Winning a reality show in 2008 felt like a golden ticket to forever. For Brittany "McKey" Sullivan, the winner of ANTM cycle 11, that ticket looked like a whirlwind of CoverGirl contracts and a massive billboard in Times Square. But if you’re looking for her on a major runway today, you're gonna be searching for a while.
Honestly, McKey was a bit of a powerhouse during her season. She was 19, from Lake Forest, Illinois, and had this incredibly striking, edgy look that Tyra Banks absolutely lived for. She didn't just win; she dominated. She never even landed in the bottom two. Not once.
The Girl With the Boxing Gloves
Most people remember McKey as the "tomboy" who did mixed martial arts. It wasn't just a gimmick for the cameras, though. She actually got into modeling because of a brutal soccer injury that required three knee surgeries. Modeling was basically the only way she could stay active without putting too much strain on her joints in a high-impact way.
When she first showed up for Cycle 11, she had shoulder-length red hair and went by Brittany. But there were too many Brittanys in the house. Tyra, being Tyra, decided a name change was in order. McKey chose her nickname—a spin on McKenzie—and the show gave her that iconic, short black pixie cut. It transformed her. She went from "girl next door" to "high-fashion editorial" overnight.
Throughout the competition in Los Angeles and later Amsterdam, McKey was a machine. Even when she messed up, she won. Remember the go-see challenge in Amsterdam? She booked every single designer she met with—four out of four. She ended up disqualified from the prize because she got back to the agency late, but the industry impact was already made. The designers loved her.
What Really Happened After the Crown
So, if she was so good, why isn't she a household name like Winnie Harlow or even her Cycle 11 castmate Lio (formerly Analeigh) Tipton?
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The truth is kinda messy. After the show, McKey did the rounds. She appeared in Seventeen Magazine, did the CoverGirl ads, and was even named one of People’s Most Beautiful People in 2009. But the Elite Model Management contract—the "big prize"—was where things started to crumble.
McKey later revealed in interviews, specifically a pretty candid one with Oliver Twixt, that her time at Elite was a nightmare. Apparently, the agency went through a massive internal "implosion" right after she signed. Her original agent left, and the new team basically didn't know what to do with her. They told her she was too muscular. They told her she was too tall (she's a solid 6 feet). They basically "shelved" her.
It's a classic reality TV trap. You win the show, but the industry people who are supposed to manage you didn't actually choose you—a TV producer did.
The Analeigh Tipton Factor
You can't talk about the winner of ANTM cycle 11 without talking about the people she beat. This season was stacked.
- Lio (Analeigh) Tipton: Finished third. They went on to have a massive acting career, starring in Crazy, Stupid, Love and Warm Bodies.
- Samantha Potter: The runner-up. She had a very commercial, "California cool" look that many fans thought was more wearable than McKey's.
- Isis King: A literal trailblazer as the show's first transgender contestant, who has since become a major figure in the industry and acting world.
Looking back, some fans argue McKey’s win was "boring" because she was so consistently good. She wasn't involved in the house drama. While other girls were bickering over the "Marjorie/Elina" European vs. American divide, McKey was usually in the kitchen cooking or practicing her boxing moves. She stayed out of the mud, which makes for a great model but sometimes "forgetable" TV.
Where is McKey Sullivan Now?
By 2026, McKey has largely stepped away from the spotlight to focus on her family. She married Sam Alvey, a professional MMA fighter, and they have five children. It's a far cry from the high-fashion runways of Paris, but she seems genuinely happy.
She’s been very open about the fact that she doesn't regret the show, but she also doesn't miss the industry's toxicity. She once mentioned that she’s grateful things didn't "pan out" in a way that made her super famous because she doesn't think her younger self would have handled that level of scrutiny well.
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Key Takeaways for ANTM Fans
- Consistency over Drama: McKey is one of the few winners who never stood in the bottom two.
- The Name Change: She was originally Brittany, but the "McKey" brand was born out of a necessity to stand out from other contestants.
- Agency Struggles: Her post-show career was stifled by management changes at Elite, not a lack of talent.
- Life After Fame: She pivoted from modeling to family life and supporting the MMA world.
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of Cycle 11, you should definitely check out the "go-see" episode in Amsterdam. It’s a masterclass in how to handle professional casting calls, even if you do end up losing the challenge on a technicality. You can also find some of her high-fashion editorial work from the 2009-2011 era in digital archives of Vogue Nippon and Seventeen if you want to see what that "Elite" potential actually looked like in print.