I love America’s Next Top Model. Every season I become addicted 
to the show, and obsessed with the contestants – those I love… and those I love to hate.
But with the never-ending cycles of new girls and new winners, I found myself wondering, “Where are they now?” Whatever happened to Adrianne? And Nicole? And Jade? And is life after ANTM really as exciting as we’re all lead to imagine?
Adrianne Curry was the first ever winner of ANTM in Cycle 1, but has since been disowned and completely disconnected from the show. In fact, rumour has it ANTM weren’t too happy when Adrianne was paid US$1,000,000 to appear on the cover and in a nude pictorial for Playboy in 2006. Later, she appeared on VH1’s fourth season of The Surreal Life and began dating fellow housemate Peter Brady (well, Christopher Knight who played Peter in the original television series, so close enough). After The Surreal Life, the couple starred in a reality show documenting their life together called My Fair Brady, from which Adrianne reportedly earned US$250,000. The show led to her being featured in Maxim’s Hottest Women of Reality TV, and ranked (last) on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2005. Adrianne wed her Brady-beau in a gothic-themed ceremony in 2006.
Mercedes Yvette, a finalist on Cycle 2, became a spokesperson for the National Lupus Foundation of America shortly after the show ended. She signed with NOUS Model Management, and landed small roles in a number of TV shows including The Bold and the Beautiful, and appeared in the Oscar acclaimed Razzle Dazzle.
Yaya DaCosta was runner-up in Cycle 3, and as well as continuing to model, she most notably starred opposite Antonio Banderas in Take the Lead. She also appeared in the video clip for ‘Pulling Me Back’ by Chingy and Tyrese – sounds like all those dancing skills that the ANTM judges gave her a hard time were put to good use.
Naima Mora stirred a bit of controversy when she won Cycle 4 – apparently both Mr Jay and Miss J. Alexander revealed they didn’t agree with the decision – reportedly even saying, “the winner is supposed to have personality, and Naima had none”. Meoooow. Apart from multiple appearances on the Tyra Banks Show, serving as a judge at the Miss Teen USA Pageant in 2005, and appearing in an independent film Sarbanes-Oxley, Naima appears to be just about as boring as she was on the show. Sure, she’s modelled for CoverGirl and the likes of Elle, and Teen People magazines – but the most interesting work Naima’s probably done was some modelling she did with her sister Ife for iTunes. Snooore.
Nicole Linkletter is said to be one of the most successful winners to ever come out of ANTM. Having won Cycle 5, Nicole took away a contract with Ford Models – however she soon set about upgrading, signing on with Elite Model Management and international model scouting company ModelScouts.com, then Diva Models in Singapore, Dream Models in Hong Kong, and Agence Presse in Tokyo. She has appeared on the covers of ELLEgirl, Women’s Health and Fitness, Lemonade, LeMonDe, and Vanidades magazines, has modelled for the likes of Adidas, Stella McCartney, and Girlfriend and Cosmopolitan magazines, was a finals judge at the Miss USA 2006 pageant, and has made a number of television appearances, including a series of segments for VH1 reporting on Fashion Week.
Danielle Evans
Looks like getting the gap in her teeth fixed paid off. After winning Cycle 6, Danielle was advised to change her name to Dani Evans, and has since walked some major runways – including shows for Baby Phat.
Jade Cole, the uber-bitchy chick best remembered for always thanking Tyra for “believing” in her, was kicked out of Cycle 6 after making it into the top three. Considering she had already appeared in the Jay-Z and Pharell ‘Change Clothes’ music video alongside Naomi Campbell before being on the show, her career hasn’t really taken off with the extra exposure. Apparently she’s doing well overseas – but who cares? That girl was the epitome of arrogance.
CariDee English won Cycle 7 – the most recent to screen in New Zealand. She signed on as the spokesperson for the American Psoriasis Foundation. That’s about all there is worth mentioning.
Kim Stolz (you know, the lesbian who snogged the hot blonde in Cycle 5 and said, “one down, eleven to go”) continued modelling after being kicked off the show in London, and was recently announced as mtv’s newest VJ and will be hosting shows like The Freshman. Not bad.
Melrose Bickerstaff lost Cycle 7 to CariDee, and as well as having modelled for magazines such as Seventeen and doing some special correspondent work for E!, she is said to be continuing her interest in fashion design.
Janice Dickinson, the self proclaimed first international Supermodel, lasted four seasons on ANTM as a judge before being replaced by Twiggy. While she still makes guest appearances on new cycles of the show, she has also appeared in cheesy reality show The Surreal Life, where her erratic and volatile actions on screen led to rumours of alcohol and drug abuse. She has also started up her own Hollywood-themed restaurant, The Couture Café, has started her own modelling agency, and appeared (for around two seconds) in Darren Hayes’ music video for On the Verge of
Something as an evil, shopaholic housewife.
Well, there you have it. Not as glamorous and jet-set-fun-filled as we might all have imagined. But maybe models’ lives, even potential Top Models, really aren’t all that interesting once all the hype and drama has been taken out of the equation.
That being said – bring on the next cycle so I can obsess, then promptly forget about them, all over again.
Nikki Webber
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