Australia's Next Top Model
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Reality television |
| Founded | January 11, 2005 |
| Defunct | November 22, 2016 |
| Fate | Ended |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Australia |
Key people | Jennifer Hawkins, Alex Perry, Erika Heynatz, Marguerite Kramer, Ken Thompson, Georges Antoni, Jodhi Meares, Charlotte Dawson, Jez Smith, Megan Gale, Didier Cohen, Cheyenne Tozzi |
| Products | Reality TV show |
| Website | www |
Australia's Next Top Model was an Australian reality TV program broadcast from 11 January 2005 until 22 November 2016 on the subscription service Fox8. Developed by Tyra Banks and inspired by America's Next Top Model, the series aimed to uncover emerging modelling talent within Australia.
Premise
The series documented the journey of young women chosen through a nationwide audition process. The finalists shared a living space while engaging in various industry-centric tasks, including photo shoots, challenges, and instructional workshops. Each week, contestants faced elimination until a single winner earned the title "Australia's Next Top Model," along with rewards such as a modelling contract, magazine editorials, monetary prizes, an automobile, and meetings with agencies to help launch their professional modelling career.
Show format
Episodes typically encapsulated approximately one week of competition, featuring a fashion-related challenge, a photo shoot or commercial assignment, evaluations from the judging panel, and the elimination of one or more participants.
Judges
During the eighth season, former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins took on hosting duties. Designer Alex Perry remained a steady presence on the judging panel throughout the show's run. Other prominent judges included model Erika Heynatz, ex-Harper's Bazaar editor Marguerite Kramer, stylist Ken Thompson, photographer Georges Antoni, model and designer Jodhi Meares, television personality Charlotte Dawson, and photographer Jez Smith. The tenth season welcomed Megan Gale as a new panel member. Weekly episodes also featured guest judges regularly. Mentorship was provided by figures such as Didier Cohen and Cheyenne Tozzi, who offered support but did not serve as permanent judges.
| Judge/Mentor | Seasons | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (2005) |
2 (2006) |
3 (2007) |
4 (2008) |
5 (2009) |
6 (2010) |
7 (2011) |
8 (2013) |
9 (2015) |
10 (2016) | |||
| Hosts | ||||||||||||
| Erika Heynatz | ||||||||||||
| Jodhi Meares | Guest | |||||||||||
| Sarah Murdoch | ||||||||||||
| Jennifer Hawkins | Guest | |||||||||||
| Judging Panelists | ||||||||||||
| Alex Perry | ||||||||||||
| Marguerite Kramer | ||||||||||||
| Ken Thompson | ||||||||||||
| Georges Antoni | Guest | |||||||||||
| Victoria Fisher | ||||||||||||
| Charlotte Dawson | ||||||||||||
| Jez Smith | Guest | Guest | Guest | |||||||||
Eligibility Criteria
At the outset, participants were required to be at least 18 years old. Starting with the third season, the minimum age was reduced to 16, aligning with the trend of models beginning their careers earlier internationally. Contestants needed to be between 16 and 23 years old during filming and have a minimum height of 172 cm (5 ft 8 in). There were no limitations regarding weight.
Distinctions between ANTM and AusNTM
Australia's Next Top Model adhered closely to the American format but incorporated certain differences. In the US edition, the final two contestants participate in a runway event, with judges selecting the winner. Beginning with season 3, Australia's final two competed live in Sydney, where votes from judges, sponsors, industry experts, and the public (accounting for 15%) determined the winner. From season 6 onward, the last three finalists underwent interviews, were featured in highlight reels, and took part in a runway show; viewer votes ultimately decided the champion. Starting from season 9, the finale reverted to a pre-recorded format.
