America's Next Top Model (season 9)

The ninth cycle premiered with 33 potential contestants each receiving a phone call from Tyra Banks, announcing that they were the semifinalists. They convened at a port in San Juan, Puerto Rico and met J. Alexander, who gave them boarding passes for a luxurious Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, their residence for the week until the 13 finalists were decided. Their first task was to walk a runway modeling life-jackets. At breakfast, the women met Tyra, before proceeding to their interviews with the judges. Memorable moments included Janet's mock waxing of Tyra, Heather revealing that she had Asperger's Syndrome and A.D.H.D. and Lisa's revelation of being an exotic dancer. They docked at St. John’s, Antigua for a beach photoshoot, where they met ANTM Cycle 8 winner Jaslene Gonzalez. After the shoot, the final 20 were selected. Tyra asked the final 20 why they should become America's Next Top Model before the final deliberations with Mr. and Ms. Jay were done and the final thirteen contestants were chosen. This was the first appearance of Marvita Washington failed to make the final cut.[lower-alpha 1]

• Featured photographer: Jim Wade
• Special guests: Jaslene Gonzalez, Gregorio Cuevas, Patrick Dukes

The 13 finalists were taken to Los Angeles where they were introduced to the new green theme of the cycle. The first photoshoot portrayed the negative sides of smoking. In one set of frames, they looked glamorous smoking; in the next set, they were shown after smoking had affected them. Heather & Saleisha agreed to decide to shoot together on a single side-effect theme.

During the photoshoot, Bianca and Lisa clashed in an argument concerning Lisa's morals. The girls' first challenge was to create an outfit that was simple yet fashionable from Old Navy in 10 minutes. They went to Old Navy and Benny Ninja was there to help/supervise them. The girls' outfits were judged at panel, and Saleisha was determined to have the best outfit. She won US$1,000 and the chance to do an ad for Old Navy. Before the contestants were getting to called in, Tyra told them that they would stop smoking inside the model house starting the following day. Most of them, especially Heather, Lisa, and Chantal excelled, but Bianca, Ebony, and Mila struggled. Ebony and Mila found themselves in the bottom two, Ebony because she was too stiff and Mila for not taking the photoshoot seriously. In the end, Ebony was chosen over Mila for displaying more potential and drive. At the end of the episode, the girls were informed that smoking was banned for this cycle because it set a bad example.

• Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
• Special guest: Benny Ninja
• CoverGirl of the Week: Lisa Jackson

Some girls helped Heather dress up to spruce up her image. The girls then proceeded to Fashion Madhouse, where J. Alexander shocked the girls with a scary lesson on perfecting their runway walk while wearing straitjackets. Miss J teased Heather because of her weak walk, and also teased Bianca because she showed her signature walk too much. Back at the house, Saleisha and Bianca got into a heated argument. The girls participated in a couture runway challenge for Colleen Quen. After the challenge, Saleisha won a trip to Paris in the future for a Colleen Quen fashion show. For the photoshoot, the contestants were placed on a climbing wall while wearing couture gowns. Jenah was praised for her high fashion photo, while Lisa, Heather and Chantal shone in their shoots, but Ebony, Bianca and Kimberly struggled. Although Ebony struggled, she managed to improve and impressed the judges with a better shot than last week. Ultimately, it was Bianca and Kimberly who landed in the bottom two. Tyra stated that, besides herself, none of the judges liked Bianca's photo, but Kimberly's inability to transfer her high fashion appeal in person onto film sent her home.

• Special guests: Colleen Quen, Roy Campbell
• Featured photographer: Matthew Jordan Smith
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The contestants got their makeovers at the Ken Pavés salon. Some girls, like Sarah and Chantal, embraced their new looks with positivity and excitement. Bianca was initially intended to get a long blonde weave, but her damaged hair wouldn't have been able to accept the weave, so she was shaved bald. She was given a blonde wig, but it went unused for the rest of the season because the bald look suited her. The challenge that week involved the girls putting together a look using CoverGirl cosmetics at a make-up table, and going through racks of clothes to find the outfit with their name on it. Janet was deemed by the judges as having the best make-up, and she would have won; however since she didn't put on the correct outfit, she was disqualified. Sarah won the challenge, and she got the opportunity to shoot a tutorial video for the CoverGirl website on makeup application. This week's photoshoot had the girls portraying different plants.

