The ninth cycle of America's Next Top Model was the third season of the series to be aired on The CW network. This cycle's promotional tagline was "The Future Of Fashion." The promotional song was "Shut Up and Drive" by Rihanna.
The international destinations for this cycle were St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda (for the semi-finals) and Shanghai and Beijing, China.
Among the thirteen finalists was 21-year-old Heather Kuzmich, who has Asperger's syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder. The season averaged 5.12 million viewers, making the cycle one of the most successful in the show's history. This was also the last cycle to date in which Twiggy was featured as a judge. For cycle 10, she was replaced by Paulina Porizkova.
The winner was 21-year-old Saleisha Stowers from Los Angeles, California. Controversy surrounded Stowers' win regarding her eligibility to participate on the show, given that she had already worked as a model before competing on ANTM.
Contestants
(ages stated are at start of contest)
The Girls Go Cruisin'
First aired September 19, 2007
Featured photographer: Jim Wade
Special guests: Jaslene Gonzalez, Gregorio Cuevas, Patrick Dukes
The Models Go Green
First aired September 26, 2007
Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
Special guest: Benny Ninja
CoverGirl of the Week: Lisa Jackson
The Girls Go Rock Climbing
First aired October 3, 2007
Special guests: Colleen Quen, Roy Campbell
Featured photographer: Matthew Jordan Smith
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girl Who Goes Bald
First aired October 10, 2007
Featured photographer: Lionel Deluy
Special guests: Ken Pavés, Dawn Patton, Brent Poer, Crissy Barker
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girl Who Is Afraid Of Heights
First aired October 17, 2007
Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
Special guests: Benny Ninja, Ann Shoket, Danielle Evans, Byron Kirkland, Lloyd Eisler, Marc Baptiste
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girl Who Gets A Mango
First aired October 24, 2007
Featured photographer: Fredric Reshew
Special guests: Tyson Beckford, Elizabeth Santiso, Lisa Price, Mary J. Blige, Matthew Rolston
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girl Who Runs Into The Glass Door
First aired October 31, 2007
The Girls Who Crawl
First aired November 7, 2007
Featured music video director: Jessy Terrero
Special guests: Enrique Iglesias, Billy Parks, Lisa Arianna
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girl Who Starts to Lose Her Cool
First aired November 14, 2007
Featured photographer: Trevor O'Shana
Special guests: Benny Ninja, Neal Hamil, Ann Shoket, Angela Avanesyan, Richard Chan, Julia Chumak, Angelo Estrada, Justin Green, Erin Helgersun, Yuko Pena
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girls Go To Shanghai
First aired November 21, 2007
Featured photographer: Jim Wade
Featured commercial director: Jeffrey Chu
Special guests: Louis Liu, Brent Poer
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girls Go On Go-See Adventures
First aired November 28, 2007
Featured photographer: Nigel Barker
Special guests: Susan Yang, Shan Jin Ya, Lu Kun, Stephen Peng, Flora Zeta, Helen Lee, Fiona Vong
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girls Go To The Great Wall
First aired December 5, 2007
Featured photographer: Tyra Banks
Special guests: Kevin Lee, Ann Shoket
CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich
The Girl Who Becomes America's Next Top Model
First aired December 12, 2007
Featured photographer: Jim De Yonker
Featured commercial director: Brent Poer
Special guests: Qi Gang, Darren Duan, Ann Shoket, Jaslene Gonzalez, Stephen Danelian
Call-out order
The contestant was eliminated
The contestant quit the competition
The contestant was the original eliminee but was saved due to the withdrawal of another contestant
The contestant won the competition
In episode 1, the pool of 20 girls was reduced to 13 who moved on to the main competition. However, this first call-out does not reflect their performance that first week.
In episode 6, Ambreal was the original eliminee, but Ebony's withdrawal from the competition automatically saved her from elimination.
Episode 7 was the recap episode.
