Kriti Mehrotra
Although Fox’s ‘The Swan’ ran for 2 seasons in the mid-2000s, it faced backlash and discourse from the moment it was announced, owing to the beauty standards it seemed to set. That’s because it invited women from all walks of life to undergo a major transformation through cosmetic surgery, lifestyle changes, and therapy – subtle tweaks were not the goal. The fact that there was a beauty pageant at the end also didn’t sit well with many, which season 1 runner-up Beth Lay Harris opened about in Hulu’s ‘The Swan: Behind the Mirror.’
Beth Lay Was Struggling With Her Identity When She Applied For The Swan
Since Beth Lay admittedly grew up in a religious environment that was “controlled” in the way she had to follow rules without question, she was still finding herself in the early 2000s. She had married the man she believed to be her forever, welcomed an adorable son into this world, and established a career, but she didn’t know who she was as an individual. The fact that she didn’t see herself as someone beautiful and struggled with self-esteem after the birth of her little boy further affected her, so she didn’t hesitate to apply for ‘The Swan.’
Beth heard about the Fox original reality series through an ad, and the first thing that came to her mind was the possibility of getting new, “free boobs” since hers had lost their shape. She also claimed in the Hulu documentary that she was in a very emotionally vulnerable state at the time since she was juggling everything all by herself. She was taking care of her family at home and providing for them financially, which she indicated gradually started to consider a burden as she didn’t feel supported in any capacity.
“I was responsible,” Beth said. “I did everthing that you are supposed to do, I was dealing with a lot of emotional baggage at the time, and I needed a change.” Therefore, when she was asked to essentially put together a wish list during the audition process, she decided to shoot for the stars and noted down every insecurity she’d ever had. It was a combination of all these aspects that made her see the show “as a way of, maybe taking for the first time ever, a little part of the world for myself. To learn more about myself.”
In Hindsight, Beth Lay Feels Misled and Wronged by The Swan
Beth truly believed ‘The Swan’ would not only help her finally feel confident in her own skin but also open doors for her toward experiences that would allow her to come into her own. She admits she was desperate to “become who I was without my family, without my child, without my religion. Young Beth was actually so excited to have this amazing opportunity.” She was thus over the moon when she was cast, but things changed not long after filming began, as she was informed they had added a beauty pageant at the end.
Beth had signed up for a show that avowed to help participants with their overall transformation, so the pageant felt superficial even if it was billed as motivation for them to stick with the process. The fact that she was then pressured and pushed to have more cosmetic surgeries than she realistically felt comfortable with further impacted her entire experience. “I was told if I didn’t get everything on my list, I would be sent home,” she stated in the Hulu documentary, adding that from the 10 procedures she ultimately had, “none of this was my choice at all.” Her makeover was undeniably significant by the time the 3-month reveal rolled around, and she was happy with what she saw in the mirror, but she was also done.
Beth didn’t really want to be in the pageant, yet she had a sense she didn’t have a choice, so when she made it all the way to the finale, she truly hoped her name wouldn’t be called out as the winner. “I didn’t want to forever be known as the winner of The Swan because that would make me the ‘ugly duckling’ to start with,” she said. “I didn’t want that stigma to follow me for the rest of my life.” She eventually returned home as the runner-up, which is when she realized the show hadn’t set anyone up with aftercare facilities to help maintain the transformation. Therefore, she put on some weight in the ensuing year as she resumed her normal life as a working-family woman, and then her left breast implant caused her skin to tighten.
Beth Lay Leads a Life Packed With Adventure and Travel
While Beth managed to get a post-show correction for the painful capsular contracture with the same doctor who did her original surgery, she claims it still didn’t sit right and later dropped lower. As a result, she believes she left the show with more insecurities than she started with – in fact, she now claims that if she could go back in time and do it all over again, she likely wouldn’t even apply. It has been over two decades since ‘The Swan’ came to an end, and while she has developed unwavering resilience and found herself over time, her life is still impacted by it. After all, the breast augmentation she was displeased with for so long started causing her trouble again in 2020 as an implant popped, creating a deflated, sagging appearance.
Beth tried to book an appointment with the original plastic surgeon, but his office allegedly refused to find her records and apparently would not even let her speak to him. She was left with no choice but to find another doctor to help her fix the issue, who she states has given her a quote of almost $40,000. So, she is currently saving up to afford not only the procedure but also the recovery costs. Nevertheless, she hasn’t let it slow her down as she continues to lead a life full of adventure, beauty, and travel – from what we can tell, she is a proud nature photographer.
Beth now goes by her maiden name of Beth Harris, residing in the Washington area of the Pacific Northwest, embracing the world in its purest form, and undertaking new quests every day. She loves to hike, mountain climb, and scramble up new locations whenever possible, whether it be in her home state, Utah, Oregon, California, Arizona, or anywhere across the globe. In fact, in the past few years alone, she has explored the Blue Valley, Cannon Beach, Yellowstone National Park, the French Alps, and the Val di Funes Valley in Italy. We should also mention that she sadly lost her youngest brother in 2021, making her treasure her relationship with her remaining family, especially her now-adult son, even more. They seem to share a tight-knit bond.
Read More: Cindy Ingle: Where is The Swan Season 1 Contestant Now?
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