Which former America's Next Top Model contestants are still
affected by their time on the show? Which one became a carpenter?
And which one has had their whole life turned around? Keep watching to find out!
In 2010, Ann Ward won the hearts of fans with her adorable awkwardness and sweet Southern smile.
In a Top Model first, Ward was the initial call-out for best photo for the first 5
weeks of the show. However, Ward's Top Model tenure initially caused controversy after the
judges took notice of her naturally thin waist. A trailer for Cycle 15 showed Tyra Banks in awe
of Ward's slim stature, which led to negative chatter about Banks seemingly encouraging the
stereotype of the unhealthily skinny model. She quickly released a statement to People, quote,
"apologiz[ing] for any confusion, anger or disappointment [her comments] caused."
Ward made it to the final two alongside Chelsey Hersley. In the end, the judges were impressed
with Ward's undeniable model potential, and she was announced as the winner. However,
these days, you're more likely to see Ward in an art studio than on the runway.
On Twitter, where she has over 23,000 followers, she describes herself as a
"concept artist/character designer/animator." Ward also has a strong following on Instagram,
where she connects with her 27,000 fans and shares her unique designs.
According to her portfolio, the former model is now, quote,
"a full time concept artist and motion designer at the AR and VR advertising agency, Groove Jones."
Ann Markley had some odd moments in Cycle 3 due to her complex relationship with eventual
season winner Eva Marcille. Markley got off to a rocky start and was given some serious
side eye when the finalists first got to the house. She hysterically sobbed to Eva about
Eva not fighting for them to share a room together. In a later episode, Ann and Eva
infuriated fellow contestant Cassie by writing the phrase "clean your s**t" in her brownies.
However, Markley gained fan support after braving her fear of flying to
go to photoshoots in Jamaica and Japan. The model's beautiful face didn't always
translate to her photos and led to her becoming the eleventh girl eliminated, placing her fourth.
After the show, Ann changed her name to Annalaina Marks and reportedly signed to
Elite Model Management. As of 2021, Ann is signed to Wilhelmina Models New York and talent agency
Innovative Artists. Marks also got married and had three kids, but later announced she got divorced.
The working model and mom is also an entrepreneur. Marks set up the lifestyle website Full Feedings
to, quote, "help parents make deliberate choices that will lead to consistent nighttime
sleep for their child." She has started another venture called The Therapeutic Third to help,
quote, "people connect and comfort through their grief."
In 2004, Mercedes Scelba-Shorte gained popularity in Cycle 2 of America's Next
Top Model. Despite being well-liked by fans, she was constantly criticized by
the judges for having a look described as "too commercial." In episode 5, Scelba-Shorte
gained sympathy and respect when she opened up about living with the autoimmune disease lupus.
Scelba-Shorte eventually made it to her spot as one of the final two contestants,
fought a close race with eventual winner Yoanna House, and was declared the runner-up.
After the show, Scelba-Shorte changed her professional name to Mercedes Yvette and is
now a certified yoga instructor. She became the spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America
and signed with Nous Model Management. She's appeared in a number of magazines,
including Teen Vogue and Wedding Dresses. Yvette co-founded a jewelry line called the Gilded Fox,
which officially stopped operating in 2019.
She is the co-host of a virtual talk show with fellow America's Next Top Model alum April Wilkner
called Throwback Thursday Time. The series features past contestants from the show who
dish on their experiences. Mercedes Yvette has landed small roles in a number of TV shows,
including One on One and The Bold and the Beautiful. On Instagram,
she has close to 30,000 followers and describes herself as a "healthcare activist,
actress/host”," and "brand rep in home decor" for Luxe Design Living.
Yoanna House made it her mission to become a
fashion model after graduating from the University of North Florida. But she soon faced difficulty
going into the industry because she didn't meet the conventional modeling body type at the time.
House eventually lost 50 pounds by adopting an exercise plan that suited her. She auditioned
for Cycle 2 of Top Model and went on to become the series winner. Prizes for this cycle included
an IMG Models contract, a fashion spread for Jane magazine, and a Sephora catalogue cover.
