Side-By-Side Photos Show How Much America's Next Top Model Winners Have Transformed

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Since first making its thrilling debut in 2003, the competition series "America's Next Top Model" has captivated the masses thanks to its many problematic moments, controversial photo shoots, and memorable contestants. Created by model maven Tyra Banks, the long-running show sought to break boundaries within the modeling world and change the way society viewed beauty, crowning diverse winners throughout the course of its 24 cycles. Many of the contestants have undergone some seriously spectacular transformations since their days on the show, which ran from 2003 to 2018, and helped launch the careers of famous faces like Eva Marcille, Yaya DeCosta, and Winnie Harlow. "America's Next Top Model" became a global phenomenon and spawned numerous spin-offs, certifying its place in pop culture and reality TV.

However, the series has also come under fire in recent years and faced backlash for pushing the models to their breaking point in some of the biggest scandals in "America's Next Top Model" history. The scrutiny returned in full force with the release of the 2026 Netflix docuseries, "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model," which featured intimate interviews with Banks, producer Ken Mok, along with past contestants and crew members as they examined the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of its cultural impact. Many were quick to accuse the producers and Banks of going way too far on "ANTM," with the internet being set ablaze after its premiere. Both fans of the show and its vocal critics have also been curious to discover just how much the winners have changed in the 23 years since the series premiere.

The first winner of "America's Next Top Model" was Adrianne Curry, who claimed the title in 2003 and charmed both the judges and viewers with her fearless attitude. After dominating the competition, Curry was briefly married to "The Brady Bunch" alum Christopher Knight, the couple starring in their own reality show together. Curry now lives in Montana with her husband Matthew Rhode. She sells Avon products and said of ANTM on X, "I am deeply grateful I won the first season of 'Top Model.' I think people psychoanalyzing it over 20 years later with a woke lens is absurd."

Yoanna House signed with IMG Models after taking home the crown in the second cycle, and she has since walked for designers like Sue Wong and advertised for brands such as Levi's, Sephora, and Macy's before switching her focus to working as a TV host. House has presented for shows like "The Look for Less" and "Queen Bees." House still models and also attends Harvard Business School, per her Instagram. She did not participate in "Reality Check" for ANTM but stars in the E! Documentary series "Dirty Rotten Scandals."

Eva "The Diva" Pigford (now Marcille) defied the odds and won despite standing at 5 ft. 7 inches, her bold personality taking her to the finish line. Marcille's had immense success after "American's Next Top Model," going on to collaborate with CoverGirl and DKNY, while also starring in "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," and "All the Queen's Men." "I was in awe ... my mouth was wide open. To be a part of a club and not know what's going on in the club is crazy," she told CBS News of "Reality Check."

Known for her silent strength and commanding beauty, Naima Mora beat out fellow finalist Kahlen Rondot to win the 2005 cycle, enjoying the fruits of her labor with spreads in ELLE Magazine, CoverGirl, and Fuego magazine. She walked the runway in New York Fashion Week, and in 2021, she co-wrote and starred in the off-Broadway play, "The Amazing Adventures of a Woman in Need." "After the show, I gained a lot of weight, and Ford Models was very upset about it. It put a lot of pressure on me and it was very challenging," Mora told Entertainment Weekly. 

"She's got that 'It' thing," Tyra Banks once said to Elle Girl of cycle five winner Nicole Linkletter. The brunette beauty went on to model for brands like Bebe, Volcom, and Burberry, while appearing in editorials for numerous publications, including Marie Claire and Nylon. She also starred in a PlayStation Portable commercial, hosted various VH1 segments, and was a casting associate for the 2016 TV series "Life or Debt." Linkletter has two children — Theo and Olive — with her husband, Adam Nathanson, and frequently features her family in her social media posts. 

Cycle six's Danielle Evans overcame the infamous gap-closing controversy and dominated the fashion world after winning. She modeled in editorials for Essence, Elle, and InStyle while appearing in campaigns for Victoria's Secret, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. Evans also starred in the Netflix docuseries "Reality Check," pushing back against Tyra Banks's claim that Evans closed her tooth gap to find work. "Bull f***ing s**t. Me getting my gap closed is not opening any doors for me," Evans said, per People. "You knew what you were doing for the show. You were making good TV at my expense."

