America's Next Top Model (cycle 8)

America's Next Top Model (cycle 8)

Cycle 8 cast
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes 13
Release
Original network The CW
Original release

February 28 (2007-02-28) – May 16, 2007 (2007-05-16)

Additional information
Judges
No. of contestants 13
Winner Jaslene Gonzalez

The eighth cycle of America's Next Top Model aired from February 28, 2007 to May 16, 2007, and was the second season of the series to be aired on The CW network.

The international destination during this cycle was Sydney, Australia. The winner, similar to all of the cycles aired on The CW network, received representation by Elite Model Management, a cover & six-page spread within Seventeen magazine,[1] and a US$100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics.

The cycle's promotional tagline was "Welcome To The Jungle, Ladies" and the promotional theme songs were both Danity Kane's "One Shot" and Shiny Toy Guns' "Le Disko."

The winner was 20-year-old Jaslene Gonzalez from Chicago, Illinois, who notably had made it to the semi-finals of cycle 7, but was not cast. Gonzalez became the first winner without any bottom two appearance.

The cycle's finale episode attracted more than 6.6 million viewers, a record for both the franchise and the CW.

Contestants

(ages stated are at start of contest)

Contestant[2] Age Hometown Finish Place
Kathleen DuJour[3] 20 Brooklyn, New York Episode 2 13
Samantha Francis[4] 19 Pinson, Alabama Episode 3 12
Cassandra Watson[5] 24 Seattle, Washington Episode 4 11
Felicia Provost[6] 19 Houston, Texas Episode 5 10
Diana Zalewski[7] 21 Garfield, New Jersey Episode 6 9
Sarah VonderHaar[8] 20 Lake Zurich, Illinois Episode 7 8
Whitney Cunningham[9] 21 West Palm Beach, Florida Episode 8 7
Jael Strauss[10] 22 Detroit, Michigan Episode 9 6
Brittany Hatch[11] 21 Savannah, Georgia Episode 11 5
Dionne Walters[12] 20 Montgomery, Alabama Episode 12 4
Renee DeWitt[13] 20 Maui, Hawaii Episode 13 3
Natasha Galkina[14] 21 Dallas, Texas 2
Jaslene Gonzalez[15] 20 Chicago, Illinois 1

Episode summaries

The Girl Who Won't Stop Talking

First aired February 28, 2007

The 33 contestants were sent to Los Angeles, and were immediately thrown into model boot camp. They met Jay Manuel and J. Alexander who tested them with a quick photo shoot and a quiz on fashion-related knowledge. Sarah won the posing challenge and impressed the Jays with her fashion knowledge. Afterwards, the contestants met Tyra.

After the boot camp, the semi-finalists went into a room with Tyra, Jay and Miss J for informal interviews. Cycle 7 contestant Jaslene reappeared and was finally chosen to go on in the competition. Some memorable auditions included Micheline, who had at least 20 tattoos on her body; Natasha, who married a man in his forties when she was eighteen; and Dionne, who referred to her unique hair color as "1B-30." After the interviews, twenty contestants were chosen to attend a party hosted by Marc Ecko, where the contestants each had their headshots taken. Seven more girls were eliminated before the judges settled on Brittany, Cassandra, Diana, Dionne, Felicia, Jael, Jaslene, Kathleen, Natasha, Renee, Samantha, Whitney, and Sarah as the thirteen contestants for cycle 8.

The thirteen finalists had their first photo shoot dealing with the following controversial political issues:

Political issue Stances
For Against
AbortionNatashaJael
Death penaltyJasleneSarah
FurBrittanyKathleen
GunsDianaRenee
MeatCassandraDionne
Gay marriageSamantha & WhitneyFelicia

After the photoshoot, the girls moved into the mansion where they would stay for the duration of the competition.

