21st - Cycle 23 (2016/17)
So for the first time ever, Tyra stepped down as host and we were given a one-off replacement host in Rita Ora. An unusual choice to say the least. Rita didn't do a terrible job as host, but the show just isnt the same without Tyra
love her or hate her, shes the glue that holds it all together. With Rita it all felt a bit amateur.
That being said, Cycle 23 was still a decent series, we got some interesting girls and for the first time (maybe ever?) it actually felt like a serious modelling competition. There weren't any of Tyras usual gimmicks and cringe-worthy opinions, it was all just very plain sailing.
One thing that this cycle does spend too much time focusing on is "being a boss".. whatever that means.. and it almost starts to feel like they're competing to become business women rather than models.
This cycle also replaced Miss J with Stacey Mckenzie, who is just all kinds of messy.. from giving irrelevant critiques, to actually breaking down crying to the girls about her own insecurities.. like girl..
In terms of contestants, thank god this cycle re-introduced an all female cast! We got plenty of classic ANTM catty drama. A lot of the early drama revolved around Binta, who gave strong Sandra c12 vibes. The girls were tired of her butting in on conversations and generally just being ignorant
There was also Courtney who had various conditions and illnesses and the other girls tried to call her a liar nnn. The twins Cody and Tash especially hated her.
Overall this was an alright cycle, but it definitely lacked the FUN element that Tyra brings. It all felt way too serious.
The final 2 came down to Tatiana and India, with India bagging the win. It was kinda unexpected seeing as she'd been given such an irrelevant edit for the entire cycle and then just won, but she had some great photos.
Cycle ranking: 5/10
