Interview: True Beauty Judge Cheryl Tiegs

Cheryl Tiegs -- you know her as the world's first supermodel. Her face has graced the cover of every major fashion magazine, and the more-gorgeous-than-ever 61-year-old became the first to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue three times. Now Tiegs -- who is also an extremely active philanthropist for children's and environmental causes -- appears as a judge on ABC's new reality show, True Beauty, in which ten beautiful people believe they're competing purely based on their looks and style, when they are actually being watched for demonstrations of their inner beauty. The show airs Mondays at 10 p.m. EST/PST on ABC.

Q: What influenced you to become a judge on the show, True Beauty?
A: When I heard about this show, I called and said, 'I really believe I should be involved in this somehow. I'll help you because this is something I think America should know.' I've been in the fashion and beauty business for so many years and I know that success comes from more than just outer beauty. I've seen girls with perfect features come and go. And some who have quirky features stay because they have that something, some aliveness, some goodness. Goodness, kindness, sweetness, awareness of others, helping others, that's all very very important, for everybody.

Q: You do a lot of work for great causes, children, the environment. But did the competition teach you anything new about being a better person?
A: It made me more aware of how I am in my daily life. I meditate, I do yoga, I'm very much on that spiritual path. But I could use improvements like everyone else. In my kindness, in my goodness, of being one hundred percent every day. And that's not easy.