Today's Evil Beet Gossip

Tyra Banks Just Fired Everyone You Love on America’s Next Top Model

A photo of Jay Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker

Do you guys watch America’s Next Top Model? If you do, then you definitely recognize those three people up there in that photo. Those people are J. Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker, also known as Miss J, Mr. Jay, and the hottest photographer that I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life. They’ve been on Top Model since the very first cycle in 2003, but not anymore. Because they all got fired.

From Us Weekly:

TyraBanks has one photo in her hand . . . and none of them belong to America’s Next Top Model‘s Nigel Barker, J. Alexander or Jay Manuel.

Host and producer Banks, 38, has fired her panel of experts, The New York Post‘s Page Six reported Friday. They were reportedly informed Thursday morning that their contracts would not be renewed for Cycle 18.

Banks later confirmed that photographer Barker, 39, runway coach Alexander, 53, and creative director Manuel, 39, will be leaving America’s Next Top Model via her official Facebook page.

“To my Nigel Barker, Miss J, and Mr Jay: Thank you for all of our years together on America’s Next Top Model,” Banks wrote. “Working with you is always an absolute pleasure. Excited for what the future holds for us.”

Barker, Alexander and Manuel have been with America’s Next Top Model since its inception in 2003. Previous judges include Janice Dickinson, KimoraLee Simmons, Twiggy, Paulina Porizkova, AndreLeonTalley, BeauQuillian, Eric Nicholson and Nole Marin. As of Friday, judge KellyCutrone is expected to return for Cycle 18.

In a statement, executive producers Bank and Ken Mok tell Us Weekly: “Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and J. Alexander have been an integral part of the America’s Next Top Model brand and they helped turn this show into the household name it is today. They have been amazing assets to the show and will always be a part of the Top Model family. We will continue to actively work with each of them on future projects.”

I love this show, but I haven’t watched it in quite a while. There have only been a couple of seasons that I’ve watched Top Model when it was actually airing: usually I just get in a kick and plow through a whole cycle over a weekend. But if all three of these people are gone? Then so am I, you guys.

On a positive note, Nigel spoke with E!, and he told them that “this isn’t a Tyra thing. This is a network thing,” so that’s good. That means I can keep up my secret admiration of Tyra without all the guilt. That’s something, right?

Will you guys be watching the next season of America’s Next Top Model? Or have you even watched a season since 2008?

2 CommentsLeave a comment

  • Oh man!!! I love these three! I think they make the whole show especially Miss J when he shows the wannabe models how he struts his stuff!! Real bummer! :(