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Tyra Banks
"Congratulations. You're still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model."
Tyra Banks (Cycle 1-22, 24) is an American fashion model who rose to prominence in the 1990s and quickly became one of the most prominent and highest-paid models in the world. She is the creator, executive producer, head judge, and host of America's Next Top Model. She was the host from Cycle 1 through Cycle 22 and after the show's revival, she served as a guest host before becoming the full-time host again in Cycle 24. On the show, Tyra serves as a mentor to the contestants while also evaluating their performances in challenges and photoshoots in order to determine America's Next Top Model.- The Ace: At the time of the show's original run, Tyra was an immensely successful fashion model, actress, businesswoman, talk show host, and also attempted to launch a singing career. It's no wonder the contestants deeply admired her.
- Author Appeal: While it wasn't outright stated, she is a big Fan of Underdog.
- Eccentric Mentor: She claims to want to teach the contestants all the skills they'll need in order to become successful models, but she has, uh, quite interesting ideas on how to do so. In Cycle 6, she pretended to faint and actually laid prone on the ground for a few moments before enthusiastically popping back up to announce that she was going to teach the contestants about acting. In Cycle 13, she interrupted a photographer "harassing" the contestants, ripped off her clothing to reveal a superhero costume, and proceeded to chase off the photographer with her "smizing" (smiling with one's eyes) in order to demonstrate the "power of the smize."
- Elimination Catchphrase:
- Pre-elimination:Tyra: [The current number of contestants] stand before me. But I only have [the number of contestants proceeding into the next round] photos in my hands. These photos represent those who are still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model.
- After notifying a contestant that they have made it to the next round:Tyra: Congratulations. You're still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model.
- Pre-elimination:
- Expository Hairstyle Change: She has a different hairstyle almost every season.
- Large Ham: Whether she is introducing that week's acting challenge by pretending to faint
, the difference between making it "hoe" verus "fashion," pretending to be a massive diva and screeching about the young contestants to introduce the theme of the supermodel stereotypes photoshoot, there's no doubt that Tyra is big ham. - N-Word Privileges: She had no qualms calling Nicole, Nik and Bre "vanilla", "caramel" and "chocolate", respectively during the Cycle 5 finale. She did this again in Cycle 18 with Eboni and Candace calling them "chocolate babies".
- Old Hero, New Pals: The only original cast member left as of Cycle 19. Ms. J returned two years later.
- OOCIS Serious Business: Tyra stylizes herself as a Cool Big Sis style mentor, being gentle and encouraging to the contestants. In Cycle 4, she is offended when eliminated contestant Tiffany Richardson seems to be joking around, she calls Tiffany back and unleashes a furious rant.
- Pungeon Master: The Tyra Mails (the messages left for contestants to give clues as to their next challenge/photoshoot) often contained puns. Also the name of her production company is "Bankable Productions."
Jay Manuel
"In the world of fashion, nothing is ever comfortable."
Jay Manuel (Cycle 1-18) is a former makeup artist who worked alongside Tyra Banks in her modeling heyday and served as the creative director and occasional guest judge on America's Next Top Model. Although he often makes sarcastic quips, he is very no-nonsense on sets and attempts to guide the contestants into delivering high quality photos.- Anime Hair: Known for his spiky white hair, starting in cycle 2.
- Ascended Extra: He was originally seen as a photoshoot director in Cycle 1 before being promoted to the show's creative director and serving as a guest judge.
- Put on a Bus: His contract expired after Cycle 18 and he left the show.
- Straight Gay: Zig-Zagged. While certainly still Camp, he openly stated that he doesn't need to cross-dress to show that he's proud of being gay. He's also quite masculine compared to Ms. J and wants to be referred to as "Mr.".
- Stern Teacher: He can be quite rigid with the contestants and if he's dissatisfied with their performance, he lets them know.
- Two First Names: Manuel is traditionally used as a male first name.
J. Alexander
"My motto is walk like it's for sale and the rent is due tonight."
J. Alexander (Cycle 1-18, 21-24) is a former model who worked with Tyra Banks as her walking coach in her early modeling days. On the show, he serves as a runway coach to teach the contestants to perfect their runway walks and he also serves as a co-judge.- The Bus Came Back: As stated above, he left the show in Cycle 18 and returned in Cycle 21 as runaway coach and panel
- Camp Gay: He often appears in drag, both for challenges and on panel. Plus, his nickname is "Miss J."
- Commuting on a Bus: After being relieved as a panel member after Cycle 13, he occasionally shows up as a guest judge or mentor from Cycles 14 to 18.
- Costume Porn: J. often appears in a variety of costumes, such as a cheerleader, boot camp instructor, cruise ship director to name a few, not to mention the high fashion outfits he wears to panels and to the final runway challenge.
