USA's Next Top Model Cycle 1

Cycle 1's original cast

USA'S Next Top Model Cycle 1 is the first season of the online competition USA's Next Top Model, which was developed by Confidexcelly Beautiful simulator ANTM, becoming the very first competition generated with this simulator. It will be hosted by Tyra Banks, who will also take part as one of the judging panel along with Lu Sierra, Fadil Berisha and Ashley Graham.

This cycle features 13 contestants from previous Miss USA competitions and the winner will receive a modelling contract will Elite Model Management, the cover and six pages spread in Seventeen Magazine and a one year contract with CoverGirl cosmetics.

## Episode summaries

### **The Glam of being a former Beauty Queen**

The thirteen finalists of UNTM travel to Los Angeles, California and enter in the Top Model House. Cassandra seems to be very excited about the competition and is amazed by the house meanwhile Julianna starts complaining all the time about almost everything, which freaks out most of the girls. During the first days of competition the girls start knowing each other and the first friendships and hates start to happen. Elizabeth and Lexi have a talk during the first night of competition, and Lexi talks and talks about her skills and her past experience as model and at some point of the conversation Elizabeth stops listening her. She later talk to Chelsea about how annoying Lexi is and how much she thinks she overestimates herself, but Chelsea and Nadia tell her to calm down because the competition has just started. Chelsea seems to be the one trying to calm everyone down, as she also stands up to defend Whitney when Julianna tell her to stop dancing because she's freaking her out with so much dance, Whitney can't believe what Julianna just told her.

The following day they receive their very first Tyra Mail, and they go on to meet Benny Ninja at the first challenge, where they have to create a stylism in just fifteen minutes which fits the criteria of Benny and still suits their personalities. During the challenge Olivia and Christina have a small fight when Olivia picks up a shirt just one second before Christina was taking it. Christina tells Olivia she's not playing fair and Olivia thinks Christina is overacting so much. Later, Chelsea and Elizabeth are criticized for not picking the right outfits and looking too tacky and Julianna for being to late and even forgetting to wear the shoes. In the other hand Cassandra, Olivia, Jasmyn, Lexi and Jamie are praised for their outfit's elections. At the end of the day Chelsea is announced as the loser of the challenge and will be penalized during the elimination meanwhile Olivia climbs as the most stylish and wins the challenge.

Olivia's win makes Christina even more mad about her, as she considers it's unfair that Benny didn't penalized her for her attitude. And Chelsea is pretty scared for losing the challenge as she thinks she's closer to the elimination. Nadia and Whitney bring her up and tell her to don't be that scared.

The next day they meet Mr. Jay Manuel and visit the photo studio for the first time. This week they all will be recreating their Miss USA Glamshot, that way the judges will analyze who of them goes too pageant-patty and who has the Top Model potential. Olivia is upset because she doesn't like her photoshoot thematic, meanwhile Mary and Jasmyn loved their thematics. Christina comes back and slightly attack Olivia for her attitude during challenge and Olivia tell her to move on. When the photoshoot finishes the girls go back to the Top Model House and Jamie tells Christina she doesn't understand why the photographer praised Jasmyn so much, as she doesn't really see anything special on her.

A few days later they meet the judges on the judging panel. Christina, Nadia and Jasmyn are praised for producing strong photos. Other girls who are also liked by the judges were Mary, even though Lu Sierra expressed some concerns about her presence, Cassandra or Lexi, who was praised for her face but criticized for not using well the elements. In the other hand Elizabeth, Julianna, Megan and Jamie didn't cause any impact and were hardly criticized by the judges for producing bland photos. Chelsea was penalized for losing the challenge but produce a strong photo and Olivia's picture was not as great as expected but her challenge win gave her some extra points. Finally Christina was first call out, and Elizabeth and Julianna were sent to the Bottom Two. Elizabeth's slightly better photo saved her and it was Julianna who, in Tyra's opinion, was losing some spark and hadn't the potential to become a high fashion model, so she was sent home.