House's schedule picked up after her win, and according to CBS News,
she enjoyed all the excitement and the fast pace. She walked in New York Fashion Week in 2015
and secured an HSN hosting job. She is still modeling and describes herself on
Instagram as a T.V. host, fashion model, and producer. House has over 160,000 followers on
the social networking site. In her spare time, she enjoys Pilates. The 41-year-old
says her proudest achievement is being mom to son Alastair born in August 2008.
"I'm legally blind. And I'm gonna be about 30 when I go completely blind."
Amanda Lynn Swafford was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa when she was 14.
She told Metro in 2009,
"It's a degenerative disease. Before you go completely blind,
you lose your night vision, so I'm completely night-blind."
Swafford explained that her condition didn't limit her modeling abilities. She added,
"I've wanted to model since I was three. I always enjoyed posing for the camera.
When I realized people would pay you to take your picture, I decided I wanted to model."
Her strong will and extraordinary photos landed her a place in the top three and a trip to Tokyo.
She eventually became second runner-up behind Yaya DaCosta and eventual winner Eva Marcille.
These days, Swafford works as a part-time stylist and still occasionally models. Since the show,
Swafford has worked for Levi's in an ad campaign with other visually impaired models.
In 2014, Amanda Swafford made headlines when she started a GoFundMe for help with medical expenses
after chipping her tooth on a chicken bone, according to TMA. Swafford's son, Elijah "Eli"
O'Connell, is making a name for himself in the modeling world. Clearly taking after his mom,
he is signed to Cycle 6 contestant Mollie Sue Steenis' modeling agency, Gondi Group.
Jade Cole of Cycle 6 referred to herself as a "biracial butterfly" and an "undiscovered
supermodel" according to Bustle. She even created a production company
called Biracial Butterfly Productions! Cole's undeniable confidence and eagerness to win
ANTM at all costs came across as arrogant and self-centered to some viewers,
thus making her public enemy number one with fans and competitors alike.
Despite rubbing the judges the wrong way with her know-it all personality and fake crying,
Cole made it to the final three and went to Thailand. After struggling with the Covergirl
commercial, she became second runner-up and was eliminated, telling the cameras,
"My confidence was definitely mistaken for arrogance."
Today, according to Cole's private Instagram page,
she is, and forever shall be, the, quote, "Original Undiscovered Supermodel."
The model signed to Elite Model Management and several other agencies: Diva Models Singapore,
Dream Models Hong Kong, Warning Models Los Angeles, and VMH Models Vancouver.
Jade Cole has also worked with the Casa de Amparo organization because she was, quote, "touched by
their vision of ending child abuse and decided to become a volunteer", according to The Coast News.
In 2012, Alisha White competed on the 18th cycle, dubbed America's Next Top Model: British Invasion.
White was previously a runner-up on Britain's Next Top Model in 2010.
Although she secured some wins by receiving the best photo twice — specifically for her
Hello Kitty and music video photoshoots — White found the process difficult. In
the U.S. vs. U.K. icons photoshoot, White did not perform well, and ended up sobbing on set.
A subsequent shoot in Macau, was not a success,
either. After ending up in the bottom two once more with fellow model Eboni Davis,
White was saved by the judges but she just didn't feel right about it.
"I can't stay.”
“You can't stay?”
“I can't be selfish when I know that I need to do things for myself."
She added that she wasn't going to take it away from the rest of the contestants and that she
would rather walk away. White recalled in an interview with Digital Spy that she wasn't
feeling like herself. She noted that she did not see herself in her pictures, and she wasn’t happy.
White spoke to Oliver Twixt in 2020 about how disappointed
she was in Banks, whom she formerly idolized. White told Twixt that Banks
casually walked past her as she sat crying in elimination after deciding to quit.
She shared how she developed PTSD as a direct result of appearing on the
season. White also confirmed a long-held internet
rumor that she was apparently set up to win before deciding to leave the show.
Adrianne Marie Curry was the first-ever winner of America's Next Top Model, which premiered in 2003.
