Editor’s note: Playboy Club model Apollonia chats with Playboy about her turn-ons and turn-offs, what it was like to be in beauty pageants, and her favorite book to reread.
Playboy: Let’s start with where you grew up and what the experience was like.
Apollonia: I grew up in West Yorkshire, it’s a very small countryside area in England, with my mum and dad and two brothers. And I had such an amazing childhood. I was such a happy child. We had such a loving family and we were all still so close. We still all have that bond. All I can remember is playing out and going to the woods making dens, we had such a fun growing up outside experience because it’s so different today.
I can remember my bedroom—I had pink Playboy bedding. Pink bedding with a black Playboy logo.
Playboy: Do you think the time outdoors made you a nature person, where you kind of need to go out in nature regularly to recharge?
Apollonia: Yeah, I feel like it did because sometimes I become stuck in the house and I have nothing to do. I always want to go out, I have that urge to want to do something or be adventurous. So, yeah, I think it did. Yeah, let’s go make a den.
Playboy: What was your school experience like?
Apollonia: Unfortunately I had a really bad school experience. Growing up was fine until I got to high school and that’s when I started my modeling career. I was 14. So I think it was the second year of high school and people did not like that. They thought that I loved myself. That was a horrible girl for doing modeling and then I did pageants, which made it 10 times worse. And the only reason I started modeling in pageants is because an agency came to me. I’ve never even thought about it before and I wanted to do it to build up my confidence.
I still got loads of hate for it. So I ended up moving schools and we had to move house and everything because it got so bad, people would like to throw stones at the house and somebody once sent a bomb threat. So we ended up literally moving to South Yorkshire.
Playboy: What are you really passionate about?
Apollonia: I’m really passionate about my job. Ever since I started at 14, I had no idea about the industry, I didn’t even know what I was going into and then as soon as I found my feet, I know that it wasn’t gonna stop there. I wanted so much more. So every time I’d go to a shoot and there were other models, I’d aspire to be like them because they was doing so well. And then I remember reading the local newspaper and they had a girl in swimwear on Page 3. I don’t know if you have that in the U.S., but we have a Page 3 model. I knew that I wanted to be one of those, and you couldn’t do that until you were 18. So the day I turned 18, I applied and the next week I actually got on to it. So I feel like I am really passionate, always doing, succeeding more.
Playboy: How did you become a Playboy fan at such a young age?
Apollonia: I remember all the merchandise came out and everybody was getting the cool mugs, the lamps, the bedding, I had posters. So don’t think anybody told me about it, I think it was just in fashion and I immediately wanted my bedroom to be a Playboy bedroom. And then I’d look at the girls and think, my God, I’d love to be one of those. It was so in fashion, I feel like it was 2009 or something like that.
Playboy: What are your turn-ons and your turn-offs?
Apollonia: Turn-offs first, I think just rude people or some people that don’t have manners. For instance, if he was on a date with and wasn’t polite to the waiters, that completely throws me off. It literally costs nothing to be nice. So I think that’s definitely a turn-on.
Also someone who’s obsessed with me. They have to be all about me, I love someone that worships the ground that I walk on. So I feel like that’s a turn-on when someone shows me that they love me.
Playboy: Earlier you mentioned pageants. What were those experiences like for you?
Apollonia: I did pageants from 14 to about 19. When I told you that an agency picked me up, they ran a pageant themselves so they offered for me to join. I thought, this looks fun. Let’s try it. And then when I did my first pageant meeting I met lots of friends, [and] we had this a group session all about gaining confidence and it was really empowering.
And I was like, my God, I love this. I didn’t win anything but I wasn’t bothered that I didn’t win anything because I had such a good experience that I just wanted to do it again. And so I did my first pageant, I think it was Miss Junior Teen. And then from there I kept doing more. I think I did 10 pageants and I ended up winning World Teen Super Model England and I flew to Fiji to compete in the final. So that was a real eye-opener. That’s when I knew I wanted to continue in the modeling industry.
Playboy: What would a potential love interest have to do for you to ghost them?
Apollonia: Someone who will leave you on read for hours, someone who’s just not vibing with me. I don’t immediately ignore someone, I’ll give them a chance. But to be honest I feel like everyone knows if you vibe instantly or not. So I think if someone was giving me really off vibes, not replying, really blunt answers.
Playboy: What was the last book you read that you loved?
Apollonia: I actually read a book on the plane to LA which is called The Secret. I’m not sure if this is popular here but it’s all about manifestation and I was reading it on the plane trying to process how I wanted to manifest Playboy and the shoots that had this week. It really gave a positive mindset coming off the plane. And I feel like every time I read that book, something good happens.
Playboy: Is there anything about home that you really miss when you’re away? That’s special to where you live?
Apollonia: Okay, so it’s really strange, but the first time that I came to America I felt like I was at home. But when I do miss home … I love the food, but we have really weird things. We have jacket potato filled with baked beans and then cheese on top. It sounds disgusting. But basically, it’s viral on TikTok in America at the minute.
Apollonia is on The Playboy Club. Talk to her here.