For the week's challenge, the contestants were taken to a Goodwill thrift shop where they were given three minutes to put together an outfit which reflected their personal style. After a runway show featuring their outfits, each outfit was auctioned off to raise money for Goodwill. Jael's received the highest bid and for her reward, she signed her name on the ceremonial check given to the charity for the vocationally challenged and was dressed by stylist Phillip Bloch before meeting the judges.

Only Jaslene, Felicia, Samantha, Cassandra and Brittany pulled off strong photos, while the rest failed to impress. When the judges questioned Jael how she won the challenge but performed poorly in the photoshoot, Jael claimed that she didn't want to be hated by the other girls by winning too many challenges. The judges were not impressed with her answer and placed Jael and Kathleen in the bottom two contestants for failing to commit to their characters during their photo shoots. Because Jael displayed greater potential, she was allowed to remain while Kathleen became the first girl eliminated.

The Girls Go To Prom

First aired March 7, 2007

The contestants arrived to a local high school where they were greeted by J. Alexander and a high school marching band. J. explained that the week's challenge and photoshoot would be high school-themed. The contestants were then divided into teams and taught a runway walking routine based on timing and precision.

For the week's challenge, the girls were to participate in a fashion show for the high school students. Fashion show producer Roy Campbell explained that each contestant would model a modern contemporary, 1980s prom, and ghetto fabulous prom look. As she walked down the runway, Sarah suffered a wardrobe malfunction and her breasts popped out of her halter dress. While the judges praised her for staying calm and professional, she was still criticized for not attempting to cover up in front of the underage audience. Brittany won the runway challenge and received a trophy as a reward.

For the week's photo shoot, Miss J assigned each girl a high school stereotype to portray.

Model High school cliché
Brittany Valedictorian
Cassandra Cheerleader
Diana Student body president
Dionne Bad girl
Felicia Jock
Jael Bookworm
Jaslene Weirdo
Natasha Teacher's pet
Renee Class clown
Samantha Girl with the bad reputation
Sarah Class flirt
Whitney Mean girl

Jaslene was called first once again but Felicia and Diana also impressed the judges. Natasha and Samantha struggled to embody their characters, and thus landed in the bottom two. The judges believed Samantha was too inexperienced while Natasha was criticized for her inability to transfer her beauty into a photograph and was unfavorably compared to Ann Markley from cycle 3. In the end, Natasha was saved from elimination due to her positive attitude and Samantha was sent home.

The Girl Who Cries All The Time

First aired March 14, 2007

The eleven remaining contestants traveled to a Beverly Hills salon for their makeovers. Most girls were pleased with their new looks but Brittany complained about the pain her new weave caused. Similarly, Jael went under to arduous process to insert a weave only for it to be removed eight hours later and replaced with a short pixie haircut. Back at the house, Brittany continued to complain about her weave while Jael was devastated to receive a phone call about a friend who died of an overdose.

For the week's challenge, the contestants were tested on their ability to apply their own make up. Brittany won the challenge, although the judges revealed that Cassandra would have been chosen as the winner if she had not gone over time. Brittany received a photoshoot with Seventeen magazine and invited Jael and Sarah to accompany her.

For the week's photo shoot, the contestants posed nude, decorated as various types of candy.

Model Type of candy
Brittany Banana split
Cassandra Jelly beans
Diana Gummy bears
Dionne Candy cane
Felicia Lollipop
Jael Birthday cake
Jaslene Dulce de leche
Natasha Gumballs
Renee Candy necklace
Sarah Hard candy
Whitney Chocolate kiss

At judging, the judges were impressed by Brittany's "editorial" photograph and praised most of the girls for their improvements. However, the judges criticized Jaslene for losing her "spicy personality" and were disappointed in Cassandra's bland photos. Because of her lack of improvement, Cassandra was placed in the bottom two along with Diana, who struggled to pose nude with her plus-sized body. In the end, the judges felt that Cassandra was unable to translate her beauty into photos and she was eliminated.

