VH1 upped the ante with its new reality TV show Twinning, a competition that pitted 12 sets of twins against each other with the chance of winning $222,222.22. Viewers witnessed the meltdowns, the hook-ups, and the twists when twin teams were pushed to their limits in unexpected ways. At the end, Michigan natives Shawn and Claire were crowned the twinners. OHSOGRAY talked with Shawn and Claire about the competition, what they’re going to do with their winnings, and what’s next for their fashion line.
You can follow Shawn and Claire on Twitter at @ShockandAwww and check out their fashion collection at http://shockandawww.com.
How did you first become involved in Twinning?
Shawn: This is a very interesting story, so Claire and I with our clothing line Shock and Awww have made a couple of outfits for Katy Perry. We saw in the newspaper an event where one could meet her stylist, Johnny Wujek, who’s from our area, from Michigan. And we’re like “Woo, ok great!” We go and find out he was filming his own online reality TV show. The production company, the people who were there from the production company, suggested, “Oh girls, you seem like you both would be a good fit for reality TV. So let’s stay in contact.” Probably two months later or so, they gave us a call and said, “We’ve got this show, ‘Twinning,’ you might be interested.” So we did some Skype interviews and let’s see how it goes.
Were you excited to to it in the beginning or did you have any concerns about getting into reality TV?
Claire: This was my personal feeling, Shawn may feel a little differently, I was very apprehensive to go on the reality television bandwagon. Because, you know, there’s some great reality TV and there’s the horrible reality TV. I was concerned about how were going to be portrayed, because, you know, we are business women, we are entrepreneurs and we want to be perceived in a very positive, capable light. So I wanted to make sure that a show itself would highlight us and showcase our best qualities.
Shawn: I did feel the same way, but I remember saying, “But Claire, this is a show on VH1. Think exposure! And, again, there’s $222,000 at stake.
Claire: And I’m thinking “exposed!”
Shawn: And I’m thinking “seed money!”
What was the most challenging aspect of the competition?
Shawn: I think the most challenging aspect of the competition was that we went into it not knowing we’d be separated. So we were all happy at the beginning of the show…
Claire: I know, we were like, “We’re going to dominate together!”
Shawn: And then they drop the ball that, oh yes, we’re…
Shawn/Claire: separating you.
Claire: And I could see the wheels in myself and Shawn’s head working, like, “What are we going to have to do to change this?”
Shawn: And, how are we going to split up our wardrobe?
Claire: That too! Just that other people were very emotional in the moment, but we were automatically in strategic mode, like ok, this is really scary, but I need to use the time that I have left, with you…
Shawn: …before I get split up…
Claire: …to devise a new plan of how we’re going to make this work.
Who did you think was the fiercest competitor?
Claire: Once we were into the game, I think that Dylan and Taylor were probably our toughest competition, at least in physical challenges. They did lose the Twin Off that they were sent into and had they not elected…
Shawn: …had they not elected to go and continued to win challenges, I think they could have been a force to be reckoned with.
Claire: Exactly.
Who do you think was the most irritating contestant?
Shawn: Well, that’s an easy one for me. I think the most irritating contestants were Kristina and Kamila. And it’s not because of the Torian thing, it’s more that Kristina and Kamila were raised to speak their minds, to be very blunt and forthright. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m not accustomed to it and for me it’s called: as a dignified person, I know what’s important to keep inside, so I have a filter and I use it and you don’t.
Claire: I think something else that Shawn should’ve touched on, was that they were playing a very strategic game. They managed to, I don’t want to say brainwash, they managed to manipulate all of the other contestants around them into not wanting to vote them in. What we found incredibly irritating about that was that we suggested it from the very beginning–they may not be physically winning these challenges…
Shawn: …winning these challenges, but they’re winning these people over and having them not vote them in. So they’re just as threatening. And no one ever believed us! And look where it got them…the final three.
Where there any dramatic moments or disputes that were not caught by the cameras?
Claire: There was certainly a lot of fun stuff that we did that was not on tape. We had food fights. We had themed parties.
Shawn: Well, in the last challenge when you were hobbling with your knee, cause Claire ran into a door after seeing all the other girls cover Tre with maple syrup and Fruit Loops…
Claire: … we taped him to a bed.
Shawn: Then he Hulked out and chased Claire around the house and you got a golfball sized knee out of it…
Claire: Golfball?
Shawn: Sorry, softball. A softball sized knee out of it. There was a lot of creative, improvising when it came to things that we could do to entertain ourselves. Because they took away our phones, no television, no internet, all that entertaining stuff… So we had to make up some stuff.
Who do you think was the worst person to live with?
Claire: Initially, when Torian lived in our house, he liked to put dirty dishes that people hadn’t washed in their beds. He was…
Shawn: Did Josh snore like Chris snores?
Claire: No. He flashed people. I’m going to go with Chris…
Claire/Shawn: Josh.
Shawn: I’m going to with Josh because I was shocked and appalled one morning when I walked into the bathroom. He was flashing people left and right.
Which of the challenges did you find the toughest?
Shawn: The challenge that was by far the most difficult was last week’s, which was the Tasing challenge with the obstacle course. For me it is the Tasing, yes, but also the obstacle course got so slick with all the water that it was a miracle to get across it alone. And then when you know that you’re causing your twin or your significant other pain, it’s emotionally taxing. You have a very difficult challenge ahead of you and then you’re also in a more emotional state. It made for a very difficult challenge.
How did it feel to go through all this and come out on top?
Shawn: It was the best feeling ever. I don’t want to say it was one of those “we told you so, people,” but we came into the game with the idea that we were going to win. So there definitely was a lot of validation there, yes. Also, I think we played the game in a rather respectable way. We didn’t fight with anyone physically. We did have some choice words for others. But again, we tried to be friendly, tried play fair, and it shows that we really are the ultimate twinners and we really are the best.
Do you have any plans for your winnings?
Shawn: We certainly do. We have a clothing company called Shock and Awww. We are planning on debuting our first collection at New York Fashion Week in February. So we’ll definitely be funneling a lot of that into our collection. And our eventual move whether it be to Los Angeles or to New York City, it really depends on what type of venture we really are trying out right now. We’re continuing with the VH1 family. We’re very interested in hosting the next season of Twinning. We’re in the process of creating our own reality TV show that kind of highlights small town girls going to the big city to make fashion for celebrities and what not. A bio pic of what we’ve been doing for the last couple of years.