‘America’s Next Top Model’ Casting: Tyra Banks Says Models Over 27 Can Now Apply
A little over a week ago, there Michelle Mock Casting that urged people to apply for America’s Next Top Model by sending their photos and contact information to the official casting director. The rules stated that those who wanted to apply for America’s Next Top Model had to be between the ages of 18 and 27, and at least 5-foot-6 or taller. The America’s Next Top Model hopefuls also had to be U.S. citizens. Today, those rules have changed.
The below video features Tyra Banks expressing excitement about the changes she made to the age limits of America’s Next Top Model applicants. Instead of imposing an age limit of 27 years of age, Tyra noted that anyone 18 and older could now apply for America’s Next Top Model.
People who want to apply for America’s Next Top Model are still being instructed to send three photos to VH1TopModel@gmail.com, as well as their name, age, height, contact information, and weight. Along with the weight information, Banks wrote that all sizes were welcome, therefore full-figure models should also apply. The requirement of being a U.S. citizen is still in play, although the height restrictions weren’t mentioned, so it’s not clear if people shorter than 5-foot-6 can now apply.
Tyra explained that she kept receiving so much feedback from people who were fans of America’s Next Top Model, but continued to ask her why she imposed the age 27 limit on the show. After all, Tyra is a successful model-turned-business mogul, who was born on December 4, 1973, making her currently 43-years-old. Banks explained that she supported women of all ages and sizes. Apparently, Tyra listened to the feedback, since just last week, the 27-year-old age limit was still in place. Now it has been removed, and Banks has received nearly 200,000 views in six hours on the Instagram video where she announced the news about the age limit change.
The only thing Tyra requires is that America’s Next Top Model contestants know how to “smize,” which is a term that Banks coined, which means to smile with their eyes, not necessarily their mouths. As seen in the below photo, Tyra appears to “smize” and give the camera a smile with her eyes when she attended the 61st Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2004.
America’s Next Top Model is undergoing a big change with the age limit removal. As reported by E! News, Tyra’s reality show will face its cycle No. 24, as Tyra puts it. It will be the first cycle of ANTM that will shake things up with older contestants.
“You know I’ve stood for diverse beauty and erasing cookie-cutters when it comes to what is deemed beautiful. There have been 23 cycles of America’s Next Top Model and every single cycle, we say, you have to be 27 years old or younger. Know what I hear all the time? ‘Tyra, come on! Why have an age limit?'”
In the Instagram video, Tyra’s beauty is on full display with blonde hair and beautiful “smizing” eyes as she announced the change.
As seen in the top photo above, a then 22-year-old Tyra showed up on September 9, 1996, in Beverly Hills, California, for a Tribute to Style charity event.
Reactions to the age limit removal can be read below.
“Has my dream come true???”
“Hold up Tyra I just thought of something, this is not a April Fools joke right because I would be really sad lol @tyrabanks“
[Featured Image by Albert Ortega/Getty Images]
