It’s been 11 years since the very first season of America’s Next Top Model, and ever since I realized I’d never be tall or photogenic enough to be a contestant on the show, I’ve been a faithful fan, living out my modeling dreams vicariously through other girls who make the cut.
For 20 seasons I’ve received several lessons from Tyra Banks – from how to smize to how to booty tooch – lessons I could, at the very least, put to use in selfies (because let’s face it, the only modeling I’ll ever do is in front of my bathroom mirror). But for 20 seasons, the show and its format has essentially been the same, aside from adding male competitors and social media factors to keep up with the times.
This week, though, the 21st installment of ANTM aired and gave us one special new reason to tune in every week: Chantelle Brown-Young. Chantelle is a 20-year-old model with vitiligo, a condition that causes irregular skin depigmentation.
Yesterday, Tyra talked about the Toronto native, whom she found via social media, to E! News, saying:
“She’s absolutely beautiful. We were looking [for contestants] and I just kept seeing this girl pop up, this beautiful, striking girl. I reached out to her myself and told my team, ‘Find her! I want her here in a week.’
In the premiere episode of Season 21, Chantelle opens up about how teasing helped her build confidence, and it’s the way she loves the skin she’s in that makes me, and the rest of her supporters, hope she’s crowned the queen of the catwalk and America’s Next Top Model. Plus, the girl is pretty much a pro in front of the camera.
You still have plenty of time to catch up on the first episode if you missed it, but first, get familiar with Chantelle in the gallery featuring some of her flawless pictures below.
SOURCE: E! News | PHOTO CREDIT: Instagram
