In 2004, Candice Michelle entered the WWE Diva Search with the goal of securing a WWE contract and a giant cash prize. Instead, she found herself eliminated from the competition, with fellow model Christy Hemme ultimately collecting the winnings and Diva Search crown.

While appearing on “Insight With Chris Van Vliet,” Michelle recalled the heartbreak she felt in the initial aftermath of her Diva Search loss. “That was really hard,” she said. “In LA, as you know, when you’re auditioning all the time, you get over it pretty fast or you need to get over it fast. And that one, I think I cried for like a month. I was like, that was perfect for me. I was athletic. I was into boxing and Krav Maga. I should have got that. I also know there’s a side of the business where I also knew Christy Hemme was perfect role for that spot. I just didn’t know that they would call me back when that contest ended and offer me a three-year deal.”

When asked for her take on why she didn’t win Divas Search, Michelle suggested that she might have presented a character different from what the WWE fanbase typically saw. “I have a different appeal. I need to warm up to an audience,” she said. “Christy just had that fun vibrant bubbly personality. People love her instantly and I think that’s what the WWE needed at that time.”

Upon coming aboard to WWE one month after her Diva Search stint, Michelle noted that then-WWE CEO Vince McMahon told her, and several other contestants, that he’d provide them with a platform to showcase themselves as WWE stars; it was up to them, however, to maximize it. Michelle made the most of hers and eventually seized the WWE Women’s Championship in 2007.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Insight With Chris Van Vliet” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.