* **Photoshoot:** Glamshot
* **Challenge winner:** Olivia Jordan
* **Challenge loser:** Chelsea Hardin
* **First call-out:** Christina Zapolski
* **Bottom two:** Elizabeth Ivezaj & Julianna White
* **Eliminated:** Julianna White

### **More than pretty face**

Elizabeth and Mary talk about last week's elimination. Elizabeth is worried about her Bottom Two finish but Mary freaks her out while talking about how worried she is about being called eight despite producing a strong photo. Mary's insecurities annoys Elizabeth who talk to Nadia and Chelsea about it but they don't agree on her. Christina is happy about being first call-out and promises to forget about Olivia's issue last week. She spends most of the time talking to Chelsea, who is becoming a close friend of her, who ask her for advice to produce a first-call out picture like her, both practice in front of the mirror.

Later they receive the Tyra Mail and all go to Fashion Madhouse there they find Lu Sierra, their runway coach. This week's challenge will be a Fashion Show where they will be wearing Anna Sui designs. Chelsea, Christina and Whitney stand out big time, with Christina being praised for looking as a real top model. In the other hand, Elizabeth, Jamie, Megan and Lexi are criticized for bland to terrible walks. At the end Christina wins the challenge and Lexi loses it, what makes her look angry in front of Lu Sierra, who ask her what's going on and she answers: "Nothing, I'm sad".

Lexi is mad about losing the challenge, she can't believe her walk is worse than Elizabeth and Jamie and the other girls agree. She claims that she thinks she was named the loser because Elizabeth was the one who was about to be eliminated and Lu didn't want to make the elimination too unsurprising. Lexi is angry and claims it's unfair. But Elizabeth listens her and start attacking her and there is a small fight among both of them. Finally Elizabeth tells Jamie what she heard and Jamie gets angry with Lexi aswell.

During photoshoot the girls have to portray a very dramatic beauty shoot with tons of make up and light without looking pageant patty at all. Most of the girls nailed it but Lexi seems to be too worried about her challenge lost and about her fight with Elizabeth and is unfocused. After the photoshoot she's scared she may will be the eliminated, with Elizabeth saying all over the house she wishes Lexi to be eliminated next and Jamie agreeing with her.

In panel most of the girls are praised for their amazing pictures, mostly Christina, Cassandra or Olivia, who are considered as one of the best faces of the edition. Other girls who succeeded were Whitney, Megan or Chelsea, who produced strong photos. Mary and Lexi also produced good photos but they were told about losing points because some of the judges didn't believe on Mary's potential yet and because of Lexi's attitude during the challenge and poor walk. Meanwhile Elizabeth and Jamie were hardly criticized for producing not good photos. In the end, Christina was called first again and Elizabeth and Jamie landed in the Bottom Two. Elizabeth was told to be too sweet to model and don't look as a mature and strong woman, meanwhile Jamie was told to be too commercial and nothing high fahsion. Finally Tyra revealed she saved Jamie so Elizabeth was sent home.

* **Photoshoot:** Dramatic beauty
* **Challenge winner:** Christina Zapolski
* **Challenge loser:** Lexi Atkins
* **First call-out:** Christina
* **Bottom Two:** Elizabeth Ivezaj & Jamie Crandall
* **Eliminated:** Elizabeth Ivezaj

### **I can't swim!**

The episode begins with the remaining eleven girls coming back to the panel room. Jamie is sad and scared about what the judges told her in last panel, so she sees herself as the next eliminated. In the other hand Cassandra and Christina are so pleased and comfortable with their places in the competition as they have been called 1st and 3rd two weeks in a row. The girls talk after last elimination and Lexi claims that she doesn't know why Jamie is still in the competition, she agrees with Elizabeth's elimination because she was: "a headache" for her, but she still thinks Jamie's photos are not good enough and she has no potential. Nadia and Chelsea spend the day talking about their animals and their lifes in their respective cities, there is a good friendship between them.