Photo shoot guide
Episode 2 photo shoot: Glamour shots smoking/detriments of smoking
Episode 3 photo shoot: Couture Rock Climbing
Episode 4 photo shoot: Flowers & plant life
Episode 5 photo shoot: Fashion gargoyles
Episode 6 photo shoot: Eco-friendly fashion
Episode 8 music video: Enrique Iglesias, "Tired of Being Sorry"
Bianca – Head shave (due to honey blonde weave being unable to work)
Chantal – Long weave with bangs
Ebony – Naomi Campbell inspired straight weave
Heather – Trimmed, straightened, and chestnut brown highlights added
Janet – Dyed black
Jenah – Long blonde weave
Lisa – Cut short
Saleisha – Chic bowl hair
Sarah – Bob cut with blonde highlights
Victoria – Blonde highlights
Controversy
Following the finale and the announcement of Saleisha Stowers as the winner, many fans and critics began to raise questions regarding the legitimacy of her win, and whether or not she had even been eligible to have been entered in the competition in the first place. Evidence started to come to light that she had been featured in an advertisement for Wendy's in 2006, which seemingly went against the rules set in place that no competitor was to have any modeling experience in a national campaign prior to entering the competition. Though representatives from ANTM released a statement saying that Stowers disclosed her experience prior to entering and her commercial had been deemed "not modeling experience", more controversy arose when it was revealed that Stowers had also appeared as a model on The Tyra Banks Show and on an episode of Cycle 6 of Top Model. It had been publicly acknowledged on the show that she and Tyra Banks had a previous relationship due to Saleisha's participation in Tyra's T-Zone camp as a teenager, so speculation has since come about that Stowers' win was based on her and Banks' previous relationship, and not on the validity of her as a model.
Post-Top Model careers
Mila Bouzinova did some test shots, did some print work for Cosmopolitan and used to be signed with Basic Model Management in New York.
Jenah Doucette has done some test shots and print work and was featured as one of the presenter in Tyra's Fiercee Awards on The Tyra Banks Show in 2008.
Bianca Golden is currently signed with Major Model Management in New York, Fusion Model Management in South Africa, Ford Models in Chicago and Click Models in Boston. She was one of the models in the finale of fifth season of Project Runway. She has modeled in Essence, Cosmopolitan, The Source and for various brands. She has also taken part in Farah Angsana Spring 2010 presentation as well as multiple fashion weeks and BET's Rip The Runway shows. Bianca has also appeared on The Tyra Banks Show several times. She also participated the all-star version of America's Next Top Model along with other returning models, and was eliminated in episode 7 alongside fellow contestant Kayla Ferrel.
Sarah Hartshorne is currently signed with IPM Model Management in New York.
Lisa Jackson is currently signed with Major Model Management in New York, Studio Model Management in Paris and Muse Model Management in New York. She was one of the models in the finale of sixth season and was the model for designer Michelle Lesniak Franklin, Season 11, of Project Runway and walked for TRESemme at Mara Hoffman Spring 2010 show amongst many other shows. She has also modeled for Source, Carmen Marc Valvo and numerous brands and magazines. She has also been featured twice in Top Models In Action, the first time in Cycle 11, and the second in Cycle 13. She has appeared in the music video for Sean Paul's "She Doesn't Mind". Lisa also was the winning model on season 11 of Project Runway, winning $25,000 and the cover of Marie Claire.
Chantal Jones is currently signed with Nous Model Management, L.A. Model Management, Paragon Model Management in Mexico Muse Model Management in New York. She used to be signed with 62 Models & Talent in Auckland.
Heather Kuzmich is currently signed with Elite Model Management in Chicago. She is also pursuing a career in the video game industry and she is currently signed with Major Model Management in New York and Studio Model Management in Paris. She was one of the models in the finale of sixth season of Project Runway and walked for TRESemme at Mara Hoffman Spring 2010 show amongst many other shows. She has also modeled for Source, Carmen Marc Valvo and numerous brands and magazines.
Kimberly Leemans is currently signed with Elite Model Management in Chicago, after winning Elite Chicago's E-Tube's contest. She used to be signed with Basic Model Management in New York and International Model Management in Brussels. She was one of the models in the finale of season 6 of Project Runway. She was featured in Ocala magazine. She has appeared on Gossip Girl, Life on Mars, Cupid, Law and Order and HBO's How to Make It in America. In 2014, Kimberly had a small role on The Vampire Diaries as "Young Jo"
Victoria Marshman has returned to Yale University and started to finish her Medieval History course.
Janet Mills is currently signed with Level Model and Talent Management.
Ebony Morgan has gone back to dental school and was seen in Tyra's Fiercee Awards on The Tyra Banks Show as one of the nominated models.
Saleisha Stowers is currently signed with Elite Model Management in New York and Los Angeles and with L.A. Model Management. In 2013, she joined the cast of the online revival of All My Children, and in 2015, joined the cast of Days of Our Lives.
Ambreal Williams is currently signed with Click Model Management in Los Angeles.