The Girl Who Changes Her Attitude

First aired March 21, 2007

For the week's challenge, the contestants met posing instructor Benny Ninja, who taught them the art of voguing. To test their skills, the girls had to maneuver their way through a laser maze within two minutes while stopping occasionally to pose for photos. Renee was the only contestant to fail the maze while Whitney was proclaimed the winner of the challenge. She received a $40,000 bracelet from Angara as her prize.

For the week's photo shoot, the girls posed as crime scene victims, bringing life to the photo while being 'dead'.

Model Crime scene
Brittany Electrocuted
Diana Organs stolen
Dionne Shot
Felicia Decapitated
Jael Strangled
Jaslene Pushed off rooftop
Natasha Drowned
Renee Poisoned
Sarah Pushed down stairs
Whitney Stabbed

At judging, all the girls were praised for delivering strong photos, with the exception of Dionne and Felicia. Dionne was criticized for not being creative enough with her posing and relying on the creative director and photographer to position her. Meanwhile, Felicia was admonished for looking bland and lifeless in her photos. Despite having the stronger portfolio, Felicia was eliminated because the judges believe she was becoming weaker as the competition went on.

The Girl Who Takes Credit

First aired March 28, 2007

For the week's challenge, the contestants met Elite Model Management director Cathy Gould, who taught them how to pick out clothes that were "top model" material. The girls were then split into groups of three and instructed to assemble a clothing line, choose outfits to model, and pose on a designated platform. Whitney posed on the floor and ignored Natasha's warning to move onto the designated platform. Because of this, Whitney's team was disqualified for the challenge. Cathy Gould revealed that had Whitney posed on the platform, her team would have won the challenge and Whitney would have been selected as the individual winner of the challenge. Instead, Sarah was chosen as the winner and she received double the frame for the week's photoshoot. Dionne and Renee were annoyed that Sarah took credit for the team's fashion styling, despite Dionne and Renee doing the majority of the work.

For the week's photo shoot, the girls were greeted by drag queens, who explained that the girls would be portraying both the male and female counterpart of a heterosexual couple.

Model Couple
Brittany Outdoorsy
Diana Red carpet
Dionne Power
Jael Bohemian
Jaslene Nautical
Natasha Hip hop
Renee Glam rock
Sarah Rocker
Whitney Collegiate

While Brittany and Jaslene once again impressed Jay with their shots, Natasha was especially praised for her creativity and incorporating a grill she made from gum wrappers as one of her props. Because they lacked confidence in their plus size bodies, Whitney and Diana landed in the bottom two. The judges felt that Diana lacked passion and tried to ask why she wanted to be a top model. Diana was unable to give a convincing, enthusiastic response and the judges decided to eliminate her, citing that passion was more important than a superior portfolio.

The Girl Who Gets Thrown In The Pool

First aired April 4, 2007

For the week's challenge, the girls met Twiggy and cycle 7's Melrose Bickerstaff, who instructed the contestants to come up with a new nickname to use when they introduced themselves at an industry party later that evening. Twiggy and Melrose Bickerstaff reminded the girls to be on their best behavior because there would be influential people at the party. Rapper 50 Cent became annoyed with Jael at the party and he pushed her into the pool, with Natasha jumping in after her. The two became embarrassed by their soaking wet appearance when they had to interview with Tyra's manager Benny Medina in the middle of the party. Nicole Richie gossiped with the contestants and informed Jael that Renee hated her, leading to a fight between the two.

For the week's photo shoot, the girls had to direct their own hair and makeup and showcase four sides of their personalities.

Model Personalities Portrayed Nicknames
Brittany Innocent, spacey, secret evil, goofy Brit
Dionne Friendly, Evil, Hood, sensitive Wholahay (later changed to Brown)
Jael sexy beast, anarchist, revolutionary, dominator Jael
Jaslene Sentimental, Drag queen, Cha-cha diva, Modelesque Jaslene
Natasha Happy, surprised, sad, sexy Nata
Renee Sexual, dark side, motherly, sorrow Nayien (changed to NeNe)[Note 1]
Sarah Innocent, angry, sad, happy Moe
Whitney Secretive, peaceful, thinker, comedian Whitelle

After the shoot, Dionne was revealed as the winner of the week's challenge and was rewarded with a spread modeling Keds in Seventeen magazine. She chose Jaslene and Whitney to accompany her. At the house, Tyra visited the girls to mediate the growing tensions between Renee and the rest of the contestants. Renee confessed that due to an abusive childhood, she had a tendency to lash out at people and promised to be more pleasant in the future.

