It's time to get to know a little more about your Cycle 12 contestants from America's Next Top Model. In preparation for the premiere of Cycle 12, the CW has just posted individual pre-show interviews with each of the 13 finalists. Each interview gives you about two minutes with the finalists, in which they discuss important topics like how long they've wanted to be models, Top Model make-overs, their favorite food and films, and what gives them an edge over their competition.
While there are no major revelations in the introductory interviews, they do give you a better sense of the contestants. For example, I learned that Fo wants to be the Obama of ANTM and bring hope to the modeling world and that Isabella should not be trusted with liquid eye-liner. After watching the interviews I also have a better idea of the strong personalities of Cycle 12. While there are no Jade's this cycle (she of self-aggrandizing third-person-speak) it seems like Jessica and Natalie are the Cycle bitches: both are far too confident about their looks and their likelihood of success on ANTM.
Allison is still presenting herself as the odd-woman-out of Cycle 12. She says she "wants to bring something new to ANTM," and that she hopes her experience with photography will make her a better model. Throughout the interview she is awkward and hunched over, which we hope she figures out before the Cover Girl commercial challenge, if she gets that far.
I am still completely enamored with
Aminat. Though she suffers from a bit of verbal diarrhea, at least she's charming and likable. Aminat spent much of her interview talking about her "fantabulous afro," which she sees as her edge over her fellow contestants. Hopefully make-overs don't ruin that edge.
Celia is way too smart for ANTM. Her interview was completely engaging; she was very well spoken and super animated. In regards to what she's most looking forward to on ANTM, she says "I want the full package to land on me and crush me." This interview totally sold me on Celia and her Top Model potential.
Fo's real name is
Felicia, and unfortunately this pre-show favorite came across a little flat during her interview. The only time Fo perked up was when she discussed her love of chicken nuggets, a love we share, but don't believe it will help her much on her quest to become America's Next Top Model.
I had a difficult time paying attention to
Isabella's interview thanks to the horrible Amy Winehouse style eye make-up she was attempting to rock. When not distracted by her bat wing eyes, I was disturbed by Isabella's favorite food: fat free cottage cheese and raspberries.
Jessica is going to be the diva bitch of Cycle 12, mark my words. She claims she has no competition in the house and that the other contestants should be worried about her, not the other way around. We hope she eats her words by being sent home in the first episode.
Kortnie continued to impress with her pre-show interview. She showed she has a great sense of humor and sense of self, saying she wants to bring curves to the competition. If Kortnie's pre-show material is any indication, she's going to be a serious contender this season.
London easily had the best quote of the pre-show interviews, saying that most successful models today "look like European aliens." Which is actually a pretty apt description. However London lost us with her body language (hands on her hips the entire time) and rehearsed sounding answers.
I'm calling
Natalie as the second half of the Cycle 12 divas, since she used the ANTM code word for diva (confident) about 10 times in her two minute interview. Natalie did manage to peek my interest, unlike her diva counterpart Jessica, by saying she was "interested in tragedies."
Nijah has a touch of the crazy. There's nothing over the top about her interview, it's just a feeling. Nijah is in the midst of taking a year off to focus on modeling, where she hopes her "unique facial features" will help her find success.
Sandra is much more personable than ANTM's other African queens, Fatima and Nnena. Sandra was born in Kenya and has six brothers and sisters, she speaks Swahili at home. This gives us great hope that we will hear Swahili curse words and insults at some point during Cycle 12.
I was much more impressed with
Tahlia's interview than her other pre-show photos. She is absolutely gorgeous on film, well spoken, and she holds herself with incredible confidence. Tahlia said she was most looking forward to the photo shoots during ANTM, because she's never done a photo shoot before. Here's to hoping she has some great beginners luck.
Teyona was much more charming and beautiful during her interview than anything we've seen of her so far. She has a great personality and a gorgeous smile, while we didn't see her model potential before, we definitely see it now. Teyona is most looking forward to the make-overs and seeing who cries. (Us too Teyona!) As for the chance she'll cry, Teyona squashed that saying: "It's hair, it grows back."
RELATED STORYLearn more about each team in our Who's Who in the Race section.
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Meet the aspiring models of Top Model Cycle 12