Brittney McWilliams will be the first black female contestant on the reality show Redneck Island

One look at Brittney McWilliams and it would be hard to imagine her being part of a show with the word “redneck” in the title. Yet, that is exactly what the former Anderson County Department of Public Safety employee will be part of when CMT’s Redneck Island: Battle at the Lake premieres Thursday.

McWilliams, a native of Teague, Texas, is the first African-American female contestant to be featured on Redneck Island, a reality-competition series.

According to her show bio, “Brittney is a sweet country girl who wears a huge smile on her face everywhere she goes. She has a bubbly and infectious personality and she’s also an adoring mother to her two year-old son. Brittney grew up line dancing, four wheeling, fishing and drinking sweet tea. Now she loves CrossFit and Zumba, going fishing and attending church. Because Brittney is so nice and friendly, most girls think she is fake, so she tends to bond better with guys than girls.”

Because McWilliams doesn’t fit the normal redneck stereotype, she is ushering in a new demographic for the show. While the show has had a redneck persona in the past, she says those behind the show are working to change that.

“They are now looking for people who are more proud to be Southern, with Southern roots.” McWilliams noted. “I’m not a drinker or a partier, but I know how to have a good time. In the beginning I was a little concerned at how they might try to portray me, but I was really happy with my bio and how they presented me to the audience. I love breaking stereotypes. For instance, I sing country music and I intend to start my own country music band.”

This season, there are 24 contestants competing for $100,000 and the winning title. McWilliams and 11 new contestants will go up against 12 returning fan favorites.

“You never think that you’ll get picked for a reality show,” McWilliams said. “It’s not something that happens every day. I’ve always wanted to be an entertainer, since I was a little girl. I had applied once before and got to the Skype interview and thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ I have to work and take care of my son. So, I never did that Skype interview. But I kept applying for shows and I ended up applying for this one again, without knowing it. It was the same show that I had the Skype interview for initially. The second time I just kept getting closer and closer and realized that I was going to be competing.”

McWilliams said they were looking for “single people who valued their Southern roots.” McWilliams says she enjoyed her reality show experience and looks forward to other doors that might be opening in that realm in the near future.

“I really enjoyed having the cameras in my face. It didn’t change anything about me,” McWilliams said. “Being miked was a little bit of a challenge because sometimes I would say things that I was cognizant of saying, like, ‘What does she think she’s doing,’ but that’s all part of it. I had not realized how intricate the reality filming process is, but I thought it was really neat.”

According to McWilliams, the show was much more physical than she expected and provided her with new challenges.

“I grew up doing stuff outdoors, like riding four wheelers and fishing,” McWilliams said. “I can swim, but being an African-American woman, I don’t really like to get my hair wet. I paid good money for my hair to look good. So, I had never really done water sports and activities like that, those were a bit of a challenge for me. I’d also never been in an altercation/fight. So the Pit, which is very physical, was a challenge for me. These challenges were things that I was not comfortable with. I had to push myself, not only physically but mentally as well.”

McWilliams hopes to serve as a role model for single moms who think that they can’t continue to pursue their dreams.

“I’m a single mom. I have a son to take care of and I was doing this for us. We were filming through September and October. We had no access to the outside world. I’m know that I’m fortunate to have such a supportive family. While I had no access to the outside world, I knew that my family was taking care of my son and that I could concentrate on the competition. I want single moms to realize that you don’t have to give up on something you want because you have kids. Where there is a will, there is a way.”

Webb writes for The Palestine (Texas) Herald-Press