At judging, Jael, Natasha, Dionne, Brittany and Renee all received praise while Jaslene was criticized for portraying her four personalities too similarly. Sarah and Whitney landed in the bottom two for their less than stellar photos but Sarah was chosen to be eliminated.

The Girl Who Impresses Pedro

First aired April 11, 2007

For the week's challenge, the girls had to demonstrate acting ability. They received a crash course in character acting and performed along guest judge Efren Ramirez, best known for his portrayal of Pedro in the film Napoleon Dynamite. Renee was chosen as the best actress and she selected Dionne to share her prize of a custom made T-shirt. However, the judges revealed that the real prize was a surprise visit from their respective families. Natasha broke down crying, explaining that she wished she won the challenge because she missed her daughter.

For the week's photoshoot, the girls had to portray memorable moments from previous cycles of America's Next Top Model.

Model Past cycle representation
Brittany ANTM having twin contestants (Amanda Babin and Michelle Babin, cycle 7)
Dionne Lesbian limo kiss (Kim Stolz, cycle 5)
Jael Balance disorder fainting during panel (Rebecca Epley, cycle 4)
Jaslene Stolen granola bar (Bre Scullark, cycle 5)
Natasha Impetigo (Michelle Deighton, cycle 4)
Renee Snaggletooth removal (Joanie Dodds, cycle 6)
Whitney Refusal to do a nude shoot (Shannon Stewart, cycle 1)

At judging, Dionne and Brittany impressed the judges with their outstanding photographs. Natasha was also praised for her photos and the judges complimented on her ability to focus after being disappointed that she missed out on the prize to visit with her daughter. Jael was criticized for being too mechanical at the shoot and then failing to express herself eloquently at panel while Whitney was once again scolded for not delivering a stellar photo. In the end, the judges felt that Jael's portfolio was more impressive and eliminated Whitney.

The Girls Go Down Under

First aired April 18, 2007

The girls got a crash course in interviewing skills from cycle 2 contestant April Wilkner and comedian Gary Riotto before being informed that they would be traveling to Sydney, Australia for the remainder of the competition. Upon their arrival in Australia, the girls were immediately thrown into a challenge. For the week's challenge, the contestants interviewed local Sydney residents on American fashion faux pas using as much Australian slang as possible. Natasha won and was given the opportunity to be a correspondent for The Tyra Banks Show.

Instead of a photoshoot, the girls filmed a CoverGirl commercial at Hyde Park with their best Australian accent. At judging, the judges were impressed by the way Natasha was able to cover her thick Russian accent with a commendable Australian one and praised Renee for her Australian accent as well. Since Brittany struggled to remember her lines, she landed in the bottom two along with Jael, who also had a lackluster take. Despite the fact that Jael's take was better than Brittany's, the judges voted that Brittany had the better portfolio. Thus, Jael was eliminated.

The Girl Who Picks A Fight

First aired April 25, 2007

This was the season's recap episode. Never-before seen footage included the girls holding a mock runway show called "Top Model High Fashion Show" in the house, Jael following Renee around with a pair of pom-poms, Dionne and Renee getting into a heated argument, Natasha and Renee bonding while cleaning the house, Cassandra going to the hospital for frostbite following the nude "candy-coated" shoot, and Natasha getting a tooth removed.

