After 22 cycles, America's Next Top Model has come to an end. With the series finale airing tonight, I thought it'd be nice to go down memory lane and relive some of the show's most iconic moments.
1. Camille's signature walk.
2. One of the funnier moments in Top Model history is when Janice Dickinson told Shannon (Cycle 1), a devout Christian, that she should "work in a car factory or bakery" since she didn't want to pose nude.
C'mon, Janice, really?
3. Remember that time the contestants were made to embody different ethnicities? Yeah, not good.
What's even weirder is that Brittany (Cycle 4), a white woman, was essentially in blackface. ~Fashion~
4. Kahlen from Cycle 4 received terrible news that one of her childhood friend's died.
5. Relatedly, the producers of the show definitely sacrifice the contestants feelings for dramatic effect. Think about Keenyah's weight issue, for example.
6. No one was a bigger villain in Cycle 1 than Robyn. She was a Christian and she was "offended" by fellow contestant Ebony being a lesbian.
It was 2003 and the world was just getting used to homosexuals, apparently.
7. Makeover meltdowns are a given on ANTM, and Cassandra from Cycle 5 had one of the most memorable reactions to her makeover.
8. Cycle 8's Jael got on 50 Cent's bad side and he pushed her in a pool.
9. Remember the The Great Granola Bar Debacle?
Long story short: Bre (Cycle 5) accused Nicole of stealing her granola bars even though she had no proof. In retaliation, Bre takes Nicole's energy drinks and pours them out.
During judging, emotions are high and Bre and Kim (fellow contestant and friend of Nicole) get into a fight after the judges ask Kim about what happened on set at the photo shoot.
10. Let's take a moment to appreciate Jade from Cycle 6. She gave us this truth:
11. She was kind of delusional, as well, which made for great TV.
12. And she had one of the most dramatic exits after she was eliminated. That bow. Even Tyra laughed.
13. There a lot of classic "Tyra-isms" and "You two have what the other needs" is a very popular one.
The finale episode of Cycle 3, The Girl Who Wins It All, saw Eva and Amanda standing face-to-face to see who would advance to the finals while Tyra critiqued them.
Amanda was edgy and fierce, Eva was relatable and bubbly, and if you don't sport a combination of those attributes, then you're an incomplete package (per Tyra and friends).
Eva prevailed in the end and ultimately won the competition.
14. One of the most heartbreaking moments in Top Model was when Ann didn't say goodbye to Eva, her friend since the very beginning of the competition.
15. Remember when everyone freaked out about Michelle's flesh-eating face disease?
16. Lisa peed on herself while wearing an adult diaper during a photo shoot with the "Wild Boyz." Needless to say, everyone was disgusted with her.
17. And now, a moment to reflect on Janice Dickinson, aka the most outspoken ANTM judge. Oh, and she's the world's first supermodel, too.
18. Eva's fear of spiders was an intense moment in Cycle 3.
The contestants were modeling diamonds and, to spice up the shoot (because Tyra never makes this easy), tarantulas modeled with the girls.
It paid off because Eva managed to turn out a 🔥 photo.
19. Elyse (Cycle 1) is probably one of the most honest contestants the show has ever had.
She was blunt, incredibly honest, and never backed down from critiquing the modeling industry while managing to stand up for herself and her beliefs.
20. Elyse's rant also remains one of the best meltdowns in Top Model history.
21. Kim and Sarah's relationship of convenience.
Kim was the show's second lesbian contestant (Ebony from Cycle 1 was the first). Things were different for Kim because she actually cuddled and kissed a ton with fellow contestant Sarah who once told her boyfriend during a phone call home, "You know I don't swing that way."
OK, girl.
22. Jenascia of Cycle 2 overslept in during the first photo shoot of the season... and it was somehow the fault of the other girls in the house?
23. Shandi's brief dalliance with a super-hot dude from Milan.
24. Let's take a moment to reflect on the winners who shouldn't have won: Saliesha (Cycle 9), Nicole (Cycle 5), and Teyona (Cycle 12).
How did Saliesha win over Chantal, who was arguably a way edgier model? Nicole over Nik, especially when Nik never took a bad photo? Teyona over Allison, when Allison's performance from week to week was unmatched?
These are probably the most debated winners the show has ever had.
25. Dani was a contestant who tried out for Cycle 6 and she made quite the impression by spewing her extremely bigoted views.
26. "Check ya thighs in the mirrah! And I'm done." — Bianca, ANTM Prophetess
27. lluvy of Cyle 4 has the honor of having the "worst" photo in ANTM history.
28. Michelle kind of came out in Cycle 7 and it was more emotional for her sister Amanda than it was for her.
There were other girls in the house who were shocked by her admission (OMG, gay people exist!), but Michelle's sister took it hardest because she was more concerned about how other people would treat her sister for possibly being gay or bisexual.
29. And now, a moment for some of the most outrageous photo shoots.
Posing in maple syrup, modeling a meat bikini, posing in a bowl of salad — normal model stuff.
30. André Leon Talley creating the word "drektitude."
31. Over the course of the show's run, it managed to bring in a lot of big name models, like Twiggy and Paulina Porizkova to be judges.
Props to Tyra and company for being able to snag such legendary fashion icons.
32. And it wouldn't be an ANTM post without mentioning the word "smize."
Smizing = smiling with your eyes. Tyra coined the term in a later cycle of Top Model, however, she's been talking about using the eyes to convey emotion since the show's inaugural season.
33. Challenges are usually weird, however, Melrose managed to make hers even weirder by taking it too literally.
34. There was a moment in Cycle 3 when the contestants were asked to walk in shoes that were at least two sizes too small, and, to stand out, Jennipher wrote "ANTM" her on booty.
35. The moment when Toccara, the only plus-size model of Cycle 3, was pinched by the stylist on set.
36. Tyra's moments of encouragement were always nice because she would show a different side of herself.
Although the show is about critique and body image, there are moments when Tyra gets really real and uplifting, like when she shot back at the other judges for being too harsh about a contestants weight or just giving the girls some wisdom about dealing with gossip.
37. The drama that went down with the ANTM All-Star finale (Cycle 17).
Angelea (pictured left) is rumored to have won the competition, however, after the show wrapped, something happened that caused her to be disqualified.
Instead, the remaining contestants, Lisa and Allison, were made to re-enact the final judging again with Lisa ultimately taking the title.
Lots of drama because Angela is apparently suing Tyra now.
38. Tyra is great at a lot of things, and typically she gets it right with the makeover a contestant should get, but there were a few she got so wrong.
Did Denzel from Cycle 21 really need a lacefront beard? What did Molly of Cycle 16 do to deserve that horrid weave?
39. And now, *drum roll*... We were rooting for you, we were all rooting for you!
As everyone knows, this is the greatest and most memorable moment in the history of America's Next Top Model. Even people who don't watch the show know of this moment.
ICONIC.