America's Next Top Model season 3
The third cycle of America's Next Top Model debuted on September 22, 2004, and was hosted by model Tyra Banks.
It was the first cycle to gain partnership with cosmetics magnate CoverGirl and ran weekly commercials during the show named Beauty Tip of the Week with Jay Manuel and Elsa Benítez as well as the CoverGirl of the Week contest. The cast was increased to 14 contestants, and the season's catchphrase was, "Beauty In Progress."
The prizes for this cycle were:
- A modeling contract with Ford Models.
- A fashion spread and cover in Elle Magazine.
- A 100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics.
- A modeling contract with IMG Models.
- A fashion spread and cover in Jane Magazine.
- A cosmetics campaign with Sephora.
The winner was 19-year-old Eva Pigford from Los Angeles, California, with YaYa DaCosta placing as the runner up.
Contestants
| Contestant | Age | Height | Hometown | Outcome | Place |
| Magdalena Rivas | 24 | Shrewsbury, Massachusetts | Episode 2 | 14 | |
| Leah Darrow | 24 | Norman, Oklahoma | Episode 2 | 13 | |
| Julie Titus | 20 | Kent, Washington | Episode 3 | 12 | |
| 20 | St. Louis, Missouri | Episode 4 | 11 | ||
| Jennipher Frost | 22 | Pocatello, Idaho | Episode 5 | 10 | |
| Kelle Jacob | 19 | Seagate, New York | Episode 6 | 9 | |
| Cassandra 'Cassie' Grisham | 19 | Norman, Oklahoma | Episode 7 | 8 | |
| Toccara Jones | 23 | Dayton, Ohio | Episode 8 | 7 | |
| Nicole Borud | 21 | Minot, North Dakota | Episode 9 | 6 | |
| Norelle Van Herk | 20 | Newport Beach, California | Episode 11 | 5 | |
| Ann Markley | 21 | Erie, Pennsylvania | Episode 12 | 4 | |
| Amanda Swafford | 25 | Episode 13 | 3 | ||
| Camara 'Yaya' DaCosta | 21 | Harlem, New York | Episode 13 | 2 | |
| Eva Pigford | 19 | Westmont, California | Episode 13 | 1 |
Episodes
Summaries
Average call-out order
Casting call-out order and final two are not included.| Rank by average | Place | Model | Call-out total | Number of call-outs | Call-out average |
| 1 | 1 | Eva | 35 | 11 | 3.18 |
| 2 | 2 | Yaya | 36 | 11 | 3.27 |
| 3 | 3 | Amanda | 38 | 11 | 3.45 |
| 4 | 6 | Nicole | 34 | 8 | 4.25 |
| 5 | 4 | Ann | 55 | 10 | 5.50 |
| 6 | 5 | Norelle | 51 | 9 | 5.67 |
| 7 | 7 | Toccara | 41 | 7 | 5.86 |
| 8 | 8 | Cassie | 37 | 6 | 6.17 |
| 9–10 | 10 | Jennipher | 30 | 4 | 7.50 |
| 9–10 | 12 | Julie | 15 | 2 | 7.50 |
| 11 | 11 | Kristi | 23 | 3 | 7.67 |
| 12 | 9 | Kelle | 43 | 5 | 8.60 |
| 13 | 13 | Leah | 13 | 1 | 13.00 |
| 14 | 14 | Magdalena | 14 | 1 | 14.00 |
Photo shoot guide
- Episode 2 photo shoot: Swimsuits on the beaches of Jamaica
- Episode 3 photo shoot: Nivea beauty shots
- Episode 4 photo shoot: Lee Jeans topless group shot
- Episode 5 photo shoot: Dooney & Bourke purses on roller skates
- Episode 6 photo shoot: YJ Stinger energy drink on a trampoline
- Episode 7 photo shoot: Alter-egos with Ford Mustang
- Episode 8 photo shoot: Verragio diamonds beauty shot with a tarantula
- Episode 9 commercial: Japanese Campbell's Soup commercial
- Episode 11 photo shoot: Geishas in kimonos for T-Mobile phone
- Episode 12 photo shoot: Harajuku-inspired motorcyclists
- Episode 13 photo shoot: CoverGirl Wet Slicks Crystals print ad
Other cast members
- Jay Manuel – Photo Director
- J. Alexander – Runway Coach
- Mathu Anderson – Make-Up Artist
- Danilo – Hairstylist
Makeovers
Julie - Trimmed and layeredKristi - Long chic bangsJennipher - Cut to shoulder length and dyed honey blonde with matching eyebrowsKelle - Long wavy black extensionsCassie - Long curly blonde weaveToccara - Shoulder length wavy brown extensionsNicole - Lucille Ball inspired cut and dyed red with matching eyebrowsNorelle - Shaggy bob cut and braces removedAnn - Cut shorter with platinum blonde highlightsAmanda - Long ice blonde weave; later, weave removedYaya - Braids removed and acne treatmentEva - Cut shorter and dyed golden blondePost-''Top Model'' careers
Magdalena Rivas does not appear to have modeled since the show ended.Leah Darrow modeled some in New York but quit to become a Catholic author and speaker.Julie Titus does not appear to have modeled since the show ended.Kristi Grommet does not appear to have modeled since the show ended.Jennipher Frost worked as a marketing manager for a restaurant in Las Vegas and married former football player Brian Urlacher in 2016.Kelle Jacobs had a spread in Source Magazine and worked in a corporate role at Estee Lauder.Cassie Grisham received a degree in international communications from the University of Oklahoma and worked for DePuy.Toccara Jones was signed by Wilhelmina Models and has modeled for brands including Ashley