tyra banks (32 posts)

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Tyra Banks is shrinking her syndicate.

The supermodel turned TV multihyphenate's Daytime Emmy-winning talk show will be taken out of syndication and moved to the CW for its fifth season, slated to premiere in September 2009.

Despite some cartoons and syndicated sitcoms (yay, endless Friends reruns!), the CW isn't really a daytime-programming destination, something that Banks—who already rules the network's prime-time schedule with the top-rated America's Next Top Model—is obviously looking to change.

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The CW

It was down to Analeigh Tipton, McKey Sullivan and Samantha Potter—all lovely, leggy and hungry (to win!), but only one could be crowned America's Next Top Model.

A group that had once consisted of 14 wannabes was whittled down to this beauteous trio, one of whose runway-ready walk, chameleonic style, high-fashion potential and Dutch commercial-making prowess was deemed heads above the rest…Right?

Find out which aspiring glamour girl earned that cover spread in Seventeen magazine, a $100,000 CoverGirl contract and representation from Elite Model Management:

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HarpersBazaar.com

With election day just three days away, Tyra Banks is throwing her support behind Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

"Throughout this historic presidential campaign, I have been inspired by Senator Barack Obama and his message of change," the talk-show host said in a statement. "I believe he will uplift all Americans during these critical times. I will be voting for Obama because I feel America is not only ready for this change, we are in need of it."

In September, Tyra was featured in Harper's Bazaar posing as Michelle Obama with a Barack look-a-like in the Oval Office.

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Tyra Banks is looking to do for the entire country what she's done for the model wannabes on her reality show—minus the cramped quarters, petty arguments and questionable eating habits.

The CW has given the greenlight to Operation Fabulous, the first spinoff series for the fiercest show in prime time, set to be produced by Banks herself.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the new pilot will essentially expand on one of the most popular elements of Top Model—the model makeover episode—and apply its transformative powers to women across the country.

Top Model mentors Jay and J—as in Manuel and Alexander, for the uninitiated—will partner up to host the show and make pit stops in various towns across the country.

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Some of us have been there with Tyra through every America’s Next Top Model cycle. And at the close of each season, we pat the winner on the back, tell her we look forward to seeing her Cover Girl commercials and purge our memories of the other girls.

Well, Tyra has finally figured out a way to keep us updated on some of the best ex-ANTM competitors. To do this, Tyra has established Modelville, which will be a reality show within her show. Whoa! Did that just blow your mind?

The series will start airing on The Tyra Show today and follow five girls from cycles 8, 9 and 10 with the most memorable Modelville resident being Bianca (cycle 9) of the infamous Nikki Blonsky Family Airport Smackdown episode—and you know she'll bring the dramz.

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Danny Moloshok/The CW

The exercise in fierce that was last night's America's Next Top Model signaled the end of the runway for not one but two wannabe posers.

Hannah was the first to go due to her lackluster strutting skills, after the Jays held a surprise elimination catwalk competition.

But the big news was that following the actual challenge, the show's first transgender competitor and the most talked about contestant of the season, Isis, was given the stilettoed boot for what Tyra Banks called an uninspired performance.

Do you agree? Express yourself in our elimination poll!

HarpersBazaar.com

With about three months to go until Election Day, the presidential campaigns seem to get more and more twisted up with celebrity culture. Today, we get to add the loveable crazy-fierce Tyra Banks to the mess.

The talk-show host/model mentor poses as Michelle Obama in this September’s Harper’s Bazaar and offers up advice on how to be a good first lady, like, “know how to take a fierce picture but at the same time be able to eat fried chicken.”

See, Tyra really does know everything from smiling with your eyes to representing the country.

And the crazy don't stop there...

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New York Times

Looking like a ferosh Barbie styled by the likes of Christian Siriano, runway coach J. Alexander and Mode magazine's Wilhelmina Slater, multihyphenate Tyra Banks is poised front and center on this Sunday's New York Times Magazine.

While the former supermodel, given her many business ventures, is compared to Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey, the cover article reveals what really makes Tyra so talented: She has 275 different types of smiles!

