The Hard Word

We want our MTV ... especially when Zoe Naylor's playing host. Chris Sheedy changes channel.

As she leaves the photo shoot after our interview, MTV presenter Zoe Naylor leans over and whispers: "Please don't make me sound too stupid."

No chance of that - I've just spent more than an hour speaking to one of the smartest and most spirited young women I've ever met. It dawns on me that she is probably often treated as a bimbo. After all, she's jaw-droppingly gorgeous and physically perfect in every way, so surely she couldn't also be blessed with a brain?

This assumption may also have been compounded by a particular TV commercial she once starred in. You know the ad - it's all about sports bras. In order to demonstrate the need for them, the advertising agency filmed a very attractive young lady running, bare-breasted on a treadmill.

It is painfully obvious, though, that Zoe Naylor is a lot more than a pair of bouncing breasts. At the age of 20, she has achieved more than most of us can hope to in a lifetime.

Although the past few years haven't all been smooth sailing for the goddess of pay TV, her job as an MTV presenter and a guest role on the soap Breakers certainly make things bearable.

You've worked in amazingly diverse areas of TV, from MTV to A Current Affair to bra commercials. When are you going to make up your mind about what you want to do?
This is the problem I'm facing at the moment. I'm 20 years old and it's like I'm juggling 10 balls and I don't know which one to throw up in the air and catch. I figure if I just keep chasing a whole variety of things then something will fall into place.

You're an actor, documentary maker, journalist, production assistant, sportswoman and catwalk model. If you had business cards printed up, what would they say?
They'd say I'm an entrepreneur in the arts and media! The one thing I know about my career is that I don't want to work in an office. I did that for a stint. I thought I wanted to be an editor, so I went to a publishing house and worked on a magazine. But I realised I didn't want to work from nine to five.

I understand the modelling world peeved you off. What did you hate about it?
In the modelling industry, everything is based on face value. That annoys me because I have a degree and an academic background, and I have achieved more than the average model ever could. To then be treated as just a face, you start to ask, well, who are you to speak to me like that?

Surely modelling isn't all that bad?
Modelling has its good points - I've seen so many wonderful places and met some great people, but at the same time there's that constant exterior value placed on everything.

You won an award for a radio documentary on drugs and youth culture. Did that require a lot of personal research?
Of course, every young person has experimented with drugs! I would be lying if I said I hadn't. But I'm not a druggie and I never would get that way. The Government and the people from my parents' generation think as soon as you touch any of those drugs then you're just bad.

Moving on to more important topics, does showing off your body give you a feeling of power?
There is no doubt that if you're doing a campaign and everyone is fussing over you then it feels good. It's a funny industry though. You go to these castings and you're in a room with 30 of the most beautiful girls you've ever seen, and you think, why are you all in this industry? Why are you all here competing against each other? But I guess it's because of all the money you can make in modelling.

Are you telling me it's an awful life being absolutely gorgeous and being paid heaps to lie around all day wearing very little?
Well, it's true underwear and swimwear modelling is something I've always done. I guess I'm very grateful to have been given the genetic make-up I have.

What's the main mistake guys make when they're trying to pick up a girl?
Well, it's the peer thing. I find with guys who are in groups, it's almost like a competition and to be a smart-arse is cool. I think it's because they don't want to be turned down when they're being themselves because then it's more embarrassing. If they had the guts to come up and be polite then it would be great. But at the same time it's a catch-22 because I've known guys who went up to girls and said something nice, and the girls have given them the flick anyway! So for the poor guys out there, I think half the time there is no other option than to be an idiot.

Are guys or girls worse in the pick-up situation?
(Laughs) I think we're as bad as each other!

How many times have you been asked to get naked for a job?
For Berlei, I had to run topless on a treadmill for four hours, because it was that ad which was all about bouncing boobs and demonstrating the need for sports bras.

Didn't that cause a fair bit of pain in the mammary region?
It killed! Oh my god, I swear my breasts have gone through some serious pain since that day. But I was paid well for it! Doing nudity for something like that was something I didn't mind because the whole structure behind the ad was scientific. I won't wear anything but a sports bra if I'm doing exercises.

Yeah, I remember studying that commercial closely and I actually learnt quite a bit about the female form!
Yeah, guys watch the ad at first saying, 'Look at her tits.' Girls watch it and learn how important it is to wear a bra. But I won't do nudity that is distasteful or doesn't have a point behind it. I wouldn't do a Playboy shoot, something that guys are going to jerk off over. But maybe they still jerk off over the arty stuff anyway!

What's your best physical asset?
I don't think I have one in particular. I think I've been blessed to have a package. It may not be perfect in every way, but it comes across well, so I'm pretty grateful.

Have you ever been stalked or had loony fan mail?
I've had a few sick love letters and love songs and stuff sent into MTV. At MTV I find I'm not allowed to wear revealing tops because guys tend to concentrate more on my breasts than on what I'm saying. I've had some pretty bizarre love letters since I've been here.

What sort of things did they say?
I don't know if it's stuff you can print!

Of course we can! We're Ralph magazine, the voice of the people! We can say whatever the hell we want!
Okay, they usually just say things like they want to take off all my clothes and do particular things to my body...if you know what I mean?

Yes!
And also, sometimes when I've been out I've been followed back to my car by guys who have been very forward to the point of being uncomfortable. Most of the time it's okay because I just turn around and say, 'Hey, I'm not this untouchable person. I'm Zoe, how's it going?' I think guys sometimes have a problem with women because girls tend to put on this untouchable exterior, when all the guys really want is for the girl to say hello.

Your closest girlfriend tells you she's gay and she wants your body - how do you react?
I tell that I'm really glad she's come out of the closet, I'm really happy for her and I'll support her every step of the way, but I'm heterosexual.

Your boyfriend finds out about your lesbian friend and requests a threesome - what then?
Wow! I'd probably be a bit gobsmacked for a while. I'd probably ask him whether he'd want a threesome because it turns him on or because he really likes her instead of me. I think I'd have to ask a lot of questions, but I don't think I'd like to be a part of something like that.

What's the pettiest thing you've ever dropped a boyfriend for?
I've always been dropped!

No way!
Actually, that's a lie. It's probably because somebody has been unfaithful - all that sort of stuff which happens during high school relationships. Sometimes it just gets to the point where your goals don't coincide with theirs. I've been really lucky because I've maintained a really good friendship with all of my ex-boyfriends. I cherish and love every minute I spent with every one of them, and life's too short to hold a grudge.