Stewart, Avon, Torrid, New York and Company, and Target. She has appeared in Essence, Vibe Magazine, and Smooth Magazine, and had a spread in Vogue Italia. She has appeared on 106 & Park, Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrity Paranormal Project, and The Tyra Banks Show. Jones also runs a lingerie company.Nicole Borud moved to San Clemente, California to pursue acting.Norelle Van Herk was signed by Nous Model Management and Dream Models in Hong Kong.Ann Markley, who now goes by Annalaina Marks professionally, was signed by Wilhelmina Models in Chicago and has done some modeling since the show for brands including Lord and Taylor, Old Navy, and Jay Manuel beauty.Amanda Swafford has had some modeling work since the show, including appearing in a campaign for Levi's Jeans.YaYa DaCosta did some modeling work after the show, appearing in ads for companies such as Lincoln Townhouse, RadioShack, Sephora, Oil of Olay, Dr. Scholl's, and Garnier Fructis. She is best known as an actress, having appeared in television shows such as All My Children, Ugly Betty, and Chicago Med. DaCosta has appeared in a number of films, such as I Will Always Love You, Take the Lead, The Kids are Alright, Big Words, Honeydripper, ''Lee Daniels' The Butler, In Time, and Tron: Legacy.Eva Pigford, who now goes by Eva Marcille professionally, won a contract with CoverGirl, representation by Ford Models, and a spread in Elle. She has since appeared on the covers of Brides Noir, Women's Health and Fitness, Essence, IONA, and KING Magazine. She has also appeared in campaigns for Samsung, Apple Bottom Jeans, DKNY, and Red by Marc Ecko. Marcille also pursued an acting career, appearing in The Young and the Restless, House of Payne, and Let's Stay Together. She hosted the reality show My Model Looks Better Than Your Model. Marcille was on three seasons of Real Housewives of Atlanta'' from 2017 to 2020.Production Issues
In a 2020 Instagram livestream with J. Alexander, Jay Manuel admitted that the rumours that the contestants were detained in Japan upon arriving in Tokyo were “100% true”. He revealed that the judges had already arrived in Tokyo because they fly ahead of the contestants, but upon arriving in Tokyo, customs “thought they were hookers” and didn’t let them in the country.Luckily, before they could be detained, production “put them back on a plane, flew them to Guam... for two days... and from there the girls got proper visas to enter the country”. J. Alexander also revealed that he was meant to meet the girls at the airport and was left waiting for them for hours because he hadn’t been told what was happening. This left him “mad, angry... furious” because production “completely forgot” about him and he had travelled for “two hours” from Tokyo to the airport to meet them.
Jay also revealed that the show’s stylist was traveling with the contestants but that in Tokyo, they “don’t have showrooms like in a lot of... European cities, so she traveled with trunks with the clothes for the photo shoots. But she was also “turned away” at customs, got a “black stamp” in her passport and was sent “back to New York”. However she took her trunks with her and production told Jay “guess what now, you’re styling”. They gave him money and him and J. Alexander had to buy all the clothes for the photo shoots in Harajuku whenever they had a free moment. He joked that after that experience “he never wants to style shoots again”.
Manuel has also admitted that the girls being turned away at customs was the “big disaster of Cycle 3” and “did mess up production”. Due to CoverGirl's partnership with ANTM as of Cycle 3, they had a bigger budget and so Manuel was able to produce a “really elaborate commercial which was what the girls were supposed to shoot when they landed in Tokyo”. He described how he built a “huge set” that took a “week to build” and a got a “famous director to shoot it” but once the girls were sent to Guam, production “tore it all down”. When the girls “finally showed up” in Tokyo, production said they couldn’t give Manuel any more money for a new commercial. Manuel says he was extremely angry and production told him it was his problem, which he claims is “very America’s Next Top Model production”.
Eventually they did the commercial, but the robes that the girls were wearing were actually the robes from Manuel’s and Alexander’s hotel, and they shot it on a “patio” with a “reality cam” and no proper lighting. The commercials ended up being judged “an hour later” and Manuel was “mortified”, saying it “looked horrible” and that he was “embarrassed to even say what happened”.