What’s a singer doing hosting and judging America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), you may ask?
Pop and R&B star Rita Ora takes over from supermodel Tyra Banks as the face of the reality modelling series, now in its 23rd season. “It all started when I had lunch with the producer Ken Mok. He did the series for the full 22 seasons and asked for my input,” Ora recalls how she landed the gig in an interview with US Weekly.
“I told him the fashion world is not about traditional models anymore. Look at Gigi and Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner; they have so much up their sleeves, from collaborations with top designers to movies. I said we could do this show again but find a global superstar who’s just everywhere. They (producers) were like, ‘That’s awesome!’.”
On whether Ora will be using some of Banks’ most iconic catchphrases such as “smize”, the 26-year-old singer responds: “Obviously it’s so iconic that we referenced it a few times. It wouldn’t be ANTM without using that! We’ve made the show our own, with our own touch, but there are some things there’s no point in changing because they work so well.”
America’s Next Top Model S23 airs every Wednesday at 9pm on Star World (Astro Ch 711).
