Curse of: America’s Next Top Model
iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts
Publishing Details
Contact & Outreach
About This Podcast
When America’s Next Top Model premiered in the early 2000s, it looked like a golden ticket: a glamorous TV show that could catapult aspiring models into fame. But two decades later, many contestants describe its aftermath as a curse. Hosted by pop-culture journalist Bridget Armstrong, Curse of: America’s Next Top Model is a deep investigation into the hidden costs of reality television, and what the show’s legacy reveals about beauty, power, and the culture that cheered it on.
Through conversations with dozens of former contestants, producers and crew members, Curse of: America’s Next Top Model explores what happened behind the scenes on one of the most iconic and problematic reality shows of our generation.
The series starts off by exploring how ANTM almost didn’t get made. You’ll get the real story behind the show’s most infamous controversies. Then, the models and producers pull back the curtain and talk about how the most outrageous photoshoots and runaways came together. You’ll hear from contestants who say ANTM saved their lives and from those who say it ruined theirs. The contestants also talk about how the body shaming they experienced on the show caused lifelong scars. Finally, we try to answer the question, is Tyra Banks the ultimate reality television villain?
Curse of: America’s Next Top Model takes you on an investigative journey to figure out if the so-called curse is real? And if so, what was the toll on the models, and us, the audience?
Podcasting 2.0 Features
Social Media
Explore Statistics
Recent Episodes
S1E4 The Dirty Rotten Scandals of ANTM | BONUS
The ANTM reckoning continues with a new E! docuseries, Dirty Rotten Scandals America’s Next Top Model. The series premieres on E! tonight March 11th, at 9PM EST / 6PM PT. Lauren Saft, Executive…
Introducing: Love Trapped
Former Bachelor Clayton Echard’s casual one-night fling turned into a paternity nightmare. The scandal ignited the internet, attracting hundreds of citizen sleuths who noticed the story didn’t add…
Introducing: Burden of Guilt Season 2
Burden of Guilt Season 2, hosted by Nancy Glass, tells the story of a devastating lie that sent an innocent man to prison for life—until a confession changed everything, forcing a reckoning with…
S1E3 Yeah, Tyra's a Villain | BONUS Pt. 2
We’re continuing our conversation about the Netflix docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.” In Pt.2, host Bridget Armstrong and editor Monique LaBorde break…
S1E2 Yeah, Tyra's a Villain | BONUS Pt. 1
The new Netflix docu-series has everyone talking. “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” features sit-down interviews with Tyra Banks and Ken Mock, plus longtime ANTM judges Miss J, Jay…
S1E1 Reality TV: The Great Experiment | BONUS
Thanks for listening to this season of Curse of: America’s Next Top Model. As you can imagine, we had to leave a lot on the cutting room floor. In this special bonus episode, we hear more…
Introducing — Smart Girl Dumb Questions
Experiencing “Curse of” withdrawal? We’re bringing you a taste of a show we love: Smart Girl Dumb Questions. In this episode excerpt, host Nayeema Raza asks relationship expert Esther Perel: Why is…
S1E10 The House That Tyra Built | EP 10
No matter who won, Tyra Banks was always the real star of ANTM. But was she a fairy godmother, a villain, or both? On this final episode, we explore Tyra’s on-camera persona and off-camera legacy. We…
S1E9 America’s Next Top Body Shamer| EP 9
To this day, Tyra Banks hails ANTM as a champion of body positivity. But in reality, the show was one of the biggest body shaming offenders of our generation. Season after season, ANTM picked apart…
S1E8 Fierce, Queer, and Flawed | EP 8
America’s Next Top Model was a pioneer of LGBTQIA+ representation on reality TV. The show gave us iconic queer judges, featured an openly lesbian contestant on season one, and even made…
S1E7 Race Swap Card | EP 7
ANTM was one of the most racially diverse reality shows of its era. So why did so many of its episodes look so racist? This episode investigates how ANTM represented, performed, and exploited race.…
S1E6 Reality TV vs. Modeling Competition | EP 6
ANTM was never really about creating top models. It was a reality TV disguised as a modeling competition, and it showed. We break down how photo shoots were designed to create unforgettable moments…
S1E5 Psych Out | EP 5
CONTENT WARNING: This episode mentions sexual assault, suicide, and suicidal ideation. We continue our discussion about the ANTM psychological evaluation. We hear from models who say the traumatic…
S1E4 Psych Up | EP 4
CONTENT WARNING: This episode mentions sexual assault, suicide, and suicidal ideation. Before you could be cast on America’s Next Top Model, you had to pass a psychological evaluation. Contestants…
S1E3 Tale of Two Winners | EP 3
We explore one of ANTM’s most infamous controversies. Angelea Preston won the All-Stars season of America’s Next Top Model. Later, she was stripped of the title, and her win was given to Lisa…
S1E2 The Blueprint | EP 2
Cycle 1 was messy, low-rent, and groundbreaking. It was also the blueprint for everything ANTM would become. It introduced us to the larger-than-life personalities that became synonymous with the…
S1E1 The Set-Up | EP 1
Tyra Banks screamed it, but was she ever really rooting for these girls? In the series opener, host Bridget Armstrong explores one of ANTM’s biggest criticisms—that the show didn’t create any top…
Introducing Curse of: America's Next Top Model
When America’s Next Top Model premiered in the early 2000s, it looked like a golden ticket: a glamorous TV show that could catapult aspiring models into fame. But two decades later, many contestants…
Frequently Asked Questions
Curse of: America’s Next Top Model has published 18 episodes since September 2025, covering topics in Documentary, Society & Culture.
Curse of: America’s Next Top Model is currently dormant with new episodes every few days. Average episode length is 49m.
Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Curse of: America’s Next Top Model, including email and social media links.
