Category — America’s Next Top Model;

After so many seasons it was probably inevitable that America’s Next Top Model would have a All Star round.

Here is who will be in it:

Cycle 1: Shannon (runner-up)
Cycle 2: Camille (fifth place)
Cycle 4: Brittany (fourth place)
Cycle 5: Bre (third place)
Cycle 5: Lisa (sixth place)
Cycle 9: Bianca (fourth place)
Cycle 10: Dominique (fourth place)
Cycle 11: Isis (10th place)
Cycle 11: Sheena (sixth place)
Cycle 12: Allison (runner-up)
Cycle 13: Laura (runner-up)
Cycle 14: Angelea (fourth place)
Cycle 15: Kayla (fourth place)
Cycle 16: Alexandria (fourth place)

I do have to agree with Dlisted – why isn’t Jade in it? She was one of the most memorable contestants of the show.

The Donald is back on our screens in October with a new series of The Apprentice starting on Fox 8.  This version of The Apprentice will be a non-celebrity one, which I prefer.

It starts on the 20 October at 8.30pm on Fox 8.

The new season of America’s Next Top Model will commence on Tuesday 19 October at 7.30pm. They have mixed it up a bit this season with Miss J Alexander having a more mentoring role, and with Andre Leon Tally taking over his position on the judging panel.

Interesting that New Zealand Next Top Model host Sara Tetro will have guest judging role, which is great exposure for her, and also she deserves it as she is a great host.

Also the US version of Dating In The Dark will debut Wednesday, October 20 at 7.30pm.

 This reality dating series will follow single men and women as they go through all the usual motions of dating but without actually ever seeing one another before deciding whether or not to pursue a romantic relationship. Yes my eyebrows are raised in sceptism about THIS concept. Hopefully it is  not a dog of a show as it will turn people off the Australian version which begins production in two weeks and will premiere late 2010. Actually this could be perfect summer viewing.

Three wannabe models arrested. Six hurt in a melee that occurred in a queue whilst waiting to audition for America’s Next Top Model. Maybe they were taking Tyra’s mantra of being fierce a bit too literally.

Full story here

Joanne Pacitti is this year’s Carly Smithson in American Idol genertating some controversy with the fact she has previously had a record contract, and had one of her songs covered by Britany Spears. MTV has the best article on the saga and gives a good summary of her show biz past.

Whitney Thompson the plus size model who won America’s Next Top Model is getting plenty of work, in this article here she tells us that she has pressure to both increase and decrease her weight, she is currently size 10.

If you live in the US and you have a bit of cash, you may want to bid on tickets to sit front row at  Project Runway winner Christian Siriano’s  New York fashion week show. The money will benefit the New York Restoration Project. More details here.

Ever wondered why we see some auditions on American Idol and not others. Well it all comes down to getting and paying for the song rights. The Seattle Times has a great article on this issue, and how it means we sometimes don’t see some contestants until the top 36! Did anyone see Jason Castro until the top  24 rounds last year?

Jessica Mauboy Is Now Single.
Adelaide Now says that Jessica Mauboy three year relationship with her boyfriend Abdullah is now over. Time apart is the reason given. However she can console herself with the news that her single Burn is number ten on the charts. Source The West.

Simon Cowell Judgement Gets Clouded By Sex
Now Mag quotes Simon Cowell’s ex girlfriend Sinitta who says his judgement is clouded by sex. Personally I think this is way to much information.

Sinitta appears to keep her media profile high by gibbering about her famous ex all the time. He must not care as she is holidaying with him in Barbados. I wonder what she will divulge from there.

Kara DioGuardi The New Judge On American Idol Has Hit The Publicity Trail
New judge Kara DioGuardi is now out spruiking the show that will be commencing next week. She thinks the male contestants may have the edge this season. Full interview here.

Top Chef Chicago Chef Spike Is Holding a Burger Presidential Inaugeration Party.
Spike, who really should get his own show with his off sider from Top Chef Season Four Andrew. Who would ever forget Andrew saying about Spike “I am not gay but I would let him bang me.”
Anyway he is holding a more relaxed inauguration party at his Burger Joint in DC.

If you are lucky enough to be in Washington at that time the details are here.

Updates On What Top Chef Contestant’s Are Now Up To.
People mag has an article which outlines what some of the chefs are now up to, and where they are cooking.

Also Adventurous Tastes Blog reviews Top Chef Chicago runner up Richard Blais’s new burger restaurant in Atlanta, and gives it the thumbs up. I am not sure about the Krispy Kreme milkshake.

America’s Next Top Model Cycle 10 Winner Whitney Thompson Honoured.
Whitney who was the first plus size model to win ANTM has named as one of MSN Lifestyles Most Influential Women In 2008.

Natalie Bassingthwaite To Perform At Mardi Gras Party.
You know you have made it in Sydney when you are asked to perform at the Mardi Gras party. Congratulation to So You Think You Can Dance Australia host Natalie Bassingthwaite as she will get to shimmy and sing there. Full story in here.

