I went down to the America’s Next Top Model auditions today not to try out but to find out a little more about the audition process and to hopefully meet a future top model.
What I found out was that it’s VERY impersonal and disappointing for most girls. About a thousand girls were at the auditions today and they were all secluded in a back room of the Crowne Plaza Hotel while the friends and family that came with them waited in the lobby. Every once in a while a large group of women all shapes and sized would come rushing out. Most looking upset, tired and hungry, but a few with huge grins on their faces.
The ones who made it to the next round wouldn’t tell me much because they had to sign waivers telling them to not speak to press, but the girls who were cut let me take their pictures and ask them some questions. Most of the girls were upset that they felt they didn’t get a chance to actually audition. They just stood in a line with 50 other girls and each had about 5 seconds to state their name, height, weight and where they’re from. Then the producers called a few numbers and told everyone else to leave.
One girl who has a twin sister in San Francisco said she heard things were much different at their auditions.
"My twin said they actually sat at a table with a panel individually. Here it was so rushed!"
There was also some talk of invitation only auditions the day before. One girl guessed that maybe those women had sent in audition tapes.
The saddest part of the day was hearing stories from girls about driving from as far away as Memphis for the auditions only to get cut without so much as a hand shake.
My husband came down to the auditions and made fast friends with some boyfriends, some of whom had been waiting for over 4 hours to see their girlfriends. They were hilarious to talk to.
One very sweet woman I met named Bernice was getting restless waiting for her daughter. We chatted for about an hour off and on. When her daughter finally did emerge it turned out she had advanced to the next round! I therefore couldn’t take her picture, but if you use your imagination and look at this picture of her mom you can imagine how gorgeous this Top Model hopeful is. Good luck and thanks Bernice!
Check back soon for some pictures of some girls auditioning.
Tags: america’s next top model, auditions, top model, top model gossip