- Deadpan Snarker: J. has a dry, sarcastic wit and often comes up with funny one-liners.Joslyn Pennywell (Cycle 11): What is the one, greatest tip that you can give me about runway walking?
J. Alexander: Keep your day job. - Dude Looks Like a Lady: Often the contestants are confused how to refer to Miss J, especially when he is in drag and can pass for a cisgender woman.
- Eccentric Mentor: He comes up with rather creative ideas to teach the contestants on how to improve their runway walk, ranging from making them walk down a cobblestone path in heels and a mask that obscures their vision to improve their balance in Cycle 6 to making them walk down an abandoned hospital hallway in straightjackets to reduce unnecessary gestures in Cycle 9.
- Gay Best Friend: He was very close with Tyra on the panels and the two frequently cracked jokes together.
- Large Ham: During the final runway challenge in Cycle 7, he excused himself in order to go backstage and put on a couture gown and pretend that he was being chased by an unseen monster as he walked down the runway.
- Leg Focus: He has a pair on long, silky-smooth legs that he loves to show off. Even they made a first appearance behind a curtain, fooling the girls into believing it was a woman.
- Older Than They Look: By the time he was Put on a Bus after Cycle 18, Ms J's in his fifties. Not that we noticed it.
Nigel Barker
"Quite frankly, the dog looks better in this photograph."
Nigel Barker (Cycle 2-18) is an English fashion photographer and a judge on America's Next Top Model. On occasion, he serves as the photographer for a photoshoot challenge.- Caustic Critic: Subverted. While a Stern Teacher, Nigel is also able to be a Nice Guy to the contestants.
- Put on a Bus: His contract expired after Cycle 18, returning as a guest judge in Cycle 24.
- Sexy Mentor: Many of the contestants Squee over him. Cycle 6 contestant Joanie Dodds in particular openly states that she has a crush on him.
- Stern Teacher: He is not afraid to scold contestants if he feels they are being unprofessional, lecturing them on how photoshoots and commercial shoots costs thousands of dollars and so there's no time to mess around.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Always dressed in a suit during panels.
Janice Dickinson
"I don't want to hear the next thing out of your mouth but go ahead."
Janice Dickinson (Cycle 1-4) is an American former fashion model who has repeatedly been described as the "world's first supermodel." She provides contestants advice on the perils of the fashion industry and as a judge, Dickinson is known for her wit and brutally honest critiques.- Accentuate the Negative: She is quick to point out a contestant's weak points and harps on them until they are fixed.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: She is generally very cold to the contestants and rarely shows affection towards them.
- Ambiguously Bi: Enthusiastically kissed Tyra at a Cycle 4 panel.
- Badass Boast:Janice Dickinson: I AM the world's first supermodel.Janice Dickson [to Nolé Marin]: I was Versace’s muse, I was Valentino’s muse... I don’t know why you are laughing. I don’t know whose muse you were.
- Brutal Honesty: A trademark of her critiques. She is blunt to the point of rudeness in pointing out a contestant's flaws or shortcomings, especially on their looks.Janice Dickinson (regarding Cycle 1 Kesse Wallace's photo): You look deranged like you just escaped from a mental hospital. Your arms look amputated, your legs look amputated, AND it looks like you have a penis.
- Commuting on a Bus: After being fired as a panel member after Cycle 4, she returned a few more times during Cycles 5 to 7 as a guest judge. She was Put on a Bus for good starting Cycle 8.
- Cynical Mentor: As a veteran of the modeling industry, she quickly breaks down an illusions a contestant has about the industry and warns them how tough it is.
- Grumpy Old Man: She is easily irritated by the contestants and snaps at them.
- Harsh Talent Show Judge: While the other judges tried to be diplomatic, Janice would freely insult contestants that didn't measure up.
- Large Ham: She often curses people out, once kissed Tyra to demonstrate what "passion" looks like, gets on the panel table to demonstrate poses (and is sometimes shown not wearing underwear as she does so).
- Mood-Swinger: She can switch to being a Jerk with a Heart of Gold or a flat-out Jerkass in a flash, depending on her mood. For example, in Cycle 6, Janice went out to dinner with the contestants and she asked Gina Choe if there was someone in the house bullying her. Gina pointed out Jade Cole and Janice called out Jade...to inform her that Gina was talking badly about her. She then turned on Gina, telling her, "You don't rat out your bitches!"
- This Is for Emphasis, Bitch!: Often refers to the contestants as "bitches."Janice Dickinson: Zip it, bitch! Zip it! You're dead in my book!
Twiggy
"The catalog poses were...I don't know what catalog you've been looking at."
Twiggy (Cycle 5-9) is an English fashion model, actress, and fashion icon who came into prominence in the 1960s as the embodiment of The '60s fashion. With her extensive modeling career, Twiggy's criticism is based on her perspective as a long-time veteran of the industry.- Cool Old Lady: She was already in her fifties when she first started appearing as a judge.
