America's Next Top Model season 1 explained

Season Number:1
Bgcolour:
  1. 4B5246
Num Episodes:9
Episode List:List of America's Next Top Model episodes
Network:UPN
Module1:
Judges:
Num Contestants:10
Winner:Adrianne Curry

America's Next Top Model, cycle 1 was the first cycle of America's Next Top Model. It originally aired on UPN from May to July 2003, and was hosted by Tyra Banks, who additionally served as its executive producer and presenter. The judging panel consisted of Banks, Janice Dickinson, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Beau Quillian. The cycle's catchphrase was "One girl has what it takes."[1] [2] [3]

This was the only season to feature a cast of only ten contestants. All later cycles have featured at least twelve contestants. The international destination for the cycle was Paris, France.[4]

The winner of the competition was 20-year-old Adrianne Curry from Joliet, Illinois with Shannon Stewart placing as runner up. Her prizes were a modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models, a photo spread in Marie Claire magazine, and a contract with Revlon cosmetics.[5]

Contestants

(Ages stated are at start of contest)

ContestantAgeHeightHometownOutcomePlace
Tessa Carlson[6] 19Chicago, IllinoisEpisode 110
Katie Cleary[7] 21Glenview, IllinoisEpisode 29
Nicole Panattoni[8] 22Murrieta, CaliforniaEpisode 38
Ebony Haith[9] 24Harlem, New YorkEpisode 47
Giselle Samson[10] 18Corona, CaliforniaEpisode 56
Kesse Wallace[11] 21North Little Rock, ArkansasEpisode 65
Robin Manning[12] 27Memphis, TennesseeEpisode 74
Elyse Sewell[13] 20Albuquerque, New MexicoEpisode 93
Shannon Stewart [14] 18Franklin, Ohio2
Adrianne Curry[15] 20Joliet, Illinois1

Episodes

Summaries

Call-out order

OrderEpisodes
12345679
1NicoleEbonyShannonShannonKesseAdrianneElyseElyseShannonAdrianne
2RobinElyseNicoleKesseElyseKesseShannonAdrianneAdrianneShannon
3KesseKesseGiselleElyseAdrianneShannonRobinShannonElyse
4ElyseAdrianneRobinGiselleRobinRobinAdrianneRobin
5KatieKatieAdrianneAdrianneShannonElyseKesse
6EbonyNicoleEbonyRobinGiselleGiselle
7AdrianneGiselleElyseEbonyEbony
8ShannonRobinKesseNicole
9Giselle
Tessa
ShannonKatie
10Tessa

The contestant was not included in the casting call-out order but was additionally added to the cast

The contestant was eliminated

The contestant won the competition

Average call-out order

Casting call-out order and final two are not included.

Rank by
average
PlaceModelCall-out
total
Number of
call-outs
Call-out
average
1 3 Elyse 24 8 3.00
2 2 Shannon 25 3.12
3 1 Adrianne 26 3.25
4 5 Kesse 21 6 3.50
5 4 Robin 33 7 4.71
6 6 Giselle 26 5 5.20
7 7 Ebony 21 4 5.25
8 8 Nicole 16 3 5.33
9 9 Katie 14 2 7.00
10 10 Tessa 10 1 10.00

Bottom two

EpisodeContestantsEliminated
1Shannon & TessaTessa
2Katie&KesseKatie
3Ebony&NicoleNicole
4Ebony&GiselleEbony
5Elyse&GiselleGiselle
6Adrianne& KesseKesse
7Robin&ShannonRobin
9Adrianne&ElyseElyse
Adrianne&ShannonShannon

The contestant was eliminated after her first time in the bottom two

The contestant was eliminated after her second time in the bottom two

The contestant was eliminated in the final judging and placed as the runner-up

Photo shoot guide

Makeovers

Critical reception

Cycle 1 received positive retrospective reviews from critics. Despite its low budget, E. Alex Jung of Vulture commented how this worked to the show's advantage, praising how Tyra “wanted to reflect the reality of life as a working model” and acknowledging that “there was something about the low production value that reflected that simple truth.” He also praised it in comparison to other seasons of America's Next Top Model, commentening how “ANTM’s first season felt like a glimpse into how fashion actually worked” whereas later seasons “became campier, more ludicrous, and vaguely surreal.” Jung also states that Cycle 1 “was the only season where the contestants didn’t readily buy into the project” and commended the season for respecting their decisions, such as when Shannon and Robin refused to pose nude.[16]