Update On What Former Australian Idol Marty Simpson Has Been Doing
I’m With The Band has an update on he who went much further then he should have, Marty Simpson, and what he has been doing post Idol, apart from smoking pot.

David Cook American Idol Winner Apparently Has Proposed To Kimberly Caldwell.
Now this could be a load of bollocks as there is not much coverage of it. If it is true that these to American Idol contestants are engaged it would make them a reality TV couple in the league of Rob and Amber (from Survivor and The Amazing Race fame).

Source: here.

Simon Cowell To Build a 10 million pound house in Barbados.
Apparently he also wants mirrored panels in the house. I don’t think I really needed to know that.

The Sun has the full story.

New Reality TV Series Starring ’80′s Teen Idols Like Christopher Atkins.
TV Tonight has an article stating that on VH1 in the US has a new reality TV show starring former teen Idols called you guessed it Confessions of A Teenage Idol.

Christopher Atkins from that iconic but crap film Blue Lagoon is in it, and the series is directed by Chachi from Happy Days (Scott Baio.).

It is unknown whether this show will be coming to Australia. If it is does it is guaranteed every Gen X female will be watching it.

Project Runway Winner Christian Siriano Says Being On The Show Fastracked His Career By Five Years.
The Arizona Daily Star has an interview with Christian Siriano, who says that by winning Project Runway opened so many doors that it fastracked his career by five years. He also discusses his new maternity wear line.

If You Want To Experience American Idol Go To Disney Orlando.
If you sing a little karaoke you may want to consider this. There is now an American Idol attraction at Disney in Orlando, Florida.

Hopefuls will go through the audition process and perform in front of a live crowd, just like their favorite contestants on the TV show.

Wannabes will sing for a Disney’s Hollywood Studios producer for the chance to be cast in a theme-park show.

The person with the most votes will compete in an end-of-day Grand Finale show at Walt Disney World, and the winner of the Grand Finale show will receive a guaranteed reservation for a future regional stadium audition.

I think I will just stick to It’s A Small World After All ride.

Full story here.

Time For The American Idol Predictions For The Upcoming Season
Examiner.com has an amusing article outlining their top 10 predictions for American Idol 2008.
I particularly liked number 5 which is Randy Jackson will spend a lot of time pimping his new book, “Fat F–k,” inspired by the popular novel “Skinny Bitch” (foreword by Oprah Winfrey)

Australia’s Next Top Model Winner Alice Burdeau Has an 18 Page Spread in Elle UK.
Alice Burdeau shows she is still getting major modelling assignments OS with this spread in Elle UK. Go to Australia’s Next Top Model Blog to check out the pictures. They are sensational.

Former America’s Next Top Model Contestant Bianca Golden Has Had Assault Charges Dropped.
Last year Bianca Golden from ANTM Cycle 9 was is in a bitch slap with Nikki Blonsky from Hairspray at some Carribean Airport. They were both arrested at the time, but now the charges have been dropped. Full story on this unedifying incident here.

Jennifer Hudson To Perform At Barack Obama’s Inauguration.
Way to go girl. Full story here.

Kristy Lee-Cook Gets Dumped By Her Record Label And Is Blaming Carrie Underwood.
Kristy Lee-Cook, she who crucified The Beatles song 8 Days a Week has again been dumped by Arista. She blames a former Idol winner Carrie Underwood for getting all the record label’s attention. Full story on The Boot.

Considering the polls are about to open in the USA for the election of a new President it was appropriate the shoot was about politics and hot issues, and also they were spruiking that you need to register to vote. As this episode was shown in the US a few months ago lets hope the message got through.

Also lets hope that Tyra’s endorsement of Barack Obama will garner some wavering voters.

This season the big deal on this cycle’s America’s Next Top Model is that one of the 14 models is transgender. Isis is transitioning into being a women, however she still has the boy bits. This must be the social issues cycle. But now there has been one transgender on the show even if a more attractive one auditions I doubt they will get selected. I bet the one and only time a transgender will be on the show.

Clark a 19 was uncomfortable with Isis in the model house as she “was from a good Southern family”. What is a good southern family? Does she mean one with money? Money that was gained from the sweat of slave labor? A good southern family must mean they are republicans.

She is completely unlikeable.

Shauran who was running around tell all the judges she was going to be America’s Next Top Model was eliminated. To say she was unhappy was an understatement.

Exit interview with Shauran on the Buddy TV website here. FYI the link does not contain any spoilers.

Everyone who watched it on Fox 8 will already know Caridee won, however tonight was the final episode of season 7 on Channel 10 who has the repeats of America’s Next Top Model.

Caridee was popular from the start not just her looks but she also had a personality. Therefore a good reality TV person.

Buddy TV has an interview with Caridee about what it was like on ANTM, and Wiki has a article on her and what she has been up to since Top Model.

I have been very lax on reporting on America’s Next Top Model both Cycle 6 which was on Channel 10 and Cycle 9 on Fox 8, even though I really love the show.

So I thought I would put together some vignettes about the show.

ANTM Cycle 9 winner Saleisha scandal.
It appears Saleisha’s win has been tainted by the fact she has been on the Tyra Banks Show, went to Tyra’s T Zone Camp, and appeared on a Wendy’s commercial.

