America's Next Top Model (cycle 1)

America's Next Top Model (Cycle 1)
Cycle 1 cast
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	9
Release
Original network	UPN
Original release	May 20, 2003 (2003-05-20) – July 15, 2003 (2003-07-15)
Additional information
Judges	Tyra Banks Janice Dickinson Kimora Lee Simmons Beau Quillian
No. of contestants	10
Winner	Adrianne Curry
All-stars	Shannon Stewart

The first cycle of America's Next Top Model, an American reality television series, consisted of nine episodes and was broadcast on UPN. It aired from May 20, 2003, until July 15, 2003. The program saw several women compete for the title of "America's Next Top Model", providing them with an opportunity to begin their career in the modeling industry. Its premise was originated with supermodel Tyra Banks, who additionally serves as its executive producer and presenter. The judging panel consisted of Banks, Janice Dickinson, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Beau Quillian. The cycle's catchphrase was "one girl has what it takes".

The prizes for this cycle were:

• A modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models.
• A photo spread in Marie Claire magazine.
• A contract with Revlon cosmetics

This was the only season to feature a cast of only 10 contestants. All later cycles have featured at least 12 contestants. The international destination for the cycle was Paris, France.

The winner was 20-year-old Adrianne Curry from Joliet, Illinois.

Episode summaries

The Girl Who Wants It Bad

First aired May 20, 2003

Twenty semi-finalists arrived to casting and were told that only ten would move on to the finals. After the auditions however, Tyra revealed that she and the producers only could agree on eight. The eight contestants selected arrived in New York City and were escorted to the loft apartment in the Flatotel. In one room, they discovered pullout mattresses underneath their beds. Two additional contestants, Giselle and Tessa, were soon added to the group after being scouted at a separate audition, filling in for the missing two finalists.

After Brazilian bikini waxes were administered to the contestants, and initial weights were recorded, the contestants headed to their first photo shoot; modeling JLO by Jennifer Lopez swimwear atop a Manhattan skyscraper in frigid weather. At the first judging session, the judges felt that Elyse was too thin, and that Tessa had been taught how to pose incorrectly. They also remarked that Shannon looked much better in her pictures than in front of the panel, and perhaps she has tanned too much. Finally, the judges decide to eliminate Tessa, because even though she had a strong high fashion look, they thought that she lacked the personality to be a model.

• First call-out: Ebony Haith
• Bottom two: Shannon Stewart & Tessa Carlson
• Eliminated: Tessa Carlson
• Featured photographer: Douglas Bizzaro & Elizabeth Moss

The Girl Is Here To Win, Not Make Friends

First aired May 27, 2003

Tensions erupted in the loft between the Christians - Robin and Shannon - and several other contestants, especially concerning Elyse's atheism and Ebony's homosexuality. After a runway lesson with J. Alexander, Giselle won the reward for doing the best on the runway. She got to meet Wyclef Jean, and she picked Adrianne, Nicole and Katie to accompany her much to Ebony's dismay. When Ebony decided not tell them about the Tyra Mail which arrived while they were out, the Christians went down to the hotel's lobby and told the other girls about the Tyra Mail. The next day Robin, to ease the tension among the girls, decided to make a group prayer, irritating Elyse, who went to the confessional and proceeded to vent her anger towards other contestants.

The second photo shoot was another bikini shoot, but this time for Stuff magazine. At panel, the girls were challenged to walk while removing their coats. Katie's photo was again criticized for being pornographic, while Kesse became very emotional while critiqued. This landed them into the bottom two. Ultimately, it was Katie's overt sexual appeal that sent her home.

• First call-out: Shannon Stewart
• Bottom two: Katie Cleary & Kesse Wallace
• Eliminated: Katie Cleary
• Featured photographer: Barry Hollywood
• Special guests: Wyclef Jean

The Girl Who Gets Rushed To The Emergency Room

First aired June 3, 2003

All eight remaining contestants were given makeovers. Giselle irritated her roommates because she overreacted during it, while both Robin and Ebony were dissatisfied with the way their hair was handled. After a lesson on how to achieve a clean look, the reward challenge involved doing the best job picking out and putting on makeup, which Elyse won, and got to meet some famous fashion people, including Max Tucci. She picked Adrianne and Nicole to thank them for their help and wound up picking Robin by draw. Nicole decided not to go because she wanted to talk to her boyfriend, although she claimed she was sick.