Ah, yes. Yet another trivial Tyra tidbit now taking up valuable real estate in our brains.

Guests aren't the only ones getting surprises on The Tyra Banks Show. The host is, too.

A Georgia man accused of stalking the supermodel chat-show host was arrested last Tuesday after paying multiple unwanted visits to the New York studio that houses Banks' show.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Brady Green, the 37-year-old has reportedly been stalking the star since early January and has attempted to contact the daytime fixture numerous times—appearing at her Los Angeles studio, making repeated phone calls and sending multiple letters to her workplace and even having flowers delivered at her studio. (View the court documents)

He was ultimately busted by NYPD officers last week at her Manhattan TV studio after hopping a bus from his home state to New York.

According to cops, he arrived at the studio at 4:20 p.m., requesting to speak personally with Banks and toting with him a large duffel bag filled with both magazine clips of the star and notes written to himself cataloging his various attempts at contact.

Cops were called to the studio and escorted Green off the premises; however, Green was spotted back outside the studio just three hours later. Cops once again returned to the scene, this time making the arrest.

Green, who according to the New York Post first told police he was homeless, was charged with two counts of stalking, harassment and criminal trespass. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges in Manhattan Criminal Court the following day and was subsequently released by the judge on his own recognizance.

A restraining order has since been placed against Green on behalf of Banks, who told the Manhattan District Attorney's office she felt she was "in fear of physical injury, serious physical injury or death."

Should Green be convicted of the most serious charge against him, stalking in the third degree, he could face up to one year in prison. It's unclear if Green remains in New York.

Regardless, Green's recent arrest isn't his first run-in with the law.

In 2006, he pleaded guilty to felony pot-selling and was sentenced to two years' probation. One month after the felony bust, Green was arrested in his hometown of Dublin, Ga., on an obstruction charge, which was shortly thereafter dismissed.

She'll always be one of the great posers, but Twiggy's days of sitting in judgment are over.

Due to scheduling conflicts, the 1960s-era supermodel will be vacating her America's Next Top Model post next year, the CW announced Monday. Stepping into her size 0 seat for Cycle 10 will be veteran cover girl Paulina Porizkova.

"We are thrilled to have Paulina as a part of this cycle's judging panel," ANTM executive producer Ken Mok said in a statement. "The show and participants will benefit a great deal from her vast modeling knowledge and expertise."

Runway specialist Miss J. Alexander and photographer Nigel Barker will be sitting on either side of Tyra Banks at the judges' table next year, as usual.

"We would like to thank Twiggy for her great contributions to the show," Mok said. "Having an icon like Twiggy lend us her considerable expertise has elevated our show to a whole new level. We wish her well in her endeavors and hope to collaborate with her in future Cycles of ANTM as well as other projects."

Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Hornby, actually only modeled for about four years in the late '60s before giving it up to focus on singing and acting—but her pixie-like figure and doe eyes made enough of a splash to merit her own Barbie doll and make her the face of swinging London.

She's been with ANTM since Cycle Five, when she replaced Janice Dickinson. Twiggy will stick with the show through the end of Cycle Nine, which has finished taping and will crown its winner on Dec. 12. Based on her commentary so far, it appears as if Twiggy is pulling for Heather.

Porizkova may not have been able to boogie her way out of the first week of Dancing with the Stars last season, but when it comes to modeling, she obviously knows what it takes to—as Tyra would say—bring it.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Czech-born mother of two graced the cover of everything from the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue to Vogue while landing on her fair share of Most Beautiful People in the World lists. The 5-foot-11 stunner was also the face of Estée Lauder for nearly seven years before Elizabeth Hurley took over in 1995.

While Porizkova reportedly turned down her chance to be a Bond Girl in GoldenEye, she has a number of small film credits to her name, including 1993's Arizona Dream with Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway, and the more recent People I Know, with Al Pacino and Kim Basinger.

ANTM is averaging 5.1 million viewers a week, making it the CW's top-rated show. It has been renewed through the 2009-10 season.