Curry was promised a modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models and a contract
with Revlon. But according to Curry, the Revlon deal never materialized. In 2017,
the model published a now-archived blog article titled: The truth about Top Model.
In this piece, she revealed that when she met with Revlon, the cosmetics giant told her that, quote,
"they never planned on using the winner" for advertisements.
Curry was very vocal about the lack of support after winning
Cycle 1. Her criticism led to her being scrubbed from the ANTM opening credits in Cycles 7,
8 and 9. Curry went on to model for several magazines, including People, Maxim, and Playboy.
After meeting on reality show The Surreal Life, Curry began a relationship with former
Brady Bunch star Christopher Knight. Their relationship and eventual 2006 marriage was
documented in VH1's My Fair Brady". The couple divorced in 2013, and in 2018,
Curry married voice actor Matthew Rhode. Curry left Hollywood for Montana and
retired from modeling. She continues her lifestyle blog and sells Avon makeup.
After removing a 2020 post about her time on America's Next Top Model,
Curry wrote on Instagram,
"I've been happily living a pretty low profile life outside of being an online
Avon Lady and I quite enjoy it. I didn't know such old news would cause such a stir
in the press...AGAIN. ... 'Relevancy' is important for those still in the game.
I tapped out a few years ago. Game over. I win."
In 2016, CariDee English was declared the winner of Cycle 7 of America's Next Top Model. English
beat out Eugena Washington and Melrose Bickerstaff to clinch the title. The natural blonde gained
popularity with fans for her outspoken nature and stunning photographs, and for raising awareness
about psoriasis. However, English's candor almost lost her the competition. The Fashion Week model
was criticized for making a flippant remark to fashion photographer and ANTM judge Nigel Barker.
"Did you just remove that from your a** from the last panel?"
English secured a $100,000 CoverGirl Cosmetics deal, an Elite Models contract,
and a six-page fashion editorial and cover for Seventeen magazine.
She has taken part in many campaigns, including work for JC Penney and Bisou
Bisou. English also has acting experience and is a photographer and drummer who has
performed with Celebrity DJ Lindsay Luv as well as New York-based DJ and producer Zeke Thomas.
White has told Health about another important pursuit:
lobbying Congress for increased funding for psoriasis research. She shared,
"At 17, I joined a modeling agency, hiding my psoriasis behind layers and layers of makeup all
over my body [...] After winning Top Model, I became a spokesperson for the National
Psoriasis Foundation to advocate for the 7.5 million Americans living with the disease."
In 2007, Renee Alway competed in Cycle 8 of Top Model. Alway was often criticized for her mature
look, but she was able to obtain two first call-outs and win two challenges. Alway made
it to the final three and went to Australia with fellow competitors Natasha Galkina and Jaslene
Gonzalez. In the finale, Alway's CoverGirl cosmetics campaign garnered positive comments
from the judges. However, she was eliminated for not looking as youthful as Galkina and Gonzalez.
In 2008, Alway joined four other ANTM stars for a spin-off called Modelville as part of The Tyra
Banks Show. The models competed for a $50,000 contract with beauty brand Carol's Daughter.
After placing as the runner-up, Alway stormed off the set in tears.
She admitted to the audience that she only had $11 in her bank account. The founder of
Carol's Daughter, Lisa Price, promised they would work with her in the future.
But in 2013, TMZ reported that Alway was arrested for drug possession, committing a felony when she
was on bail, suspicion of burglary, theft, fraud, and forged bills. The mom-of-three
was given a 12-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to four counts of burglary,
one count of firearm possession while a felon, one count of vehicle theft, quote
"and a misdemeanor count of identity theft", according to ABC News. Though she was released
early in 2018 for good behavior, Alway was arrested for domestic violence in September 2019.
Furonda Brasfield was a contestant on Cycle 6 of Top Model in 2006. The prizes were a contract with
Ford Models, an Elle cover and fashion spread, and a CoverGirl cosmetics $100,000 contract.
Brasfield was successful in making it to the overseas trip to Thailand
and placed fifth behind eventual winner Danielle Evans. After Top Model, Brasfield
reportedly signed with L.A. Models and included OP Swimwear as a client. Brasfield later left the
industry and set her sights on a profession in law, so she trained to be an attorney.