The Girl Who Blames The Taxi Driver

First aired May 2, 2007

For the week's challenge, the girls were given four hours to attend go-sees all over Sydney. Renee, Dionne, and Jaslene returned to the modeling agency before 4:30pm and were congratulated for being on time however Natasha and Brittany were disqualified for being late and were asked to wait outside. While, Natasha accepted her disqualification gracefully, Brittany had a meltdown, crying, cursing, throwing her portfolio on the ground, telling Natasha to "shut up" and blaming her Sydney taxi cab driver for being the reason she was late. Everyone inside the agency could hear Brittany complaining right in front of Natasha about her taxi driver. Priscilla Leighton Clark, the challenge administrator, revealed that Jaslene impressed the most clients and declared her the winner. For her prize, Jaslene had a photoshoot on top of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge shot by Nigel Barker and she chose Dionne to accompany her.

For the week's photoshoot, the girls had to pose in swimsuits. Tyra was the shoot photographer and posed each contestant in two different styles—one as if for a women's magazine and the other as if for a men's magazine. Tyra was impressed with Jaslene's variety of poses, but was disappointed that Dionne had to be constantly coached.

At judging, Dionne was the only one not praised for her photo. She landed in the bottom two, along with Brittany, both for the second time. Tyra revealed that none of the clients from the go-see challenge said that they would hire Brittany, despite a stellar portfolio. Because of her inability to connect with any clients, Brittany was eliminated.

The Girl Who Does Not Want To Dance

First aired May 9, 2007

For the week's challenge, the final four contestants visited Aboriginal teachers for a lesson on self-expression and storytelling through dance. The girls had to decorate themselves with traditional body paint and perform their life story for the crowd. Renee enthusiastically embraced the challenge and subsequently won the challenge. She won a selection of pearl jewelry and she chose Jaslene to share her prize with. That evening, Renee, Dionne and Jaslene explored the Sydney nightlife while Natasha stayed home sick. The three took the opportunity to talk about Natasha behind her back, wondering if Natasha was a mail-order bride.

For the week's photoshoot, the girls were assigned an Aboriginal dance to portray.

Model Aboriginal dance
Dionne Dance of the food gatherers
Jaslene Dance of the red breasted robin
Natasha Dance of the willie wagtail
Renee Dance of the butterfly

At judging, only Renee received unanimous praise. Jaslene's photo received lukewarm reviews because the judges felt it was too reminiscent of her first photo shoot and they began to question her versatility. Natasha and Dionne both received negative critiques on their photos. Tyra asked the contestants whom they felt had the most and the least amount of potential. Renee, Jaslene, and Dionne all voted Natasha as the weakest, but Natasha remained calm in the face of their criticism. Dionne chose Jaslene as the model with the most potential, causing Tyra to question Dionne's self-confidence. Unsurprisingly, Natasha and Dionne landed in the bottom two. Natasha was ruled to have more potential and Dionne was eliminated.

The Girl Who Becomes America's Next Top Model

First aired May 16, 2007

For the week's challenge and photoshoot, the final three had to shoot a CoverGirl commercial and print ad. The girls were told to ad lib in their commercial, which made the challenge especially difficult. Natasha initially wrote a script, but later dropped it to sound more natural, while Jaslene impressed the judges when she spoke Spanish in her commercials. All the girls were praised for the commercials, but the judges noted differing weaknesses in their photos—Natasha could only give a natural looking smile when she was laughing, Jaslene's picture looked like a yearbook photo, and Renee looked too old in her takes. Natasha and Renee landed in the bottom two and the judges chose to eliminate Renee because they felt she was beginning to look too old in her photographs.

As the final two contestants, Jaslene and Natasha shot cover photos for Seventeen magazine. Tyra visited both contestants for one-on-one sessions before they prepared for the final runway challenge. Cycle 7 winner CariDee English joined Jaslene and Natasha in the runway show for Australian fashion label Sass and Bide. Jaslene's runway walk started off weak but she quickly improved over the course of the show. Meanwhile, Natasha had a wardrobe malfunction as she walked the runway but she stayed calm and professional.

