Jay Manuel, Nigel Barker, and more reflect on the photo shoot and elimination process in an explosive round of interviews.

ANTM judge alleges producers sabotaged models they wanted to eliminate: ‘Lost my control’

Jay Manuel, Nigel Barker, and more reflect on the photo shoot and elimination process in an explosive round of interviews.

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February 18, 2026 10:59 a.m. ET

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Jay Manuel in Netflix's 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model' ; Elina Ivanova on 'ANTM' cycle 11. Credit:

Netflix; The CW

Former *America's Next Top Model *creative director and frequent judge Jay Manuel has spoken out about a long-speculated fan theory that the show purposely sabotaged models producers wanted to eliminate, as alleged in Netflix's new *Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model* docuseries.

In an explosive round of interviews for the three-part project, Manuel alleged that production heavily influenced the fates of the model hopefuls in the competition, including purposely selecting bad photos for models they wanted to leave the competition, and allegedly asking him to boost coaching for models they felt had stronger storylines to see through additional episodes.**

Amid a previously expressed alleged fallout with show host and producer Tyra Banks, Manuel said that, after cycle 8, he was primarily reduced to "just on-camera talent" versus having a strong creative hand in the show. This, he said, prompted him to "really [pay] attention to what was starting to happen behind the scenes" — including what he claims was the poor photo selection for certain contestants.

Twiggy, runway expert J. Alexander, creator and executive producer Tyra Banks and photographer Nigel Barker on 'ANTM'.

Michael Yarish/UPN

"There were definite photos selected where we were like, *what?*" Manuel said, while the Netflix docuseries flashed clips of particularly embarrassing photos for certain contestants, including cycle 10's Fatima Siad, whose photo for one judging round highlighted un-retouched hair on her left armpit. "That makes no sense."

"Ken and his team and Tyra, they knew what they were doing. That's when I started to learn the art of the storytelling," Manuel alleged, referencing longtime ANTM producer Ken Mok — both of whom were also interviewed for *Reality Check*.

Manuel further claimed, "If there were certain girls not performing well on a shoot, I would sometimes be pulled aside and [they'd] say, 'Okay, this person, we have this story, we need them to go forward at least a couple more episodes. Get us there.' Because if the photos are just crappy, it will become hard to say this person deserves to stay in the competition."

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Cycle 5 and cycle 17 contestant Bre Scullark said in her Reality Check interview that "personality beat out pictures" on certain shoots, as the show was tasked with being both an entertaining television show and a modeling competition. Cycle 6 finalist Joanie Sprague (who competed under the name Joanie Dodds) added, "They didn't always choose our best picture" for panel.

“Initially, they were really trying to pull the best shots. But, as we were getting into story, it turned into, we need better story out of these shots. So sometimes, and I had no control over this, I lost my control,” Manuel claimed. “When a girl was eliminated, another shot was selected. Sometimes, not always, it was not her best shot. There was a better shot."

'ANTM' personality Jay Manuel on 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model'.

Speaking on eliminations, Mok said in the documentary series that "there was always so much more at stake emotionally in *Top Model* than you have in a typical reality competition, which is just a game," while longtime judge and photographer Nigel Barker added, "Did we always get it right? I don't think so, no. I think sometimes we eliminated the wrong person, but that's the way it goes."

A representative for Banks has not responded to **'s multiple requests for comment on *Reality Check*. EW has additionally reached out to Mok for comment on Manuel's claim.

The Netflix series also covers a wide range of allegations from former *ANTM* contestants and judges, with Manuel claiming in the show that Banks refused to speak to him after he initially requested to leave the show following cycle 8 in 2007.

EW has also done extensive (and exclusive) reporting on *Top Model* controversies in the past, including in 2023, when 14 past contestants spoke out about their experience on the show in honor of its 20th anniversary.

Amid commentary on things later covered in *Reality Check* — including shoots that tasked models with wearing dark makeup to portray women of different races and instances of alleged sexual harassment on set — cycle 9 winner Saleisha Stowers also addressed a long-standing controversy regarding her prior working relationship with Banks before joining the competition.

Jay Manuel and Tyra Banks on 'America's Next Top Model' cycle 7.

She denied any favoritism, telling EW, "I don't think that's true. I genuinely worked for it. I was put through the entire audition process, as every other girl was. Did I do things prior to it? Yes. Did I have modeling campaigns? No. I was growing and learning, as all of the girls were."

Stowers added that she was scouted on MySpace by a member of the *ANTM* casting team and had no substantial prior communication with Banks, despite having attended Banks' TZone camp for kids years prior.

"It was never Tyra calling me to be like, 'We want you to be on this show!' I don't know if the fans will ever recognize that," Stowers continued.

*Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model* is now streaming on Netflix.

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