Tyra Banks has opened up about the ‘intensity’ of America’s Next Top Model in a new documentary on Netflix.
Many are familiar with the clip where supermodel and host Tyra Banks raises her voice at a contestant on America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), famously telling them she’s ‘rooting’ for them. If this doesn’t ring a bell, you might be one of the few who hasn’t encountered it on social media.
The show, which first aired in 2003, captured the harsh realities of the modeling industry of its time. Since its inception, it has garnered a mixed reaction both from participants and viewers.
While some former contestants credit Tyra Banks for opening doors to their modeling careers, others have accused her of bullying.
The new Netflix documentary, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, delves into the behind-the-scenes aspects of the show and includes reflections from those who played a part in its creation, including Banks herself.
This three-part series promises ‘unprecedented access to former contestants, judges, and producers.’ Banks is featured in the trailer, admitting she ‘knew [she] went too far.’
Banks remarked: “It was very very intense, but you guys were demanding it. So we kept pushing. More. And more. And more.”
The show, which spanned from 2003 to 2018, often resurfaces on social media, including moments like Banks urging a model to chop off most of her long hair.
Such clips have sparked accusations of bullying against Banks, with one X user asserting: “Tyra Banks purposely ruined young women’s lives on America’s Next Top Model.“
However, in the documentary, a model expresses gratitude, saying: “The only reason the door was open for me was because of Tyra.”
Past ANTM judge Jay Manuel stated: “We were showing the behind-the-scenes of what the fashion world was. I realized Tyra could do anything for the success of her show.”
Others who contributed to the creation of the show reminisced about its massive audience of ‘over 100 million people’.
One model emphasized that while it was a ‘TV show’ to those producing it, for them it was their ‘life’ being impacted.
Comments like ‘You’re not thin enough’ and instances where a model had ‘a medical procedure as part of a makeover,’ prompted a producer to wonder if they had ‘built a monster’.
Netflix describes the documentary as one that ‘exposes the show’s complicated legacy and asks a provocative question: how far are we willing to go for entertainment?’
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model will be available on Netflix starting February 16.