At the final judging, the judges were divided over which girl to choose. The judges loved Natasha's striking looks and were impressed with her improvement over the course of the competition, but worried if she was truly ready to be a high fashion model. Jaslene's photographs received universal praise, although there was concern for her commercial ability. The judges were torn between Natasha's astounding progress and Jaslene's overall consistency.

After a long deliberation, the girls were called in and Jaslene was declared the eighth winner of America's Next Top Model.

Summaries

Call-out order

Tyra's call-out order
OrderEpisodes
123456789111213
1 NatashaJasleneJasleneBrittanyReneeNatashaJaelDionneNatashaJasleneReneeJasleneJaslene
2 KathleenBrittanyFeliciaJaelNatashaDionneNatashaNatashaReneeNatashaJasleneNatashaNatasha
3 SarahFeliciaDianaSarahBrittanyBrittanyDionneBrittanyJasleneReneeNatashaRenee
4 CassandraDianaReneeDionneWhitneyJasleneBrittanyReneeDionneDionneDionne
5 ReneeSamanthaBrittanyFeliciaJasleneSarahReneeJasleneBrittanyBrittany
6 SamanthaCassandraCassandraReneeJaelReneeJasleneJaelJael
7 DionneReneeDionneWhitneyDianaJaelWhitneyWhitney
8 WhitneySarahJaelNatashaSarahWhitneySarah
9 BrittanyDionneWhitneyJasleneDionneDiana
10 FeliciaWhitneySarahDianaFelicia
11 JaelNatashaNatashaCassandra
12 JasleneJaelSamantha
13 DianaKathleen
     The contestant was eliminated
     The contestant won the competition

Photo Shoot Guide

Other cast members

Makeovers

Post-Top Model careers

Notes

  1. ↑ Due to name confusion about Nayien within cycle 4 winner Naima Mora, Renee decided to change her new nickname NeNe at the judging panel.

References

  1. ↑ "America's Next Top Model – Cast – Tyra Banks".
  2. ↑ "The CW reveals the identities of its 'America's Next Top Model 8' girls". Reality TV World. Retrieved 2016-02-25.
  3. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110704/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-kathleen
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110714/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-samantha
  5. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110849/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-cassandra
  6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110427/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-felicia
  7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110307/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-diana
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110327/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-sarah
  9. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110458/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-whitney
  10. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110146/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-jael
  11. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110653/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-brittany
  12. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110339/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-dionne
  13. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110317/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-renee
  14. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110448/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-natasha
  15. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20070311110438/http://www.cwtv.com/thecw/americas-next-top-model-jaslene
  16. ↑ "America's Next Top Model finalist Renee Alway sentenced to 12 years in prison". Daily Mail. 22 December 2014.
  17. ↑ Natalie Gal - Fenton Moon NY
  18. ↑ Jaslene Gonzales - Exodus Models
  19. ↑ "InTouch Weekly". All-ANTM.net.
  20. ↑ "Hombre". All-ANTM.net.
  21. ↑ "Seventeen Magazine". All-ANTM.net.
  22. ↑ "Vanidades Cover Confirmed". 6 Degrees. February 7, 2008.
  23. ↑ "Splendor Magazine". horacionieto.com.
  24. 1 2 "Can She Stay On Top?". Time Out Magazine.
  25. ↑ "Metrostyle Teams up with Winners from the Television Show America's Next Top Model". businesswire.com.
  26. ↑ "Lot29 Billboard". Adrants.com.
  27. ↑ "Second Time Square Billboards".
  28. ↑ "Clothing". Marianne Stores.
  29. ↑ "Cesar Galindo". Isabella Gucci.
  30. ↑ "Heart On My Sleeve".
  31. ↑ "title". YRB Magazine.
  32. ↑ "Jaslene". COACD.BlogSpot.com.
  33. ↑ The former America's Next Top Model contestant battling a meth addiction
  34. ↑ Cassandra Watson - SMG Models

External links

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