- Hair Of Gold Heartof Gold: She is considered one of the kindest ANTM judges for being very friendly and warm with the contestants. Even her most harshest critiques were still delivered in a kind manner.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Far more people know her as "Twiggy" than by her real name. This was lampshaded during a Cycle 8 challenge, where she explained the origins of her nickname and prompted the contestants to come up with their own.
- Put on a Bus: She leaves the show after Cycle 9.
Paulina Porizkova
"Desperation isn't sexy."
Paulina Porizkova (Cycle 10-12) is a Czech fashion model who rose to prominence in the 1980s. As a judge on America's Next Top Model, she is unafraid to deliver harsh critiques to contestants and frequently reminds them that the fashion industry won't be kind.- Accentuate the Negative: She is quick to point out a contestant's flaws
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Not as bad as Janice Dickinson but she is rather cold with contestants.ShaRaun Brown (Cycle 11): Hi, my name is ShaRaun and I AM America's Next Top Model.Paulina Porizkova: [unimpressed] Oh really?
- Brutal Honesty: She is unafraid to tell contestants if they look ugly or are flat out not suited for modeling.
- Establishing Character Moment: In her first appearance in Cycle 10, Paulina appeared as a guest judge for the challenge and critiqued each contestant on their appearance. Her critiques ranged from telling Amis Jenkins that she had bad skin and needed to see a dermatologist to telling Dominique Reighard that she looked like "Robin Wright Penn, but a transvestite version." It's no surprise that she was the harshest judge on the panel during her time on ANTM.
- Put on a Bus: She was fired after Cycle 12, after allegedly not getting along with Tyra .
André Leon Talley
"You won me over. I'd want to take you to a party."
André Leon Talley (Cycle 14-17) is the editor-at-large of Vogue magazine, one of the most iconic fashion magazines in the world. He has worked in fashion and magazine publishing since the late 1970s, and is considered to be one of the tastemakers in fashion.- Camp Gay: As befitting the editor-at-large of one of the most iconic fashion magazines.
- Catchphrase Insult: "Dreckitude" is his go-to insult for something he dislikes, whether it's a bad photo, a bad outfit, or overall bad attitude.
- The Dandy: André is always well-dressed, polished, and concerned with refinery.
- Put on a Bus: Leaves the show after Cycle 17.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: He tends to wax poetic in his critiques, often describing the feeling that a contestant's photos evoked in him as in the example below:André Leon Talley: A salon is a room where you go and you converse and you serve beautiful drinks and you talk about politics, religion, art, love, sex, beauty, wine, roses, and that fabulous girl with that fabulous derriere.
Kelly Cutrone
"You can make yourself so loveable that people just wanna work with you."
Kelly Cutrone (Cycle 18 - 24) is an American publicist, fashion designer, and reality tv personality, known for her penchant for all-black clothing and her acerbic personality. As a judge, Kelly provides the perspective of a publicist, both as one hired to represent a brand or publication and one hired to represent an individual model. As such, Kelly has little patience for unprofessionalism and is unafraid to be blunt with contestants.- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Has dark hair, always clad in black and is really, really hard to please.
- Brutal Honesty: Her nickname isn't Kelly "Cutthroat" Cutrone for nothing!
- Bullying a Dragon: Any time a contestant tries to talk back to Kelly, they seem to forget she's a judge and has the power to give them a low score for the week, thus increasing their risk of elimination.
- Calling the Young Man Out: Kelly frequently lectures contestants on the importance of professionalism and delivering consistently. In one instance in particular, she delivers an epic scolding to Cycle 21's Ben Schreen for attempting to flirt with Tyra during his interview panel:Kelly Cutrone: This is not appropriate. Here’s a little tip: you’re like a pipsqueak, okay? Tyra Banks does not want to sleep with you. And trying to take her down by speaking to her like that is not only delusional but it’s highly unprofessional.
- Distaff Counterpart: To the judge she replaced, Andre Leon Talley due to their fondness of wearing black.
- Eating the Eye Candy: She really enjoys it when Cycle 22's Nyle DiMarco takes his shirt off, even jokingly telling Nyle that he should take his clothes off more often for photoshoots.
- Hypocrite Has a Point: She is shown shouting at contestants during photoshoots and challenges, and at the final photoshoot for GUESS in Cycle 20, Kelly started an argument with a photographer that ended up costing Jourdan Miller's time and throwing off her focus. Nevertheless, Kelly points out that up and coming models must be professional and keep a cool head.
- Perpetual Frowner: She rarely smiles.
- Quit Your Whining: Frequently tells contestants this who try to blame their bad performance on personal issues.
Nolé Marin
Nolé Marin (Cycle 3-4)
"You are a visual orgasm."
is the owner/director of AIM Model Management. Like Janice Dickson, he would often give snarky critiques to the contestants but when he was pleased, he would give lavish praise.- The Bus Came Back: He is a guest judge in Cycle 12.
