Australia's Next Top Model

Premise

The series features a group of young female contestants who attend preliminary auditions across Australia with finalists selected to star in the series proper, where they end up living together in a house for several weeks whilst taking part in lectures, challenges, photo shoots and meetings with members of the modelling industry. Normally, one contestant is eliminated each week until the last contestant remaining is declared "Australia's Next Top Model" and receives a modelling contract and other associated prizes, usually a feature spread in an Australian fashion magazine, a cash prize, a new car and meetings with modelling agencies with the intention of securing future work.

Show format

Each episode of Top Model covers the events of roughly a week of real time (however, while overseas, an episode may cover a shorter period), and features a fashion challenge, a photo shoot and/or commercial, a critique of each contestant and her performance by the judging panel, and the elimination of one or more contestants.

Judges

In the eighth cycle Jennifer Hawkins became the host of the series. Fashion designer Alex Perry is also currently a judge. Previous judges have included model Erika Heynatz, former Harper's Bazaar managing editor Marguerite Kramer, fashion stylist Ken Thompson, fashion producer Victoria Fisher, fashion photographer Georges Antoni, model-turned-designer Jodhi Meares, model-actress Sarah Murdoch, TV personality Charlotte Dawson and fashion photographer Jez Smith. Usually there is a guest judge seating in on the panel every week.

There is a position of model mentor who is not a permanent judge but appears in almost every episode of the cycle. In season 9 Didier Cohen and Cheyenne Tozzi served as mentors. In season 10, Megan Gale joined the panel.

Requirements

Starting from cycle 3, contestants must be aged between 16 and 23 at the time of filming. In the first two series, contestants had to be at least 18 years old. However, the show lowered the age limit after realizing that most international models start their career earlier. In cycle 5, the three finalists were aged 16 at the time of filming. In cycle 7, the three finalists were aged 17 at the time of filming. Those auditioning have to be at least 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) tall. In the past, some contestants have weighed less than 60 kg, but there is no restriction on weight.

Differences between ANTM and AusNTM

Australia's Next Top Model shares the format of its American counterpart, but there are a few differences. On America's Next Top Model the final two models compete in a runway fashion show and the winner is chosen in the judging room. Starting from cycle 3, the final two contestants competed in front of a live studio audience in Sydney before the winner was revealed live-to-air. The judges, sponsors, and fashion professionals voted for the winner, along with the TV viewing public, whose votes contributed 15 per cent to the overall tally. Beginning with cycle 6, the format was changed. The final three (not two) were interviewed, shown their best bits from the competition, and participated in a runway show. The viewer votes decided the winner of the competition. From cycle 9 and onward, the show has returned to pre-recorded finals.

Controversy

Following a breach of contract with Heynatz's appearance on the Channel Seven series It Takes Two, she was replaced as host by Jodhi Meares, who was consistently scrutinized for her lack of involvement in the show. During the cycle 3 live finale, she made a number of embarrassing blunders that drew commentary from critics on her ability to host. Things worsened when she pulled out of her hosting duties hours before the cycle 4 live finale. The swarm of negative comments from the press and fans of the show led to Meares' withdrawal from the programme.

In cycle 4, Demelza Reveley's win provoked negative feedback from critics and the public due to her bullying of another contestant. Leader of the self-named clique "the Bitchketeers", in one episode, Reveley brought fellow competitor Alamela Rowan, 17, to tears by water-bombing her and tipping water on her head. Rowan, who was left traumatized by the taunts and attacks during her time on the show, was noticeably unimpressed by the apology Reveley gave. The "Bitchketeers" had also caused problems for fellow contestants Alexandra Girdwood, Belinda Hodge and Caris Eves. Vogue Australia editor-in-chief, Kirstie Clements, and former model and fellow judge Charlotte Dawson preferred Girdwood, because of Reveley's behaviour. The judges' scores were tied, so the decision came down to the public, who voted for Reveley.

After cycle 5, runner-up Cassi Van Den Dungen made a series of highly controversial comments. She was offered modeling contracts by Priscilla's Model Management in Australia and Elite Model Management in New York City (the contract with Elite was worth a reported $2 million). Cassi turned down both offers and quit modeling in order to remain in Sunbury with her bricklayer boyfriend, Brad Saul, causing a backlash from the public, as well as from judges Alex Perry and Charlotte Dawson, who had vouched for Cassi on the show and urged her to pursue modeling. Cassi later stated in the press that she rejected the Elite contract because she didn't want to be pressured to drop from a size six to a four. Later, to the surprise of many, it was announced that Cassi would be signing a contract with IMG Paris and would be walking for designers at Paris Fashion Week in March 2010. Cassi made the trip to Paris with Saul but withdrew after insulting the French agents and referring to them as "snail slurpers" and "frog eaters" on her Facebook page. Saul added comments, one of which included a racial slur, for which the couple received more fire.

In the cycle 6 live final, the TV viewers voted to decide the winner. Initially, Sarah Murdoch announced Kelsey Martinovich as the winner of Australia's Next Top Model. Moments after Martinovich had made her victory speech, Murdoch stopped the celebrations and announced that Amanda Ware was the winner of Cycle 6. An embarrassed Murdoch apologised repeatedly to Martinovich and the audience, stating that the final result was fed to her wrong. As compensation for the error, Foxtel awarded Martinovich a A$25,000 cash prize and an all-expenses paid trip to New York. Harper's Bazaar decided to release both Amanda and Kelsey's covers for the November issue. In the days following the bungled announcement, top industry commentators expressed skepticism about whether the episode was a publicity stunt, with the editor of Harper's Bazaar Edwina McCann accusing Foxtel of manipulating the result. "The network did want Amanda to win ... They kept the voting lines open for a long time I think in the hope that she would get over the line. I'm told that it came down to three votes," she told the Nine Network.

In episode 6 of cycle 8, Taylah Roberts was disqualified from the competition for choking Ashley Pogmore after a painting challenge. Roberts was confronted by host Jennifer Hawkins at panel and she was ultimately disqualified from the competition. Some time before the footage was aired on television, the incident had been covered by several media outlets. It was also noted that while the disqualification might have been the proper course of action, it was still incorrect to showcase the occurrence as a selling point to draw in more viewers for the show.