TV's Dark Secrets: Here's What We Found Out in 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model'

A three-part documentary released on Netflix on February 16 forced a fresh look at the iconic 2000s reality show.

Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model promised to reveal the behind-the-scenes secrets of the show that made Tyra Banks a household name in the fashion industry.

It kept its promise, though it backfired on Tyra herself. Amid revelations from former contestants about harassment, manipulation, and ruined lives, news of the show's possible return seems, at the very least, inappropriate.

Tyra Banks Initially Dreamed of Changing the Modeling Industry

America's Next Top Model launched in 2003 and immediately became a breakthrough. The show focused on the career advancement of ordinary women, offering them a real-life Cinderella story.

The prize was a contract with a modeling agency and an advertising campaign, offering the winner not just fame, but also a job.

For Tyra Banks, who had experienced racism and been told she was too fat in the industry, the project was supposed to become a game-changer. She recruited contestants with different skin tones, body types, and backgrounds.

The show featured plus-size models, women with vitiligo, and neurodivergent contestants – a revolutionary moment in the 2000s. The jurors – Miss J Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker – were also an unusual choice for a glossy modeling show.

However, 'America's Next Top Model' Had a (Really) Dark Side

The problem was that the noble mission was merely a facade for the real goal of keeping viewers glued to their screens at any cost, which required spectacle. As early as the first season, the girls were shaving their pubic hair in front of the cameras.

In Season 4, Keenyah was hinted at having gained weight and was forced to pose as an elephant in a photo shoot. Kahlen, who had lost a friend, was forced to pose in a coffin. Shannon, who was religious, was criticized for refusing to appear in lingerie despite having warned about it at the casting.

The most terrifying episode, however, happened to Shandi in Season 2. While in Italy, the girls met some local men, drank wine, and Shandi, who had a boyfriend at the time, didn't remember how she ended up in bed with one of them.

The producers didn't stop the process, and Tyra later brought up the incident at a meeting with the girls – she told them that she had once been cheated on. After the broadcast, Shandi and her boyfriend were harassed on the streets.

We Don't Need Another Season of 'America's Next Top Model' in 2026

After the documentary aired, social media began buzzing that the three-part investigation would be a major boost for the show's return. Tyra did hint at a 25th season, but, given what we've learned, that idea now seems monstrous.

First, the world has changed. Now, anyone can become famous without participating in a reality show where unethical producers have control over your psyche. Second, modern viewers recognize plot twists and refuse to tolerate on-camera violence.

Third, Tyra, the project's central figure, is portrayed in the documentary as someone willing to address sensitive issues and fire crew members at the channel's behest for the sake of success.

However, the documentary reveals that even the "good guys," like Miss J and Jay Manuel, were part of a system in which women were told that on-set harassment was "unprofessional." The show, which was supposed to shatter stereotypes, was actually made by the people broadcasting them.

In its 24 seasons, Top Model hasn't produced a single supermodel, but it has launched the careers of Tyra, the judges, and the producers. Dozens of girls have been left psychologically wounded, branded "reality show contestants," and with no chance of a proper career. We don't want to see another 25 seasons of this.