The days go by and the girls are taken to their challenge where they meet Ashley Graham. There they face each other in a challenge where they have to make a whole stylism (including make up and outfit) which fits the Cover Girl easy, breezy, beautiful motto. Chelsea, Mary and Lexi didn't fulfill Ashley's expectations meanwhile Cassandra, Jasmyn, Whitney and Christina did. In the end Cassandra won the challenge and Lexi lost it for second time in a row. When the girls come back to the house Lexi complains so much about her losing the challenge once again. She claims that Lu Sierra and Ashley Graham are against her,but Jasmyn tells her she has a wrong attitude, she should listen to the advices instead of being complaining all the time. Anyway Lexi doesn't listen to her as she thinks she's against her too. Jasmyn talks to Megan about how annoying and noisy Lexi is.

The next day the girls are taken to Santa Monica beach in Los Angeles and there they take their photoshoot for this week, where they are modelling Yamamay new swimsuits collection. Whitney tells to Mr. Jay Manuel that she can't swim, and that even being close to the water makes her nervous and freaks out, so the whole set is moved way up and she takes her photo in a pool nearby. When they get back to the house she recognizes she did very bad and is worried about her place in the game.

Next day it's panel time. The girls show their beach photoshoot and Jasmyn, Jamie, Olivia and Chelsea are praised for their beautiful pictures. Lexi is said to have one of the best picture but her challenge lost will make her lose points once again. Meanwhile Mary and Megan don't make any impact and Whitney make impact in the wrong way. Tyra gets mad and angry as she says she's dissapointed with Whitney for taking a very bad shot where there's nothing right. At the elimination Jasmyn is called first meanwhile Mary and Whitney landed in the Bottom Two. Mary is criticized for lacking potential and not looking as a real Top Model and Whitney because of producing the worst photo of the whole season instead of being a prior favorite. At the end it was Mary who was saved and Tyra decided not to give another chance to Whitney who was, surprisingly, sent home.

* **Photoshoot:** Beach bodies
* **Challenge winner:** Cassandra Angst
* **Challenge loser:** Lexi Atkins
* **First call-out:** Jasmyn Wilkins
* **Bottom two:** Mary Margaret McCord & Whitney Wandland
* **Eliminated:** Whitney Wandland

### **The models take the city**

Whitney's elimination was a surprise to almost everyone but it affected Megan the most, who was a very closed friend of her and feels she lost one of her biggest supports in the game. She talks to Jasmyn, who was first call out and practice together for next week's elimination, because she doesn't want to be the next one to be sent home. Meanwhile Cassandra is acting a little diva and rubs into everyone's face she's feeling so confident with her place in the competition, which freaks out Chelsea a lot. Chelsea criticizes because of losing the humility and selfless attitude that she had at the beginning and acting as a new person after being called third and second during the first weeks of competition. Nadie agree with her but in her opinion Jamie freaks her out the most, not just because she's weird and is always alone and doesn't use to talk to anyone but because, in Nadia's opinion she doesn't deserve to stay in the game. A little later the Tyra Mail arrives and the first challenge happens!

This week challenge was a posing challenge with Benny Ninja, where the girls had to pose while being on air in the shoulders of an ice skater! Most of the girls did good and showed they diva side. Chelsea joked about Cassandra to have the highest options to win the challenge because of her diva attitude but, even though she was considered one of the best, it was Jamie the one who surprisingly beat the other girls and won the challenge. Meanwhile Nadia, Megan and Mary failed to impress and Nadia lost the challenge for making disappointing poses. When in the house Nadia is a little paranoid after she lost the challenge and Jamie won it, as some days ago she had been talking about Jamie being undeserving: "...they are watching us through the cameras and doing the opposite than we think"... the pressure of the game is really affecting her. Jamie really feels a lonely after Elizabeth's elimination and doesn't think she has any support on the house and thinks most of the girls want her to leave. She later says in her diary room that's stupid and that she's a little paranoid, but actually that's not true because Nadia, Cassandra, Lexi and Christina are shown saying clearly: "She doesn't deserve to be here".