Margaret Lyons of Vulture also praised the season, describing it as “impeachable” and “one of the best seasons, debut or otherwise, that any reality show has ever had.” She argued that “ANTM helped usher in the era of profession-based reality contest shows” but viewed it more positively compared to the rest of America's Next Top Models seasons, commenting how “nothing has ever quite lived up to the perfection of season one” and how “the grossness of Tyra’s constant idiotic catchphrases, and the repetitiveness of the challenges (have) eventually eroded my passion for the series.”[17]

Post–Top Model careers

Controversies

After winning Cycle 1, Adrianne Curry was meant to receive a contract with Revlon and Wilhelmina Models, but she never received it. America's Next Top Model and Tyra Banks ignored her when she contacted them about the issue,[21] and Curry was subsequently erased from the show.[23] Although she appeared on Cycle 2, and was briefly mentioned in Cycle 20 as part of a challenge, she wasn’t featured in the opening credits for Cycles 7, 8 or 9 alongside the other previous winners of America's Next Top Model, and a photo of her didn’t appear in the contestants’ New York residence alongside the previous Top Model winners.

Notes and References

  1. News: Would-be supermodel finds her competition shallow. November 7, 2012. Record-Journal. June 2, 2003.
  2. News: LOOKING FOR A TOP MODEL. November 7, 2012. Long Beach Press-Telegram. June 3, 2003.
  3. News: La Ferla. Ruth. Front Row. New York Times. May 20, 2003 . November 7, 2012.
  4. News: Why America's Next Top Model Was Never Better Than Its First Cycle. 2015-12-04. Vulture. 2018-03-31. en.
  5. News: Adrianne Curry Spills 'The Truth' About 'America's Next Top Model' and Hearing 'Crickets' From Tyra Banks. toofab. 2018-03-31. en.
  6. Web site: UPN . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420131826/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_tessa.shtml . 2003-04-20 .
  7. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420130649/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_katie.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  8. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420130832/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_nicole.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  9. Web site: UPN . August 1, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030801073629/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_ebony.shtml . August 1, 2003 .
  10. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420084042/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_giselle.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  11. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420131044/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_kesse.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  12. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420131106/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_robin.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  13. Web site: UPN . June 21, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030621174704/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_elyse.shtml . June 21, 2003 .
  14. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420131416/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_shannon.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  15. Web site: UPN . April 20, 2003 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030420130415/http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model/bio_adrianne.shtml . April 20, 2003 .
  16. Web site: Why America's Next Top Model Was Never Better Than Its First Cycle. Vulture. December 4, 2015 . en-us. 2019-12-10.
  17. Web site: In Praise of Cycle 1 of America's Next Top Model. Vulture. July 2, 2013 . en-us. 2019-12-10.
  18. Web site: ANTM Contestants: Where Are They Now?. Brittney. Stephens. September 17, 2021.
  19. Web site: Balser . Erin . Top Model Round-Up: January 10 . Topmodelgossip.com . January 10, 2009 . August 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090409102510/http://www.topmodelgossip.com/top-model-round-up-january-10/ . April 9, 2009 .
  20. 'Top Model All-Stars' cast reported: Lisa D'Amato, Isis King in; Jade out. Entertainment Weekly. Ward. Kate. May 12, 2011. May 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110624062532/http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/05/12/top-model-all-stars/. June 24, 2011 . live.
  21. News: Adrianne Curry Spills 'The Truth' About 'America's Next Top Model' and Tyra Banks toofab.com. toofab. en. 2019-12-10.
  22. Web site: Adrianne Curry – Fashion Model Models Photos, Editorials & Latest News The FMD. FashionModelDirectory.com. The FMD -. The FMD - FashionModelDirectory.com. July 14, 2016.
  23. Web site: Adrianne Curry says Tyra Banks, Top Model "act like the first winner of their show never existed". 2007-05-11. reality blurred. en-US. 2019-12-10.