UK Models Compete With US Models As ANTM Returns

America’s Next Top Model’s new series kicked off last night with UK models competing with US models for the first time, and as new judge Kelly Cutrone nicely puts it, this is more Lord Of The Smize, never mind Lord Of The Flies!

America's Next Top Model's 18th cycle: British Invasion
America's Next Top Model's 18th cycle: British Invasion

America’s Next Top Model’s new series kicked off last night with UK models competing with US models for the first time, and as new judge Kelly Cutrone nicely puts it, this is more Lord Of The Smize, never mind Lord Of The Flies!

What’s now the 18th cycle of the modelling competition, this time around the series is dubbed ‘British Invasion’, and features former contestants from Britain’s Next Top Model up against a new batch of American model wannabes fighting it out for the ANTM crown.

In the first photo shoot of the series, we’re treated to a patriotic visual delight as the model hopefuls pose-off styled as famous British and American public figures.

Earlier this week, Cutrone – the new judge famous for being a vicious-tongued fashion publicist and reality TV personality – spoke to The Cut about whether 18 cycles of the competition results in the new girls trying too hard to be noticed.

“Oh, god yes,” she told the publication. “I think sometimes they lose face of what they’re actually doing. I mean, this is the world of Top Model… they have all of these mentors and experts, they’re getting photographed daily, and they’re being filmed 24/7. It’s glamorous; instead of living in a real model apartment, they’re living in a beautiful mansion somewhere. There are plenty of opportunities for forgetfulness and ego and getting lost in the moment. The girls who do well understand that they are in a competition, and when something bad happens – and let’s remember, if any of us were shot 24 hours a day we’d have bad moments too — [they] spring up and keep going.”

Whether the girls are OTT or not, Talent Management is curious, with this cycle being US models versus UK ones, will Lord Of The Flies-type cliques develop between the models from the different countries or will they be focused on their own game? Cutrone’s not giving anything away in that department, so we’ll just have to watch and see!