America’s Next Top Model Invasion forcefully states her view on the Saleisha scandal, Buddy TV has a different view.

Heather Update
One of my favourites from ANTM Cycle 9 was Heather the girl with Aspergers Syndrome, she looked like a brunette Uma Thurman.

Here is an interview by Fans of reality TV just after she was eliminated from the show which is interesting apparently the editing of the showed the conflict in the house worse then it was. Not surprised about that!

Danielle winner of Cycle 6 a success story of ANTM
Danielle Wiki site shows she has had some success with a modelling career post the completion of the show. She was is only one of two winners to have had their Covergirl contract renewed, and she also has received a showcard from her agency, Click Models, for NY Fashion Week. She is only of two girls given showcard of all 11 ANTM alum.

Every model agency has his own showcards. The showcards are a series of pictures of the models they are sending to the fashion weeks, usually with the measures and facts about the models. They send them to Casting Directors so they can decide which models are they going to choose.

Nigel Barker interview
The Epoch Times have an interview with Nigel Barker the ever present judge on America’s Next top model which is quite interesting. As well as being a photographer, he was previously a model, and his exotic looks are from his Sri Lankan mother.

Paulina Porizkova obviously does not subscribe to the theory of don’t shoot the hand that feeds you.

Paulina Porizkova the former model who will be taken over from the sacked Twiggy has said that shows like the ‘America’s Next Top Model’ is not necessarily going to be a supermodel. I wonder what Tyra thinks about that comment regarding her show. It may be true Paulina, but that show is paying your wage, so try and talk it up a bit.

This was the second week models were in Thailand, and what a gig for the judging panel as they would have to just loll around the pool whilst waiting for the judgement days.

Last week Nnenna was booted off the show. I was surprised but not shocked but I am still wondering how Sarah is still surviving so long into this series. She is Miss Bland.

Thank god for Jade for putting in a bit of colour and personality into the series. Or maybe she knows by being controversial or bitchy depending on which way you want to look at it gets you more airtime.

So the episode opens with Jade calling Joanie two faced. “She says one nice thing and then one nasty thing”.

Also Danielle thinks kooky Furonda is choking (not on food obviously at it appears she does not eat) but is being psyched out of the competition.

There first challenge awaits, they are taken to a temple where Patra a thai classical dance teacher will teach them some traditional thai dance moves.

This looked extremely difficult, and through this Danielle was having a migraine and not feeling well. Also Joanie and Jade managed to keep their tiff going.

Jade saying she does not have an ounce of arrogance in her body. Is this what they call healthy self esteem these days?

Joanie accused Jade of always being on the defensive whereas Jade response wa “Joanie is trying to corrupt things for me”. Maybe Jade’s mum needs to come and defluff her again?

At around this point Danielle collapsed and needed to be taken to hospital and a drip stuck in her arm. The diagnosis was exhaustion, dehydration and food poisoning. She later discharged herself to ensure she could stay in the competition but lucky for her she got to miss the individual dance challenge that was going to be judged.

The girls doing their individual thai routines was always going to hilarious, nearly as good as the covergirl commercial!

The two best were Jade and Joanie. Sara was like a praying mantis doing a thai dance, however at least we got to see her. As she is so incredibly dull she gets no airtime. Then Furonda came on and promptly forgot everything she learnt but did this hilarious cross between belly dancing and hip hop. I thought it was great the audience was cracking up. It got the biggest round of applause.

The prize was dinner at a resturant with the editor of the Thai edition of Elle. Joanie won and chose to take Sara as she has never won a challenge. Sara was a bit miffed she was a charity case.

The following day it was the photo shoot. Danielle barely made it out of her bed and her stomach must have flipped when she saw she would have to have her photo taken on an elephant. Considering her illness she did very well.

Jade was stiff, and Furonda was not great either.

Joanie tried to be different and stood on the elephants leg which had Jay Manuel gushing at her originality. Though he did refrain from saying ” this is something Tyra would do”.

Sara who has been told previously that she needs to work on her poses, sees what Joanie has done and copies her badly. Joanie was peeved, and it did not really impress photoshoot director Jay Manuel either.

The next day was judgement day with the usual suspect judges who were looking pretty happy about their sojourn in Thailand.

The judging challenge was to show emotion through your body whilst having a mask on your face. The emotions were sensuality, despair, and compassion.

Time for the jugdement.

Furonda was first her best photo was great but the alot of her photos were bad.

Sara – told she was best at portraying emotions in the challenge, and they liked her photos but was told off for copying Joanie’s moves.

Joanie- great photos and judges loved her, but would like to see her look more like a model when she is in front of them.

Danielle- great photos also they were impressed she modelled through the pain.

Joanie was called first. She is definately coming good at the right end of the competition.

Then Sara which confused me when she she going to be eliminated?

Danielle was very relieved when her name was called, but told she has to work on softening her Arkansas accent.

The last two standing were Jade and Furonda. Furonda was eliminated, and Joanie looked pissed that Jade had survived another week.