The vivacious CariDee English stomped her way to the finish line and beat out rival Melrose Bickerstaff to become one of the show's most memorable contestants in cycle seven, modeling for brands such as JC Penney and Christian Siriano. After dealing with psoriasis most of her life, English briefly acted as a spokesperson for the National Psoriasis Foundation, using her public platform to spread awareness about the autoimmune disease. She also hosted the shows "Scarred" and "Pretty Wicked." Now, she largely spends her time behind the camera, working as a photographer in Los Angeles while also pursuing music.

After making it to the semifinals in cycle seven, Jaslene Gonzalez perservered and re-auditioned for the following cycle, becoming the first person in the show's history to compete on multiple seasons. She has modeled in Thailand, Mexico, and South Africa and has strutted her stuff on the runway for New York Fashion Week. Gonzalez still models after "America's Next Top Model" under Wallflower Management, telling WGN9, "I had a whirlwind of success after winning 'America's Next Top Model.' I traveled around the world. I had four billboards in Times Square. I was doing covers, I was doing editorials."

Saleisha "Sal" Stowers pivoted her attention to acting after winning cycle nine, portraying Cassandra Foster in "All My Children" before appearing as Lani Price in the long-running soap opera "Days of Our Lives." Stowers has starred in "New Girl," "Switched at Birth," and "The Fosters." She also modeled for Essence, Baby Phat, and Paper Doll Magazine, along with walking for New York City Fashion Week and Saks Fifth Avenue. She is a certified fitness trainer and nutrition coach, and she launched her own company, SS Body & Nutrition, in 2023 to help people achieve their health goals.

The first plus-size model to win the reality competition series, Whitney Thompson has modeled for JC Penney, Torrid, and Forever 21. She now runs Pink Pelican, an ice cream and fudge shop in Panama City, Florida, all the while juggling being a wife and mother to two children. "I would go to set, and they would have nothing that would fit me. They would have to cut open the back and clamp it. It just makes you feel like s**t to not be the right size. It was just demeaning," she told "Reality Check" (via Daily Mail).

Mixed martial artist-turned-model Brittany "McKey" Sullivan kept herself quite busy after winning cycle 11, appearing in Marie Claire and Nylon while modeling for Fendi, Forever 21, and Miu Miu. After starring in the competition series, Sullivan was named one of People's Most Beautiful People in 2009 and married UFC fighter Sam Alvey in 2013, welcoming five kids together. Sullivan retired from modelling after "America's Next Top Model; she is now a chef and midwifery student. Though, she appears to have kept in touch with fellow contestant Sheena Sakai from cycle 11, per her Instagram.

Cycle 12 winner Teyona Anderson, born Asia Anderson, walked the runway for South Africa Fashion Week and Arise Cape Town Fashion Week, taking on gigs for Seventeen and Glamour South Africa. "I had never been in the Bottom 2. I was consistent, so I knew I was strong, but I never thought I'd make it this far," she told NJ of winning. After the birth of her son in 2017, Anderson kept a low profile outside of the modeling world, though she appeared alongside fellow cycle 12 alum Aminat Ayinde in a 2020 interview with Oliver Twixt. 

Nicole Fox became the first petite model to win "America's Next Top Model" in 2009, the art student dominating every photo shoot and emerging as the frontrunner early on in cycle 13. Fox appeared in campaigns for Forever 21 and Steve Madden's Spring Collection, and like many of her fellow contestants, she also dipped her toe into the acting waters with roles in "The Bold and the Beautiful," "The Last Survivors," and "Girl House." She lives in Maryland with her family, pursuing her art and modeling passions, while showing off her stunning artwork on X.

As with fellow contestant Jaslene Gonzalez, cycle 14 winner Krista White had auditioned for the show a whopping 12 times before ultimately being cast, her patience paying off in spades. White worked with major publications, including Ebony and Seventeen, along with brands like Betsey Johnson, Max Rave, and Nicole Miller. Now, she largely remains out of the spotlight. "Hearing a different truth about something you loved doesn't erase your experience ... it just means there was more to the story," she shared via an X thread after the release of "Reality Check."  

With her towering 6-foot-2-inch stature and slender frame, Ann Ward blossomed throughout her season and transformed into a bona fide model during cycle 15 of the competition series. Ward set a record for "America's Next Top Model" and received best photo five weeks in a row, successfully walking runway shows for Jane Randall and Vivien Westwood before retiring from modeling. She has since embraced her artistic talents and works professionally as a graphic designer and illustrator, providing her expertise for anime characters, comic books, and animated short films, while dazzling her Instagram followers with her stunning creations. 

