Amber: No ’Little Girl’

Amber Brkich, one of the contestants in the just concluded Survivor: The Australian Outback said she just wants “people to see another side of me.”

That won't be difficult when the July issue of Stuff magazine hits newsstands June 15.

Brkich, a 22-year-old Beaver County administrative assistant, is featured in an eight-page swimsuit photo spread in the men's magazine.

Brkich said she agreed to pose in the magazine for free — a standard policy for the magazine's models — for two reasons: publicity, and to shed the shy, small-town girl image portrayed on CBS' Survivor: The Australian Outback

“I know what I'd have to pay a publicist to get this kind of publicity,” Brkich said.

“I'm much more friendly and outgoing than they made me out to be on TV. I kind of want to get away from that little-girl image.”

The Westminster College graduate, who was voted off the show nearly five weeks ago, said folks in her Brighton Township hometown shouldn't be too shocked.

“I say it's kind of like a guy's Cosmo” Brkich said in describing Stuff. “It's still a sexy magazine, but it's not like Playboy or anything.”

Stuff's senior associate editor Bill Schulz said the magazine went after Brkich because he believes male viewers found her the most attractive contestant.

“Forget about that `Outwit, Outplay, Outlast' stuff. The biggest question was who could out-babe them all,” Schulz said. “Elizabeth is cute, and Jerri was sassy, but Amber is the best of all.”

Brkich has been fielding appearance requests ranging from talk shows to parades to the syndicated “Hollywood Squares” game show on which she appeared Thursday night.

“They want you to be in this parade and sign autographs here. I try to honor as many offers as possible, but it can get overwhelming,” said Brkich, who has met with talent agents and may move to Los Angeles.

“I thank everyone so much here for their support,” Brkich said. “I'm not going to forget about Beaver County.”

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