- Canine Companion: He would often appear on the panel with his Pomeranian, Empress Mimi.
- Early-Bird Cameo: He made a few guest appearances in Cycle 2 before becoming a panel judge for the next two cycles.
- French Jerk: He is often snarky and snobbish in his critiques.
- Put on a Bus: He leaves the show after Cycle 4.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Janice during their joint tenure.
Rob Evans
. As an example of a successful male model, his critiques are geared toward the male contestants but he also provides the general perspective of a working model to all contestants.- But Not Too Gay: Frequently delivers this critique to effeminate and androgynous male contestants, like Cycle 20's Cory Hindorff.
- Fake Relationship: As part of an introduction to challenge about how to fake chemistry, he and Tyra pretend to be dating in front of the Cycle 20 contestants.
- Mr. Fanservice: Many of the contestants Squee over his good looks, especially when he appears shirtless. He also appears in a nude photoshoot with the Cycle 20 contestants.
- Put on a Bus: Leaves the show after Cycle 20.
Johnny Wujek
" If you fall, fall beautifully."
Johnny Wujek (Cycle 19 - 20) is a costume designer and celebrity stylist, with Katy Perry being one of his most notable clients. He is the creative director for photoshoots and occasional coach for the contestants.- Never Bare Headed: Almost always seen wearing baseball caps or snapbacks with various sayings.
- Put on a Bus: Leaves the show after Cycle 20.
- Straight Gay: When Johnny catches Phil imitating him, his only response is, "My lisp is not that bad."
Bryan Boy
"Your fans are loving you this week."
Bryan Boy (Cycle 19 - 20) is a Filipino fashion blogger and socialite who rose to prominence in the early 2000s. He serves as the social media correspondent, informing the contestants on the response that their photos are receiving on social media and giving them updates from their fans.- Camp Gay: As befitting a fashion blogger, he often dresses in flamboyant outfits.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: His real name is Bryan Grey Yambao and "Bryanboy" is the name of his fashion blog, which ended up inspiring his nickname.
- Put on a Bus: Leaves the show after Cycle 20.
Yu Tsai
"Teaching him how to model is like eating ramen with one chopstick."
Yu Tsai (Cycle 21-22) is a Taiwanese-American fashion photographer who is the creative consultant, as well as an occasional photographer on photoshoot challenges. He is quick tempered but when contestants impress him, he gives them their due.- Brutal Honesty: He is unafraid to tell contestants when they are failing during a photoshoot, even though he knows it will shake their confidence.
- Hot-Blooded: Has a lot of high energy on sets, which translates to a Hair-Trigger Temper if his mood sours.
- No Indoor Voice: He frequently shouts at contestants during photoshoots, especially if they are not performing adequately.
- Sadist Teacher: Cycle 22's Keith Carlos compares Yu Tsai to his former football coach who would deliberately enrage Keith in order to get Keith to push himself further.
Beau Quillian
- The One Guy: Excluding the guest judges, he is the only male on the Cycle 1 panel.
- Put on a Bus: He leaves the show after Cycle 1.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue Oni to Janice Dickinson's Red Oni. While Janice would be harsh and blunt with her critiques, Beau was much more mild mannered even with his most pointed takes.
- The Bus Came Back: He was a guest judge twice in Cycle 7.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: He only appeared in Cycle 1.
Kimora Lee Simmons
"High fashion is not a pageant."
Kimora Lee Simmons (Cycle 1) is a former fashion model and the creative director/owner of her own clothing line, Baby Phat Fashions. As a judge, she lent both her modeling and business experiences to develop critiques for the contestants.- Beware the Nice Ones: Cycle 1's Giselle Samson thanks Kimora for always having something nice to say during critiques. Kimora's response? "Not always. I'm the devil on the board!" Also, she is not afraid to push back against Janice Dickinson. During an argument whether Elyse Sewell (Cycle 1) has the potential to be the winner, Janice insists a thin girl like Elyse looks like a typical fashion model and Kimora snaps, "But it [ANTM] doesn't have to be 'America's Quest for the Prettiest Anorexic' either."
- Nice Mean And In Between: Among the main judges, Kimora falls as the "In Between" whereas Beau Quillian is "Nice" and Janice Dickinson is "Mean."
- Put on a Bus: It was teased that Kimora Lee Simmons would make an appearance in Cycle 14 but a representative from Kimora soundly denied it and she never returned to the show.
Eric Nicholson
"For me, you look like a corpse in the face."
Eric Nicholson (Cycle 2) was the senior fashion editor of Jane magazine during his time as a judge on America's Next Top Model. He only appeared on Cycle 2.- Put on a Bus: Leaves the show after Cycle 2.
