Top 10 Cringiest America's Next Top Model Moments

Speaking your truth is brave; but doing it at the judging panel can be brash. Tough competition and low confidence levels led to Tahlia expressing several times that she wasn’t sure the show was right for her. So, when Tyra decided Kortnie was to be sent home at judging, Celia thought this was totally unfair, and stepped forward to reveal that Tahlia had been having doubts about her place in the competition. Audiences winced as they watched Tyra shoot Celia’s suggestion down instantly and tell her to take her place back in line. She even brought up the moment again at the next panel as a reason to send Celia home, saying that she threw her competitor under the bus.

You’ve probably heard about Tyra’s crazy leap into authorhood with her debut novel Modelland, but do you remember the mystifying motion editorial she made to match? On the show’s “All Stars” cycle, the final four girls were asked to film some bizarre scenes to embody the themes in the book. These included desperately spraying whipped cream, maniacally digging through trash and looking deranged while cradling a plastic baby. Cringe levels reached new heights with a shot of Tyra sucking on Tyson Beckford’s thumb, and peaked once more when we watched each of the teary-eyed girls announce that they are ‘Tookie’. Despite Tyra’s artistic vision, most viewers were left shouting ‘what just happened?!’ at their TV screens.

Themed launch episodes were pretty common on “America’s Next Top Model”, but this strange cycle 11 introduction was on another level of extra. Alpha and Beta Jay offered the girls a robotic welcome to the ‘Top Model Institute of Technology’, a top-secret facility designed to build out-of-this-world supermodels. The girls changed into futuristic catsuits before entering the totally tacky ‘body scanner’ and ‘data analyzing runway’. Then, the grand finale: Tyra was revealed, stepping out of the ‘Glaminator 11.0’ as her fully fledged robot self, complete with technical difficulties. The episode felt more like a cheesy kids’ TV show than a modelling competition, leaving audiences baffled.

Sassy cycle two diva Camille was known for confidence that often strayed into cockiness, which was most apparent in this cringeworthy moment. The girls were given a baptism by fire when they met harsh critique from an agent during their first go-see. Tyra then revealed that he had been planted at the go-see to be extra strict with the girls and test their professionalism in a high-pressure situation. Viewers were left watching through their fingers as Camille arrogantly stated that she got picked from 6,000 girls to be there and that her signature walk was what was going to make her famous. Eek! Despite somehow managing to win the challenge, Camille would be eliminated later in the same episode.

Hooking onto the viral video trend at the time, “All Stars” contestants were asked to create a music video with the aim of going viral. The challenge was pretty awkward to begin with, but what really took it to cringe-inducing levels was Tyra’s insistence that ‘Pot Ledom’, AKA ‘Top Model’ backwards, made its way into each of the girls’ lyrics, regardless of whether it made sense or sounded right in the slightest. This bizarre twist left the girls struggling, particularly Allison, who had written her heartfelt lyrics in honor of her late father. ‘Pot Ledom’ officially entered the dictionary of the show’s strange Tyra-isms that most viewers would agree didn’t need to exist.

Whether you find her legendary or loathsome, cycle six contestant Jade was one of the most memorable girls on the show – and this hilarious moment was one of her finest. Contestants had to film a CoverGirl commercial, and were challenged to improvise their lines while walking through a party at a luxurious mansion. Jade had variety in her performances, but both were equally cringey. She barely said a word during her first take and sashayed around set in an over the top way during her second. Watching her twirl up to the camera saying ‘wonderful, fabulous’ may just be one of our favorite cringey commercial moments to date, and for that we stan a true legend.

Top Model makeovers have always provided viewers with hilariously cringey moments, but none were as amusing as this disaster. Tyra wanted cycle 21’s contestant Denzel to be the first in ANTM history to have a beard weave. Yes, you heard right – a lace front beard wig was applied to Denzel’s face, in order to accentuate his manliness. In reality, the weave ended up looking like a pelt of fur glued straight onto his jawline. As horrified as audiences were, Denzel stated he’d never been able to grow a beard before and was actually pretty pleased with his new look.

Tyra Banks turned into Tyra Pranks for this cringey cycle six moment. Tyra wanted the girls to get a taste of what acting really is, and so she pretended to feel so unwell that she passed out. This overly dramatic display scared the girls into jumping to her aid, with one model even telling the others to ‘check her pulse.’ Then, in a supposedly shocking twist, Tyra leaped to her feet to loudly announce that the girls were going to learn about acting today, and that the scary demonstration was totally fake. Who knew? The risky move shocked the girls so much that Furonda even burst into tears. Well, we guess great acting is supposed to move you…

“America’s Next Top Model” is no stranger to a dangerous challenge, and this one had us holding our breath ‘til the very end. Contestants were tasked with performing their best walks on a rocky runway, made up of wobbly panels that floated on top of the water. This seemingly impossible task resulted in most of the girls walking like penguins to avoid falling in. Not exactly the most elegant look for a fashion show, but hilarious for viewers at home! Caridee’s breast even managed to make an appearance amidst all of the chaos, and despite Eugena’s best efforts to stay balanced, she ended up slipping off the runway and cutting her leg. Ouch!

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Boom Boom Boom Deodorant Commercial
“The Guy Who Acts a Fool”

Amber’s Audition
“How Short Can You Go”

Body Spray Gender Reversal Challenge
“The Guy Who Gets to Kiss the Girl”

Awful Posing
“The Ladder of Model Success”

Italian CoverGirl Commercial
“Viva Italia!”

If you’re trying to come across as a professional model, deliberately peeing yourself at your job is probably not the way to go. Lisa D'Amato was known for being the wild child of cycle five, so it was only natural that she fit right in when contestants had to do a shoot with MTV’s Wildboyz. After the shoot, Lisa appeared wearing a diaper, telling the boys that she had to see if it works. Fellow contestant Bre begged her to reconsider, but sure enough, Lisa straight-up peed in her diaper where she stood, in front of the shoot’s cast. Audiences were thoroughly cringed out, and even the impervious Wildboyz appeared to be pretty shook by Lisa’s behavior, earning it the top spot on our list.