The 'America's Next Top Model' host and judge reveals she struggled to watch the controversial episodes as she admits what they did on the show was wrong.
- May 30, 2020
AceShowbiz - Tyra Banks struggles to watch old episodes of "America's Next Top Model" after receiving backlash over a number of controversial moments.
Historic clips from the show have been resurfacing online as fans have looked back at some of the more cringeworthy moments from the TV talent contest's history.
Viewers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations at particular moments, including the host telling Cycle 6 winner Dani Evans that she'd never be a successful model because of the gap in her teeth. Other contentious moments include Cycle 13's "biracial themed" photo shoot, where contestants had their skin darkened.
After previously accepting the criticism on social media, the star opened up on the controversy in a chat with Entertainment Tonight, insisting, "Yes, I apologised for it. Because we put it out and even me just watching it after, I was like, 'Oh, this ain't right.' "
"We felt like our skin is beautiful, let's paint the world our colour. And then when we saw it, we were like, 'Oh no, this excuses other people to do this in a negative way,' " she explained. "We realised that, and I went on my talk show and did an entire segment on what we did. What we did was wrong, and we apologised for it."
Referring to the clip where she calls out Evans, Banks admitted that when she looks back at that episode, "I cringe."
"And I cringe through the eyes of today," she added.
Taking to Twitter to address the criticism, Tyra, who has been hosting the show since 2003 and serves as executive producer, previously wrote, "Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you."
"Looking back, those were some really off choices," she added. "Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs."