Later it was announced that each contestant would be posing with a guest model in the week's shoot — a snake. Robin & Nicole were terrified by the snake, but most of the girls managed to take strong pictures. The day after the shoot, Adrianne was rushed to the hospital with severe food poisoning, and she later forced her way out of the hospital and back to the competition so as not to be automatically eliminated, impressing the judges. At panel, Ebony was criticized for the texture of her skin, and Nicole was deemed not committed enough to the competition. As a result, Nicole was sent home and Ebony was spared.

• First call-out: Shannon Stewart
• Bottom two: Ebony Haith & Nicole Panattoni
• Eliminated: Nicole Panattoni
• Featured photographer: Troy Ward
• Special guests: Kim Lepine, Jon Silverman, Max Tucci, Janice Combs, Constance White, Derek Kahn

The Girl Who Drives Everyone Crazy

First aired June 10, 2003

The seven remaining contestants were challenged to polish their acting skills. The reward challenge, a line-reading challenge, was won by Robin, who took Kesse and Shannon to get a spa treatment. The other girls were left to clean the apartment while the spa experts came to them and gave them their spa treatments in the apartment. Ebony was angry with Giselle after she exhibited laziness by not helping the others clean, and asked the masseur for an impromptu massage instead. Ebony's girlfriend, Ka visited her and although most of the girls were polite and introduced themselves, Shannon and Robin chose to stay in their room and read the Bible, which Ebony took offense to and felt that they were being hypocritical and homophobic. Shannon later apologized to Ebony for coming across as bigoted and even herself admitted that she needed to become more tolerant of people with different sexual orientations if she planned on pursuing a modeling career in the fashion industry.

This week instead of a photo shoot, the contestants did a commercial for Fresh Look contact lenses. At panel, while Kesse excelled, several girls were given harsh criticism for their performances. Adrianne was told that her accent was too strong, and that the judges barely heard her and Shannon was admonished for her awkward smile and lack of sexiness. Giselle and Ebony were deemed the worst and landed in the bottom two. The panel said that although she had amazing model potential, Giselle needed to become more self-confident, while Ebony, the early frontrunner to many of the girls, was eliminated due to her awkward performance in the commercial and that the judges felt she had a chip on her shoulder.

• First call-out: Kesse Wallace
• Bottom two: Ebony Haith & Giselle Samson
• Eliminated: Ebony Haith
• Featured commercial director: Loren Haynes
• Special guests: Jon Silverman, Alice Spivak, Tracy Staus

The Girl Who Everyone Thinks Is Killing Herself

First aired June 17, 2003

The girls were taught how to answer interview questions in this episode, and they had one-on-ones with a coach. While Elyse was being interviewed, the other girls gossiped about her weight and talked about incidents which they believed proved that she had an eating disorder. At the challenge, the contestants tried to impress a tough interviewer, and Elyse's candid and outspoken remarks won her the opportunity to invite one of her loved ones to New York for a brief visit. She selected Adrianne to share her prize, who broke down into tears, stating that her mother had never been to New York and that her family never had enough money to travel.

At the photo shoot, to which Elyse's boyfriend Martin Crandall and Adrianne's mother showed up, each model was pictured in Reebok shoes with NFL Rookie of the Year Clinton Portis. At panel, Elyse was criticized for being too thin and being a know-it-all, and Giselle was sent home at panel because she was not able to overcome her self-confidence issues, despite her modeling talent and phenomenal photo for this week.

• First call-out: Adrianne Curry
• Bottom two: Elyse Sewell & Giselle Samson
• Eliminated: Giselle Samson
• Featured photographer: Daniel Garriga
• Special guests: Cindy Berger, Jon Silverman, Clinton Portis, Christine Curry, Martin Crandall, Derek Kahn, Steve Santagati

The Girl Who Deals With A Pervert

First aired June 24, 2003

The five remaining contestants - Kesse, Robin, Elyse, Shannon, and Adrianne - were told that they would be flying to Paris, the fashion capital of the world. In their hotel, Robin was picked by draw to sleep on the floor, much to her dismay. They had a lingerie shoot for Wonder Bra with male model Brad Pinkert, and each girl was given the opportunity to go on several "go-sees" to impress Parisian designers.

