2007–2009: VH1 Spinoffs

I Love New York

I Love New York was Tiffany Pollard's first reality television series on VH1. The series is a spin-off of another relationship competition series, the Flavor of Love, which featured Pollard as a finalist in two consecutive seasons. In July 2006, VH1 published a casting call for contestants for a new series tentatively titled The Flavorette. Various blogs speculated that the star of this program could be Flavor of Love season 1 contestant Rain, Hoopz (Nicole Alexander) or Pollard. Before the season 2 Flavor of Love finale, Pollard denied having her own show but after the finale aired, she confirmed she was the "Flavorette" and that she was already down to the final three contestants. The show premiered on Monday, January 8, 2007 and was the most-watched series debut in VH1 history with 4.426 million viewers.^[16] Its season 1 finale brought in 4.8M million viewers and its reunion show ratings held 5.01 million viewers. Spin-offs from the series include I Love Money, New York Goes to Hollywood, Real Chance of Love, New York Goes to Work, and Frank the Entertainer in a Basement Affair.

I Love New York 2

I Love New York 2 premiered October 8, 2007 on VH1.^[17] In the finale of I Love New York 2, contestant "Tailor Made" (real name George Weisgerber) proposed to Pollard, but was turned down. The finale earned 5.4 million viewers. During the I Love New York 2 reunion special, Tailor Made proposed a second time and Pollard accepted. The reunion special earned 4.86 million viewers.^[18][19]

New York Goes to Hollywood

New York Goes to Hollywood premiered August 4, 2008 on VH1. The eight episode season follows Pollard as she tries to establish herself as an actress in Hollywood, California.

New York Goes to Work

New York Goes to Work premiered on May 4, 2009. The reality show follows Pollard as she searches for a regular job.^[20] The jobs are selected by fans (via text messaging) from a list of three possible jobs for each episode. Pollard receives a $10,000 bonus each week if she is able to impress her employer. However, if she instead quits, fails or gets fired, she receives no bonus for the week. Altogether, Pollard wins $45000, earning bonuses in 4 jobs (in episodes 1, 2, 5 and 6); losing, failing in, or quitting 4 jobs (in episodes 3, 4, 7 and 8); and coming to a draw in the season finale. At the end of the series, a mobile poll is presented giving three choices for New York's next task, and the most votes are cast for I Love New York 3.

I Love New York 3

Production for I Love New York 3 was set to kick off sometime in the first quarter of 2010; however, prior to that time frame, VH1 requested immediate cancellation on the Celebreality franchise and shelved plans for I Love New York 3. In the summer of 2011, Pollard hinted that I Love New York 3 was cancelled due to the murder-suicide case of Ryan Jenkins, who was a former contestant of Megan Wants a Millionaire.^[21]

2015–2016: Reality television comeback and UK breakthrough

On April 14, 2015, Pollard appeared on an episode of the E! Network's series, Botched, where she details her botched surgeries that have left her breasts sagging with extra skin. She appears on the show in hopes of getting them corrected, so she may resume her reality TV career.^[2][22][23]

On January 5, 2016, Pollard entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to participate in the seventeenth series. She was involved in an infamous misunderstanding in which Pollard believed that David Gest had died of cancer inside the house; it subsequently turned out to be David Bowie that had died, the ex-husband of fellow housemate Angie Bowie.^[24] Throughout her time on the show, Pollard proved popular with viewers and achieved the most votes to save over her fellow contestants on at least one occasion. On February 5, Pollard made the final and came in fourth place - ranking higher than any other American female who had been on the show.^[25] Due to her popularity on the show, Pollard appeared in many UK publications including New! magazine. She also became a regular fixture on the Big Brother spin off show Big Brother's Bit on the Side during Big Brother 17 (UK).

In January 2016, Pollard was announced as a main cast member on TV One's The Next :15 which premiered on February 10, 2016.^[26] In February 2016, Pollard was announced as a cast member on the first season of Family Therapy with Dr. Jenn which premiered on March 16, 2016 on VH1. In August 2016, it was announced that Pollard would host new gay dating show, The Ex in which she also served as executive producer. The show hasn't been picked up by a network yet.^[27][28]

Several images and GIFs of Pollard, taken from her various VH1 appearances, have developed into internet memes on social network sites such as Tumblr and Twitter.^[29] A notable example includes "New York on a Bed," which became a popular meme on Twitter used to express emotions of frustration and discomfort as well as moments of awkwardness.^[30]

Acting career

Pollard's first movie role was in 2008, in the comedy First Sunday. She appeared in a supporting role, acting alongside Ice Cube, Regina Hall, and C. J. Sanders.

Pollard participated in a 2009 national tour of the Vagina Monologues with an all-black cast, most of whom are also former reality show contestants.^[31] Pollard has also appeared in a play called The Clean Up Woman in 2009, and The Trial of The Chicago 7 in 2010.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

References

External links

• Tiffany Pollard on Twitter
• Tiffany Pollard at the Internet Movie Database
• Tiffany Pollard at TV.com