Jay Manuel Is Setting the Record Straight

Controversial photoshoots, glamorous international trips, extreme makeovers and explosive judging panels. For many viewers, that’s what America’s Next Top Model is most remembered for. For Jay Manuel, however, there’s always been more to the story.

“I knew it was a very unhealthy work environment,” the show’s former creative director shares with FASHION. “Most importantly, I was very uncomfortable with the level of coercion and manipulation that was going on.”

In the buzzy new Netflix docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, Manuel recalls several instances in which high-pressure storylines and producer-driven narratives left him feeling uneasy. Whether he was made to seemingly take credit for the aforementioned shoots or pretend as though he was the reason why the contestants’ worst photos had been selected for judging, Manuel quickly realized his title didn’t mean much in the context of the show.

One particular scene that “still haunts him to this day” is the show’s infamous race-swapping photoshoot. “Even after the documentary has aired, the internet loves to point fingers. It was never my idea, and all these years later, I still have to defend myself.”

Alongside Manuel, the docuseries featured former contestants, producers and judges reflecting on the show’s most boundary-pushing—and sometimes borderline unsafe—moments, many of which probably should never have aired. Beyond the controversy, though, these instances highlighted what made the series so compelling and set the stage for a broader conversation about its enduring impact. At its peak, the early-2000s hit did more than just crown top models, it redefined reality competitions and set the tone for a new era of television that we’re still living through.

“The docuseries didn’t just bring up a story, it left the audience with an open-ended question and room for a much more expanded dialogue. I think that’s why it’s being so talked about,” Manuel says.

Mr. Jay has a point. Since the doc’s premiere on February 16, a seemingly never-ending stream of salacious headlines has followed. The most discussed? Manuel’s relationship with the show’s creator and host, Tyra Banks.

A longtime fashion industry creative, Manuel first met Banks in the late ‘90s when he stepped in as a last-minute makeup artist for the model. The two quickly became close friends and collaborators years before ANTM premiered in 2003, and continued working together throughout Manuel’s nine-year tenure on the show. Fast-forward to the recently released docuseries, and Manuel has revealed that their friendship faltered at several points over the years. Today, the two are no longer in contact. Still, he insists he’s not on a “hate Tyra tour,” regardless of what social media might suggest.

“I won’t say anything bad about her,” says Manuel. “I just wish that she had shared the vulnerable side of who she really is in the documentary.”

For the Toronto-raised television personality—who also hosted Canada’s Next Top Model, one of ANTM’s many international spin-offs—vulnerability came naturally while filming the docuseries. If anything, Manuel was grateful for the opportunity to finally tell his story in a way he knew would feel authentic.

Over the years, he’s declined several opportunities to speak about his time on the show, many of which arose after he released his 2020 novel The Wig, the Bitch and the Meltdown, which is loosely based on his experience at Top Model. But this documentary was different. After learning that the project would be directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan—best known for their work on American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden—he knew the story would be in good hands.

Despite filming half of his interviews while recovering from a particularly gruelling flu, Manuel told producers no question was off the table, and spent more than 11 hours revisiting years of memories and hardships—including his perspective on the firing of himself, Nigel Barker and J. Alexander after cycle 18.

At the same time, Manuel knows he isn’t without fault either. “I absolutely look back at things and wish I were better at drawing boundaries at that time,” specifically noting a moment during cycle four where former contestant Keenyah Hill stopped a photoshoot to share she felt she was being harassed and wasn’t met with support from Manuel or other crew members on set.

While he’s proud of the documentary’s authenticity, Manuel stresses that the project isn’t about rewriting the past or defending himself—it’s about giving viewers an unfiltered look at what really happened behind the camera.

“I’m not on some ‘redemption tour,’" he affirms. “I just wish people could understand the trauma around working in that environment and not be so quick to judge.”

As for what the future of ANTM looks like, Manuel thinks the show could be made today, albeit under very different conditions. After Banks slyly alluded to a possible cycle 25 in the docuseries, rumours have already begun circulating about whether a 2026 revival could be in the works. If that happens, however, it likely won’t include Mr. Jay. “I can pretty much guarantee I will not be there,” he says.

Even so, Manuel hasn’t ruled out the idea of a reboot entirely. In his view, a 2020s version of the reality competition would need to move away from the producer-driven drama that once defined the series and towards a format that more closely mirrors how the fashion industry actually works today.

In practice, that would mean photoshoots operating separately from production, contestants evaluated on their actual strongest work rather than narrative-driven selections and an updated panel that reflects multiple modern-day perspectives—from photographers and creative directors to working models themselves. To Manuel, this version of Top Model wouldn’t just entertain viewers, it’d create the next generation of “internet superstars.”

“I know there is a way to do a real competition that can be fair and honest without the manipulative environment,” he says. “Whether they’re up to do that or not, who knows?"