Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model | Part 1

You Can’t Make This Up

Netflix

Society & Culture, Documentary, Tv & Film, True Crime, Film Interviews

4.2 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Netflix documentary series Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model reexamines the TV show’s impact on a nation’s perception of beauty and the troubling situations it put contestants through in the name of entertainment. It offers behind the scenes stories from Tyra Banks, her co-stars, and her producers, and their thoughts today about the program’s most controversial moments. And it features emotional interviews with former contestants who ask, if the show was rooting for them, why were they treated the way they were? In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, former ANTM judges Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker reveal details they've never shared before from behind the scenes of the show. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. Dig deeper into all of your favorite Netflix documentaries and films at tudum.com. Check our true crime hub at tudum.com/truecrime. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Rebecca Levoy, and this is You Can't Make This Up.
0:15.0	You Can't Make This Up is the podcast where we uncover the true stories behind your favorite Netflix documentaries and films.
0:21.2	On today's episode, we take a closer look at the Netflix documentary series, reality check,
0:26.9	inside America's next top model.
0:29.0	I was rooting for you.
0:30.0	We were all rooting for you.
0:31.4	How dare you?
0:33.2	Tara really scared all of us.
0:35.6	Like, we literally jumped out of our seats.
0:37.6	What is happening right now?
0:38.9	Today we're talking to former judges Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker.
0:42.6	In 2003, UPN launched a new kind of reality show competition.
0:47.8	Cover Girl Tyra Banks and a panel of judges would whittle down contestants on America's next top model.
0:53.5	Its mix of glamour and spice
0:55.1	captivated the audience. But with each new season, the challenges became more elaborate and
1:00.7	problematic. And after a new generation discovered the reruns, backlash against its segments on race,
1:06.7	violence, and body images has been withering, so much so that today producers and co-stars admit
1:12.5	they got it wrong.
1:14.2	The Netflix documentary series, Reality Check, Inside America's Next Top Model, reexamines the TV
1:20.1	shows impact on a nation's perception of beauty and the troubling situations it put contestants
1:25.1	through in the name of entertainment.
1:27.2	It offers behind-the-scenes stories from Banks, her co-stars, and her producers, and their thoughts
	...

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