Next day the girls had the photoshoot, this time in the center of the city of Los Angeles, where they met with Mr. Jay Manuel. This photoshoot was about portraying different city kind of girls. They all had to portray different girls as follows:

 Chelsea
 Christina
 Jamie
 Jasmyn
 Lexi
 Mary
 Megan
 Nadia
 Olivia

Most of the girls liked the photoshoot idea, but Lexi was said to be uninspired and not focused at all, and actually had to stop the photoshoot for a while. Meanwhile Mary, who was scared of her place in the game, said to be very happy with her job. When they came back to the house Mary suggested to do a party in the jacuzzi because tomorrow one of them would be leaving. They all accepted, but during the chat Christina said an inappropriate comment about Chelsea, calling her: "tomboy". Chelsea laughed but didn't really liked the comment and she said it later in her diary room. Jamie, on the contrary, said to feel way better after sharing some time with the other girls.

Later the girls enter in the Panel room where they reviewed all the girls pictures. Jamie was praised once again for producing a very strong photo, and all the judges congratulated her for her big change in the competition. Jasmyn, Christina and Chelsea were also praised for producing strong photos. Nadia was praised but she was told to lose some point due to her challenge lost. Meanwhile Cassandra, Lexi and Mary were criticized. Finally Jamie got her first call out and Lexi (because her attitude and producing a dull and not memorable picture) and Mary (because of lacking potential and looking as a good girl who wants to be bad) where sent to the Bottom Two. But Lexi's potential and overall portfolio saved her meanwhile Mary was the fourth girl eliminated of the game.

* **Photoshoot:** City life
* **Challenge winner:** Jamie Crandall
* **Challenge loser:** Nadia Mejia
* **First call out:** Jamie Crandall
* **Bottom Two:** Lexi Atkins & Mary Margaret McCord
* **Eliminated:** Mary Margaret McCord

### **Wash your face**

This week starts with the girls coming back from last Panel. Lexi can't believe she was in the Bottom Two, and she assures she learned the lesson and won't fail again. Meanwhile Cassandra criticizes Tyra's decission and blames on her photoshoot thematic to explain her bottom three placement. Chelsea tries to tell her to learn from the experience and accept her mistakes but Cassandra tell her to don't give any advice to her, because she doesn't want advices from a worse model than her. Chelsea freaks out with Cassandra's attitude, she can't believe how much she has changed and promises to don't talk to her anymore. Meanwhile Jamie is so pleased with her first call out. She's feeling happy and comfortable in the game now, at least with her place in the game because her relationship with the other girls is not that good. Nadia is still blaming on her and can't believe she was called first, although Chelsea and Christina defend Jamie and praised her last photo. Nadia still doesn't see her as a model, and thinks she should be eliminated soon. And suddenly, one of those days Tyra enters in the Top Model house to bring the girls... The challenge!

This week's challenge was about how to be a spokesperson. The girls were split in teams of three and they had to create a speech for the charity Keep a Child Alive, and perform in front of Tyra and more than 50 people who were invited to the Top Model House backyard to listen them. The teams were:

 Team 2
 Team 3

During the reharsal time, Christina seem to be upset with her team as she would have liked to be with her friends Nadia and Chelsea. But Jasmyn tells her to start working in team and don't be so childish. There's an initial tension but later Christina understands that if she wants to win the challenge she should change her attitude, and they start working together. In team two Nadia refuses all the Jamie's ideas for the speech saying they "don't make any sense" or "that's stupid". Chelsea tries to bring peace to the team, but it's seems to be impossible to do, as Nadia keeps acting as if Jamie doesn't exist. Jamie feels out of place and if she had done something wrong, but doesn't understand anything. Meanwhile in team three Olivia and Lexi listen in amazement all Cassandra's crazy ideas. She thinks they should stay the speech by doing some sexy and high fashion poses to all them to know they're models. Olivia and Lexi look at each other and say out loud: NO!. Olivia is freaking out about her team, she likes Lexi, but she doesn't seem to be very well spoken, meanwhile Cassandra is a total mess and doesn't stop posing and making sexy faces. Olivia tries to make her understand this is not a photoshoot, it's a challenge, but Cassandra doesn't seem to understand it. Finally they make they speeches and Tyra makes a decision. Jasmyn, Christina and Megan, despite their initial fight, manage to create a good speech and beat the circumstances and work in team so they won the challenge and they all win extra points for this weeks' elimination.