Adrianne was fazed after an unwanted encounter with a man who tried to reach up her skirt while asking him for directions and had difficulty collecting herself. Kesse spent a little too much time visiting Paris, making her miss one go-see and Robin paid someone to accompany her, for which she was admonished by the judges. At panel, Elyse was praised for her go-sees while Kesse and Adrianne found themselves in the bottom two for not attending all of their "go-sees", and in an emotional elimination, Kesse was cut for not demonstrating enough desire to continue.

• First call-out: Elyse Sewell
• Bottom two: Adrianne Curry & Kesse Wallace
• Eliminated: Kesse Wallace
• Featured photographer: Michel Haddi
• Special guests: Pink, Brad Pinkert, Emma Mackie, Marilyn Gauthier

The Girls Get Really Naked

First aired July 1, 2003

This week, the remaining four girls had their pictures taken by Tyra in an impromptu black-and-white photo shoot. Then, they traveled to the House of Carven, the oldest couture house in Paris. They learned how to embody couture gowns with an alluring attitude. Back in the house, the girls received Tyra mail saying that they would have some free time the following day. When Adrianne said she wanted to visit Jim Morrison’s grave, it ignited a conflict among them, specifically with Robin who wanted to go shopping. Eventually the girls would split in groups of two (Shannon with Robin and Elyse with Adrianne).

For the week’s challenge, the girls went to Fouquet’s Restaurant and met four gentlemen, who judged them in their ability to carry themselves in a couture situation. Adrianne’s shining personality charmed the gentlemen and she was chosen as the winner. She picked Elyse to join in her reward which was a one night stay at the Presidential Suite in Le Méridien Hotel. The next day, the girls arrived at Buddha Bar for a nude photo shoot for Merit Diamond Jewelry. However, this did not go well with Robin and Shannon as it was against their beliefs and decided not to participate, despite being offered to pose in flesh-toned lingerie.

The girls returned to New York and shared the Milan Room. At panel, Elyse was called first for her versatility and followed by Adrianne who took a stellar photograph. Robin was accused for shaking her breasts at Jay Manuel (unaware that Tyra was around the corner and witnessed this as well) making her decision not to participate in the nude photo shoot seem fake while Shannon was criticized for her inability to follow advice, although she as well did not take part in the nude photo shoot. In the end, Shannon’s outgoing personality saved her and Robin was sent home as the judges felt that she might have just been a bit too conservative for the modeling and fashion industry.

• First call-out: Elyse Sewell
• Bottom two: Robin Manning & Shannon Stewart
• Eliminated: Robin Manning
• Featured photographers: Tyra Banks, Patrick Katzman
• Special guests: Pascal Millet, Derek Khan

How The Girls Got Here

First aired July 8, 2003

This episode reviewed the girls' journey to the final three. It also showed several unaired clips, including the girls' audition tapes.

The Girl Who Becomes America's Next Top Model

First aired July 8, 2003

The three finalists were evaluated by Kimora Lee Simmons and again by the judging panel to get booked for the finale runway show. Shannon was called first while Elyse and Adrianne - a pair that had become close friends through the competition - were placed in the bottom two. Elyse was ousted because the judges felt her speech sometimes came across as careless and that she had not taken to heart the judges' credence in modeling being a profession that required both brains and beauty.

• First call-out: Shannon Stewart
• Bottom two: Adrianne Curry & Elyse Sewell
• Eliminated: Elyse Sewell

Soon after this, Adrianne and Shannon faced off on the runway modeling Baby Phat fashions, and finally both girls faced the panel one last time. During evaluation Shannon was praised for her runway walk, receiving Janice Dickinson's support, and her eloquence but was criticized for being too commercial and safe. On the other hand, Tyra revealed that she was pleasantly surprised Adrianne made it that far and she was also praised for her edge and character, although her speech was criticized. After evaluating, Tyra called the girls back in and Adrianne was declared the first winner of America's Next Top Model.

• Final two: Adrianne Curry & Shannon Stewart
• America's Next Top Model: Adrianne Curry
• Special guest: Drew Lineham

Contestants

Source: Ages stated are at time of competition

Contestant	Age	Height	Hometown	Outcome
Tessa Carlson	19		Chicago, Illinois	Eliminated in Episode 1
Katie Cleary	21		Glenview, Illinois	Eliminated in Episode 2
Nicole Panattoni	22		Murrieta, California	Eliminated in Episode 3
Ebony Haith	24		Harlem, New York	Eliminated in Episode 4
Giselle Samson	18		Corona, California	Eliminated in Episode 5
Kesse Wallace	21		Little Rock, Arkansas	Eliminated in Episode 6
Robbyne "Robin" Manning	26		Memphis, Tennessee	Eliminated in Episode 7
Elyse Sewell	20		Albuquerque, New Mexico	Eliminated in Episode 9
Shannon Stewart	18		Franklin, Ohio	Runner-up
Adrianne Curry	20		Joliet, Illinois	Winner