The Arkansas native told ABA Journal,
"There has been a shortage of advocates my whole life."
Per HuffPost, Brasfield was the Executive Director of the Arkansas Coalition to
Abolish the Death Penalty, Arkansas' only organization focused mainly on that cause.
She's championed many social justice issues, working toward economic equality,
HIV/AIDS awareness, and criminal justice reform, to name a few. Brasfield earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Public Administration, and she received her Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas,
according to her website. In addition to her numerous civic duties, Brasfield is a
member of the Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System Steering Committee and the NAACP.
"Be quiet, Tiffany! BE QUIET! What's wrong with you? STOP IT!
Who could forget the classic moment when Tyra Banks read Cycle 4's Tiffany Richardson for filth?
"When my mother yells like this it's because she loves me. I was rooting for you,
we were all rooting for you! How dare you!"
Richardson originally auditioned for Cycle 3 but got into an epic bar fight that kept her from a
spot in the house. She came back for the following Cycle, with a new seemingly calm demeanor.
But Richardson's strong resolve started to chip away after a series of tough challenges. Her
nonchalant attitude got her sent home in a double elimination with Rebecca Epley, ultimately leading
to one of Tyra Banks' most memorable moments. Richardson revealed in her 2017 BuzzFeed interview
that Banks' words were actually much worse than what was shown. She claims Banks told her:
"You can go back to your house and sleep on your mattress on the floor with your baby!"
After ANTM, Richardson modeled for MQtease and Passion International Hair.
Richardson reportedly mentors troubled teenagers at a group home in Miami.
Jeana Turner was a contestant on Cycle 24 of America's Next Top Model.
She won the hearts of fans by showing off her bald head and sharing her story with alopecia. In an
emotional makeover episode, producers told Turner she'd have to remove her wig. Turner has suffered
with hair loss since the age of 12 and tried to conceal it for most of her life by wearing wigs.
After her wig was removed from her head, Turner had a pure moment of self-acceptance
and empowerment. After surviving eliminations, she rejoined the competition and was runner-up.
Since leaving ANTM, Turner has been very critical of the show.
She acknowledged that she has breached her contract with ANTM's production company
to discuss the series. The model explained everything in a video on
YouTube exposing her experience at the hands of creator and host Tyra Banks.
The model shared how she was affected by the fact that Banks shamed her for doing
Playboy photoshoots previously. She claims the retired supermodel told her she, quote,
"sound[ed] like a f***ing prostitute." Turner said that judge Ashley Graham was
the only one who stuck up for her. Turner is still a working model,
having posed for outlets including Imirage Magazine and Morphe. She is currently signed
to Envy Models in New York and We Speak Models in Los Angeles and has 243,000 Instagram followers.
Joanie Dodds was a contestant on Cycle 6 of America's Next Top Model. The judges and fans
fell for Dodds' sense of humor, and Tyra Banks praised her stunning photos. It came at a cost,
as in episode 8, when Banks sent the models to the dentist for a teeth whitening. Dodds — who had a
snaggletooth — spent hours in agony in the dentist chair while they inserted a new set of veneers.
During her time on the show, Dodds constantly clashed with fellow contestant Jade Cole,
but she formed a bond with fellow model Sara Albert-Hallmark and eventual winner Danielle
Evans. The model was runner-up.
After a successful modeling career posing for GQ and ELLEgirl while reportedly signed
with Nu Talent and NOUS Models, Dodds left the catwalk for carpentry. The 39-year-old
became one of two new carpenters on the reboot for TLC's Trading Spaces after picking up the
skills from her dad growing up. Now known as Joanie Sprague, she is currently the host of
The Little Bit Podcast where she dishes on her passion for design and shares Top Model secrets.
On Instagram, Dodds describes herself as a "Maker, Carpenter, DIY expert."
It seems that she'll always have some love for modeling, since she's posted work on her IG.
"Modeling to me will always be a place to become something you're not,
to be a muse, an actor, to lose yourself in the character. That's what it was all about for me."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse,
you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.