After the challenge Nadia blames on Jamie for losing it, but Jamie doesn't shut up anymore and tell her that she declined all her ideas and that it seems that she did something terrible to her when actually she has done nothing. Nadia looks support on Chelsea but she agrees on Jamie, and tells Nadia to stop fighting with no sense: "You may think she's undeserving but she's still here and with the same chances of winning that you. You can think whatever, but here only Tyra and the judges decide. You better stop acting like that because I'm done with stupid fights".

Some days later Mr. Jay Manuel comes into the house and surprise the girls with this week's photoshoot! It will be about natural beauty, where the girls will be posing in a close up shot with minimal make up as a beauty shoot. Chelsea is excited about it as she considers herself a very natural girl who doesn't like to wear any make up at all, meanwhile Cassandra is worried because she doesn't like her freckles. When the photoshoot finishes Olivia and Lexi share a funny talk where they impersonate Cassandra during challenge and making her poses. At some point of the conversation Olivia admits she can't stand her and hopes she's eliminated soon, but at that Cassandra enters in the room and listens it all. She starts blaming on them and tell them: "I don't care what you say because I'm a better model than the two of you together".

Next day the girls go to Panel Room and review their pictures. Chelsea blows away all the judges with a stunning picture which is considered as one of the best ever. Jasmyn, Nadia, Olivia and Lexi are also praised. Cassandra is criticized for wearing too much make up that she even covered her freckles and Megan for looking uninspired. Megan recognizes she has lost her confidence in the competition as she feels the worst girl in the game. Finally Chelsea is called first and Megan and Cassandra land in the bottom two for very different reasons. But in the end, Cassandra's portfolio and overall performance saved her and Megan was sent home because of losing her spark and her insecurities.

* **Photoshoot:** Natural beauty
* **Challenge winners:** Christina Zapolski, Jasmyn Wilkins & Megan Gordon
* **First call out:** Chelsea Hardin
* **Bottom two:** Cassandra Angst & Megan Gordon
* **Eliminated:** Megan Gordon

## Gallery

### Photoshoot 1:Glamshots

Cassandra Angst (3rd)Chelsea Hardin (10th)Christina Zapolski (1st)Elizabet Ivezaj (Bottom)Jamie Crandall (9th)Jasmyn Wilkins (4th)Julianna White (Eliminated)Lexi Atkins (6th)Mary Margaret McCord (8th)Megan Gordon (11st)Nadia Mejia (2nd)Olivia Jordan (5th)Whitney Wandland (7th)
### Photoshoot 2: Dramatic beauty

Cassandra Angst (3rd)Chelsea Hardin (7th)Christina Zapolski (1st)Elizabet Ivezaj (Eliminated)Jamie Crandall (Bottom)Jasmyn Wilkins (10th)Lexi Atkins (8th)Mary Margaret McCord (9th)Megan Gordon(5th)Nadia Mejia (6th)Olivia Jordan (2nd)Whitney Wandland (4th)
### Photoshoot 3: Beach bodies

Cassandra Angst (2nd)Chelsea Hardin (7th)Christina Zapolski (8th)Jamie Crandall (3rd)Jasmyn Wilkins (1st)Lexi Atkins (5th)Mary Margaret McCord (Bottom)Megan Gordon(9th)Nadia Mejia (6th)Olivia Jordan (4th)Whitney Wandland (Eliminated)
### Photoshoot 4: City life

Cassandra Angst (8th)Chelsea Hardin (3rd)Christina Zapolski (4th)Jamie Crandall (1st)Jasmyn Wilkins (2nd)Lexi Atkins (Bottom)Mary Margaret McCord (Eliminated)Megan Gordon(7th)Nadia Mejia (6th)Olivia Jordan (5th)
### Photoshoot 5: Natural beauty

Cassandra Angst (Bottom)Chelsea Hardin (1st)Christina Zapolski (6th)Jamie Crandall (7th)Jasmyn Wilkins (2nd)Lexi Atkins (4th)Megan Gordon (Eliminated)Nadia Mejia (3rd)Olivia Jordan (5th)