AMERICA’S Next Top Model turns 21 this week – and remains one of the most shocking reality shows ever.
Hosted by Tyra Banks, the show aims to find new faces looking for their break in the modelling industry, and are willing to do anything to prove their worth.
However, over the years, this already challenging world pushes the contestants to the limits, resulting in shocking moments that fans are still baffled made it to air.
This includes fatphobia against the already tiny models, putting them in uncomfortable situations they weren’t comfortable with, or even being put in blackface.
As a result, recent years have seen the show come more and more under fire as some of the challenges and comments are deemed inappropriate and offensive TV.
In 2020, even Tyra seemed to agreed, writing on Twitter (now X): “Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you. Looking back, those were some really off choices.”
Here are just some of the moments that had fans turning against the once great TV series.
In one of the most iconic and memed moments ever created on ANTM, Tyra Banks screamed in the face of a contestant after she was eliminated.
Tiffany Richardson put on a brave face after being told she was being sent home, even smiling and laughing as she hugged the other contestants goodbye.
But this infuriated Tyra, and the pair quickly got into a heated exchange.
This eventually resulted in Tyra screaming: “Be quiet, Tiffany. Be quiet! What is wrong with you? STOP IT,
“I have never in my life yelled at a girl like this. When my mother yells like this it’s because she loves me.
“I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you? Learn something from this!”
Across several shoots on America’s Next Top Model, white stars were seen having to wear make-up in order to change their ethnicities.
During one season four shoot, stars were “transformed” with the power of make-up to depict ethnicities and cultures including East Indian, African American, and Egyptian.
Creative director Jay Manuel introduced the ‘ethnicity switch’ shoot by informing the models: “The challenge here really is taking on the persona of that other ethnicity while in the photograph, and really owning it.”
They later did the same thing again in cycle 13.
During the Cycle 17 All-Stars season it was done once again, with models wearing lighter and darker skin make-up to “pay tribute to Michael Jackson” throughout the different stages of his career.
Kim Stolz appeared on ANTM in 2005, and immediately told judges she was “gay, and really proud of it”.
But Tyra told her: “I think there’s a certain thing of being proud. Like, I’m Black and proud, you know what I mean? But I’m not walking down the red carpet: ‘I’m Black. I’m Black.'”
A stunned Kim responded: “No, I certainly won’t walk down the red carpet and try to kiss girls on the way. That’s not what I’m going to do.”
Judge Ms J later told Variety: “I was in the room, and I was sitting right next to her. I remember feeling a little uncomfortable with the statement
“I could see Tyra trying to draw the parallel and what she was trying to illustrate, and I was confused by it.”
During her cycle, Kahlen took time away from the competition after finding out a close friend had died.
On her return, she was taken straight to set, a graveyard, with Mr Jay explaining the models would be posing for Seven Deadly Sins shoot in a coffin, in an eight-foot, dug out grave.
Kahlen looked horrified, and she was told she could opt out but it would effect her ranking in the competition.
Eventually, she rallied and performed as required, but even at the time fans thought this moment was exploitative.
They later did the same thing again in a later cycle, with model Jael having to depict a dead body on a bed just a week after finding out her friend had overdosed.
Chantelle, a star on Cycle 21 of ANTM, was the show’s first contestant with vitiligo – a condition where skin pigment and colour is lost across the skin.
Chantelle brought a unique look to the table which charmed Tyra and the judges, but she took exception to industry pro Yu Tsai, who insisted on calling her “Panda”.
Pulling him aside to address the issue, she bluntly told him: “I don’t want kids out there to see you, someone so high up in the industry being able to call me Panda and seeing somebody else with this skin condition and be like ‘hey, Yu Tsai can call Chantelle ‘Panda’, I can call this person a cow.”
He then bitterly tells cameras: “Chantelle’s not going to make it as a model, she rubs people the wrong way.”
Now she’s best known by another name – supermodel Winnie Harlow.
ANTM had its fair share of unique runways over the years, including the models walking in a bubble over a water runway, or a test that required them to wear nine-inch platforms.
But Alexandra taking a hit during a runway that required her to strut while avoiding pendulums is one of the most notable.
The hopeful didn’t time herself right and she was completely knocked off the runway, tearing her garment.
Thankfully she wasn’t badly hurt, but suffered bruises from the incident.
In one of the most terrifying moments of ANTM, Rebecca was seen collapsing during deliberations.
While being spoken to by Tyra, the hopeful’s eyes rolled into the back of her head before she went stiff and fell backwards onto the floor.
Paramedics were called, with Tyra being among those rushing to her aid as they tried to get her conscious again.
The team later informed the audience she had a long-standing medical condition that causes this, however she hadn’t fainted in six or seven years prior to the event.
Isis King made ANTM history in Cycle 11 as the first ever transgender contestant to compete on the show.
Originally not divulging her transition to the other girls, Isis was forced to confirm she was trans after other girls started mocking her.
After comments about the size of her breasts and chin, she was asked: “Are you all female?”
Isis replied, “Physically was I born female? No.”
While some contestants defended King’s right to be in the competition, others made transphobic remarks.
Later in a confessional, fellow competitor Kacey said: “Ain’t this supposed to be a girls’ competition? How did you get through the door?’ ”
Speaking to Hello! Magazine in 2021, Isis – who is now an actress – said she was glad the scenes were aired as they brought attention to transphobia in the industry.
“As hurtful as so much of that was to watch for me back then, if I was to change any of that back then, I might not have had the strength I needed 14 years later to be who I am now,” she said.
“I had to go through that unfortunately but it helped push the conversation forward on a global scale. That is a moment in history and it all started with me believing in myself and following my heart.”
During her first appearance on ANTM in Cycle Five, Lisa became known as somewhat of a ‘wild child’ in the competition.
But nothing encapsulates that more than an episode where she dons an adult diaper during a shoot with the Jackass cast.
She then proceeded to pee into it while horrified contestants watched on.
In 2020, Lisa posted the moment on Instagram with claims that producer Ken Mok had told her to tone down her behaviour, and she refused when he wouldn’t back down on what she perceived to be a targeted edit in production.
“Since Ken said he wouldn’t ease up on me, I said I wouldN’T ease up either,” she explained in the post. “As I walked down the stairs I saw a bag of diapers. I decided to pee on the show. Because fair is fair.
“I knew I’d get eliminated but I also knew the contract was shit and my attorney directed me to NOT win but be MEMORABLE. I did just that.”
In season six, Tyra told off Danielle Evans for refusing to get the gap in her teeth closed during the annual makeover episode.
During deliberations, Tyra told her: “Do you really think you can have a Cover Girl contract with the gap in your mouth?”
Tyra then put her finger between her two front teeth to mock the aspiring model, telling her, “This is all people see. Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Cover Girl. It’s not marketable.”
Just three seasons later, she told another contestant the opposite – requesting they widen the gap in her teeth for a more unique look.