Summaries

Call-out order

Tyra's call-out order

Order	Episodes
	1		2	3	4	5	6	7	9
1	Nicole	Ebony	Shannon	Shannon	Kesse	Adrianne	Elyse	Elyse	Shannon	Adrianne
2	Robin	Elyse	Nicole	Kesse	Elyse	Kesse	Shannon	Adrianne	Adrianne	Shannon
3	Kesse	Kesse	Giselle	Elyse	Adrianne	Shannon	Robin	Shannon	Elyse
4	Elyse	Adrianne	Robin	Giselle	Robin	Robin	Adrianne	Robin
5	Katie	Katie	Adrianne	Adrianne	Shannon	Elyse	Kesse
6	Ebony	Nicole	Ebony	Robin	Giselle	Giselle
7	Adrianne	Giselle	Elyse	Ebony	Ebony
8	Shannon	Robin	Kesse	Nicole
9		Shannon	Katie
10		Tessa

• In episode 1, the pool of 20 girls was reduced to 8 who would move on to the actual competition. Later, 2 more girls (Giselle and Tessa) were scouted and introduced to the cast, bringing the final number to 10.

• In episode 7, Robin and Shannon refused to participate in the photo shoot.
• Episode 8 was the recap episode.

Photo shoot guide

• Episode 1 photo shoot: Swimwear on a rooftop
• Episode 2 photo shoot: Swimwear for Stuff
• Episode 3 photo shoot: Beauty shots with snakes
• Episode 4 commercial: Fresh look contact lenses
• Episode 5 photo shoot: Reebok ad with Clinton Portis
• Episode 6 photo shoot: Wonder Bra overlooking the Eiffel Tower
• Episode 7 photo shoots: Black & white beauty shots, Nude merit diamonds

Makeovers

• Adrianne - Weave with bangs
• Ebony - Tuft shaved off
• Elyse - Pixie cut
• Giselle - Dyed red and layered
• Kesse - Hair weave with honey blonde highlights, ala Tyra Banks in 1992
• Nicole - Weave trimmed and straightened
• Robin - Weave removed and light brown weave added
• Shannon - Straight hair weave and more blonde

Post Top Model careers

• Tessa Carlson did a few test shots and modeled for Noah Kalina and Joey Quintero, she did not pursue any further modeling after the show.
• Katie Cleary is working with Deal or No Deal and has done some print modeling. She has been on-camera host for TV Guide Channel, E! News, and HDTV's Get Out. Her acting credits include Chuck, The Break-Up, The Lake House, and Iron Man 2.
• Adrianne Curry collected all her prizes and has modeled for several magazines, including Life & Style Weekly, Us Weekly, Star, OK!, Stuff, People, Maxim, made the Maxim Hot 100 list in 2005, Max (Spanish) Marie Claire, Spanish Marie Claire, Von Dutch, Von Dutch Watches, Salon City, Macy's, Famous Stars and Straps, Lucky, Ed Hardy, Kinis Bikinis, Beverly Hills Choppers, and Merit Diamonds. She has walked for many designers and lines for Jaime Pressly, and Pamela Anderson. She no longer models and was married to Christopher Knight but the couple is now divorced. She signed with Wilhelmina Models and Avenue Model.
• Ebony Haith was signed with Downtown Model Management.
• Robin Manning is pursuing an acting career and has been in two movies, did some church-related print work and some test shots.
• Nicole Panattoni had modeled for various companies but has retired to have a family with her husband Cory Naztazio, a pro BMX rider.
• Giselle Samson did a variety of test shots. She now works as a hostess for Carnival Cruise.
• Elyse Sewell has done multiple print ads, and been signed by multiple agencies in Asia.
• Shannon Stewart has done some print work. She revealed in Cycle 8 that she switched from Ford Models to Elite Model Management in Chicago. In addition, she was selected for America's Next Top Model, Cycle 17, which is an all-star edition along with other returning models.

External links

• America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1 at IMDb
• America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1 at TV.com
• America's Next Top Model Fact-O-File History