After coming away with the title in cycle 16, Brittani Kline relocated from Pennsylvania to New York and signed with IMG Models. She posed for spreads in Vogue Italia and Vogue Mexico, while walking for Balenciaga and Prabal Gurung. She welcomed her son Rowan Hayes Fetter in 2017 and later attended Lock Haven University, where she studied English and Spanish, receiving a Master of Professional Studies from Penn State in 2022. Kline announced the birth of her second child in 2025, and as per her Instagram bio, she's a "former model" and "current human raising tiny humans."

After placing sixth in the fifth season of the show, the wonderfully wild Lisa D'Amato came back and won the All-Star cycle in 2011. She modeled for Elle Girl, H&M, and Vogue Italia, later appearing in the reality shows "Marriage Boot Camp" and "Celebrity Rehab." The mother of two has been extremely outspoken against "ANTM" and Tyra Banks. "Ultimately, my own intuition tells me from my own experience, which is very deep ... that this is a money grab for Tyra and Ken Mok ... so they're not 100% canceled," she told Page Six of Netflix's documentary.

Sophie Sumner has quite the "America's Next Top Model" resume, as she had been the runner-up of cycle five of "Britain's Next Top Model" before winning the 18th installment of the U.S. version in 2012, aptly dubbed the "British Invasion." Adored for her bubbly personality, Sumner has graced photos in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Vogue, and she has been featured in the Bollywood film "Cocktail," as well as 2023's "Killington." She serves as a contributing editor for The Daily Front Row and is an Amazon Live Host. In 2024, she also launched the production company Birthday Girl Productions. 

Paul Smith's College graduate Laura James signed with New York Management and L.A. Models after winning the 19th cycle in 2012, which highlighted college students. The daughter of "Dynasty" star John James, she landed campaigns with Nine West, Smashbox Cosmetics, and Guess before transitioning to acting, landing a role in "The Young and the Restless" and as Molly Hicks in "S.W.A.T." James married actor Jon-Michael Ecker in 2022 and together they welcomed daughters Ellie and Marlowe Ecker in 2023 and 2025, respectively. She is set to appear in the drama TV series "Shadows and Light."

Jourdan Miller from "America's Next Top Model" is the first and only female model to win a co-ed cycle, as she came out triumphant and beat out Marvin Cortes in cycle 21. Since her "ANTP" days, Miller has shot for magazines like SÝN Magazine, Creem, and Desnudo Italia, while nabbing editorial spreads for 35 mm, Cake, and Ellements. She has amassed quite the impressive music video repertoire, appearing in Fences' "Sunburns," Absofacto's "Lemon Drop," and Finnish singer Niila's single, "Restless Heart." Miller also maintains her portfolio website, "Love, Jourdan," which showcases her stunning modeling work.

Former wide receiver-turned-fashion model Keith Carlos became the first male contestant to win "America's Next Top Model," having previously signed to the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants before being waived for an injury in 2013. Carlos accepted a contract with Next Model Management after winning and later modeled for brands like Guess, Nike, and Georgia Armani while appearing in the soap opera "The Bold and the Beautiful." He portrayed Cardi B's love interest in her music video for "Be Careful" and is a devoted father, documenting his son's love of football on Instagram.

Nyle DiMarco was the show's second male winner and made history as its first deaf winner, the model finding steady work after his victory in cycle 22. Not only did DiMarco launch the non-profit organization The Nyle DiMarco Foundation in 2016, but he also took home the Mirrorball trophy that same year on "Dancing with the Stars" with his partner, Peta Murgatroyd. DiMarco then starred in "Switched at Birth," "This Close," and "Station 19." He also produced the Oscar-nominated documentary "Audible," and in 2022, he published his memoir "Deaf Utopia," which details his experience with being deaf.

For the 23rd cycle of the groundbreaking competition series, Rita Ora took over presenting duties from Tyra Banks after it was canceled by The CW and later revamped by VH1. Washington native India Gants was the last model standing in the season, signing a contract with Major Model Management and Ford Models. She has gone on to branch out in the entertainment industry and started the The Sober Scoop community, providing her own tools and helpful guidance to those in recovery. Gants also worked the music scene as a DJ and frequently creates golf-related content. 

The final winner of "America's Next Top Model" was Kyla Coleman, a contestant who wasn't afraid to advocate for female rights after getting into a fiery argument on the show. She went on to become a successful international model, modeling for Calvin Klein, Valentino, and Alexander Wang. She was also featured in the music video for Duo Lipa's "Don't Start Now" and appeared in Andy Cohen's "For Real: The Story of Reality TV." "Mentally, you have to be strong because you're getting feedback that might be hard to hear every day," she told Seattle Mag.