Cycles
| Cycle | Premiere date | Winner | Runner-up | Other contestants in order of elimination | Number of contestants | International Destinations | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Gemma Sanderson | Chloe Wilson | Naomi Thompson, Nicole Fraser, Atong Tulba Mulual, Allana Ridge (quit), Zoe McDonald, Simmone Duckmanton, Sam Morley, Shannon McGuire | 10 | None | ||
| 2 |
|
Eboni Stocks | Jessica French | Sasha Greenoff, Rebecca Pian & Natalie Giuffre, Sophie Miller, Sarah Lawrence, Hiranthi Warusevitane, Caroline Mouflard (quit), Lara Cameron, Louise Van Brussel, Madeleine Rose, Simone Viljoen | 13 | None | ||
| 3 |
|
Alice Burdeu | Steph Hart | Jaimi Smith (quit), Cobi Marsh, Cassandra Hughes, Kara Taylor, Steph Flockhart, Jane Williamson, Sophie Wittingslow, Danica Brown, Paloma Rodriguez, Anika Salerno, Jordan Loukas | 13 | Los Angeles | ||
| 4 |
|
Demelza Reveley | Alexandra Girdwood | Kamila Markowska, Kristy Coulcher, Emma O'Sullivan, Belinda Hodge, Alamela Rowan, Leiden Kronemberger & Jamie Lee, Rebecca Jobson, Alyce Crawford, Caris Eves, Samantha Downie | 13 | Nadi New York City | ||
| 5 |
|
Tahnee Atkinson | Cassi Van Den Dungen | Laura Tyrie, Leah Johnsen, Georgie Kidman, Mikarla Hussey & Eloise Hoile, Madison Wall, Laura Mitchell, Lola Van Vorst, Franky Okpara, Adele Thiel, Clare Venema | 13 | London | ||
| 6 |
|
Amanda Ware | Kelsey Martinovich | Valeria Nilova & Sally Geach & Claire Smith & Ashlea Monigatti & Alison Boxer, Megan Jacob, Ashton Flutey, Chantal Croccolo, Kimberly Thrupp, Brittney Dudley, Joanna Broomfield, Kathryn Lyons, Jessica Moloney, Sophie Van Den Akker | 16 | Tokyo | ||
|
Montana Cox | Liz Braithwaite | Cassy Phillips-Sainsbury, Tayah Lee-Traub, Annaliese McCann & Alissandra Moone, Neo Yakuac & Caroline Austin, Yolanda Hodgson, Jess Bush & Amelia Coutts, Madeline Huett, Izzy Vesey & Hazel O'Connell, Rachel Riddell, Simone Holtznagel | 16 | Paris Dubai | |||
| 8 |
|
Melissa Juratowitch | Shanali Martin | (Chanique Greyling), Taylor Henley,Rhiannon Bradshaw; Brooke Hogan & April Harvey; Taylah Roberts (disqualified); Madeline Cowe, Ashley Pogmore; Shannon Richardson; Jade Collins & Dajana Bogojevic; Abbie Weir; Duckie Thot | (15) | Bangkok Port Louis | ||
|
Brittany Beattie | Lucy Markovic | Kaitlyn Bennett; Cassie Hargrave; Ayieda Malou; Phoebe Deskovic; Zahra Thalari; Tanahya Cohen; Izi Simundic; Jordan Burridge; Lauren Ericson; Jess Thomas; Alex Sinadinovic | 13 | New York City | |||
| 10 |
|
Aleyna FitzGerald | Sabine Jamieson | Sofie Baric; Laura Taaffe; Summer Kane; Jordan Simek; Jessie Andrewartha; Christy Baker; Vitoria Triboni; Belinda Kosorok; Kassidy Ure; Linnea Stevens-Jones; Daisy Davies | 13 | Milan |
Controversy
After a contractual dispute concerning Heynatz's role on Channel Seven's It Takes Two, she was replaced by Jodhi Meares as host. Meares encountered criticism for her minimal engagement with the show. During the live finale of season 3, she committed multiple on-air mistakes, casting doubt on her competence as a presenter. The situation deteriorated further when Meares withdrew just hours before the season 4 finale, triggering negative media attention and audience disapproval, which ultimately led to her exit from the program.
The winner of season 4, Demelza Reveley, was subject to backlash due to alleged bullying directed at fellow contestant Alamela Rowan. Judges Kirstie Clements and Charlotte Dawson expressed support for Alexandra Girdwood based on this behavior; however, a tied judges' score resulted in a public vote that confirmed Reveley's victory.
Following season 5, runner-up Cassi Van Den Dungen became a source of controversy after turning down modeling contracts offered by Priscilla's Model Management in Australia and Elite Model Management in New York. She opted to stay in Sunbury with her partner instead. This choice attracted criticism from the public as well as judges Alex Perry and Charlotte Dawson, both of whom had advocated for her modeling career. Cassi later explained that pressure to lose weight influenced her decision to reject the New York offer.
During the live final of season 6, host Sarah Murdoch erroneously announced Kelsey Martinovich as the winner before correcting herself and naming Amanda Ware as the actual champion. As compensation, Foxtel awarded Martinovich A$25,000 and a trip to New York. Both Ware and Martinovich appeared on separate covers of Harper's Bazaar in its November issue. Industry professionals speculated whether this mistake was a deliberate publicity tactic, with Harper's Bazaar editor Edwina McCann suggesting that Foxtel may have manipulated voting results.
In season 8, episode 6, contestant Taylah Roberts physically attacked Ashley Pogmore during a challenge and was subsequently removed from the competition by host Jennifer Hawkins. This incident received significant media attention prior to its broadcast. Although Roberts' disqualification was widely regarded as justified, some critics questioned the promotional emphasis placed on the altercation as a major draw for viewers from a branding standpoint.