At panel, Tyra told Ebony that she would have been called first for having the best picture in the bunch if it wasn't for her up-tight personality in front of the judges. Lisa, Jenah, Heather, and Sarah once again stunned the judges. Lionel Deluy went as far as telling Jenah he'll use her when she gets signed. Bianca and Ebony surprise the judges with their improvements compare to their past shoots, while Chantal was criticized about her inability to take in both the photographer's and the art director's instructions during the shoot. Saleisha's lack of emotion in her picture didn't sit well with the judges. When evaluating Victoria's cactus picture, Twiggy made a remark that it was a fitting representation since she felt Victoria has a "prickly disposition." Saleisha and Victoria ended up in the bottom two and Victoria was shockingly sent home for not handling criticism well.

• Featured photographer: Lionel Deluy
• Special guests: Ken Pavés, Dawn Patton, Brent Poer, Crissy Barker
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The week kicked off with a posing lesson with vogueing expert Benny Ninja, who taught the girls how to pose while in the air by jumping on a trampoline. Ambreal was praised for her natural ability to strike amazing poses, while Heather and Lisa struggled with their awkwardness. Later, the remaining 10 girls used what they learned from Benny for this week's challenge, in which they had to pose in the air while being carried by figure skater Lloyd Eisler. The prize was an Akademiks photoshoot for Seventeen magazine with cycle 6 winner Danielle Evans. Lisa won the challenge, picking Ebony and Janet to join her in the photoshoot, but she caused some tension when some other girls felt that her win was not deserved.

For the week's photoshoot, the girls were to take high fashion photographs posing as gargoyles on the roof of Omni hotel building. Bianca and Ebony shocked Mr. Jay with their astounding progress, while Jenah, Heather and Lisa all delivered once again. Sarah struggled to fit the character, Janet was worried about showing her underwear, and Ambreal had to fight her fear of heights. At panel, most of the girls received praise from the judges. Though Heather delivered another strong photograph, she was advised that she needed to model her face forwards as well, and not just profile. Sarah was criticized for not grasping the concept of the shoot, and Ebony was once again cautioned about her uptight in-person appearance, and was told that she would have been called first if she had smiled in panel. The bottom two were revealed to be Janet and Ambreal. Tyra felt that both girls had striking features and great personalities, but felt that Janet was constantly coached from photoshoot to photoshoot, and Ambreal was worsening rather than improving. Ambreal was given another chance, and Janet was sent home.

• Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
• Special guests: Benny Ninja, Ann Shoket, Danielle Evans, Byron Kirkland, Lloyd Eisler, Marc Baptiste
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

At the house, Ebony shocked some of the girls by saying she no longer wanted to be there. Later on, male model Tyson Beckford surprised the models at the house and gave them a lesson on being a spokesperson. Most pulled off an impromptu sales pitch for their teacher, but a few had a hard time concentrating on their task. Later, the girls were split into groups and had to create a public service announcement for the charity Keep a Child Alive. Though the group consisting of Heather, Jenah and Ambreal struggled to put together their announcements, they won the challenge and received gift baskets from Carol's Daughter. In addition, Heather won an extra prize; she got to participate in a photoshoot for Carol's Daughter, directed by singer Mary J. Blige. She used the photoshoot as an opportunity to practice shooting face-front pictures.

The week's photoshoot had the girls model with various recyclable materials. Ebony and Ambreal struggled with their shoots, while Heather received praise for not doing a single shot in profile. Saleisha and Jenah excelled, while Sarah and Chantal also did well. Bianca was complimented for her practice in the mirror and smiling with her eyes in most of her film. Lisa was told by Jay that she was doing well, but the judges criticized her for being too "Model 101."

At panel, due to their poor performances in the photoshoot, Ebony and Ambreal landed in the bottom two, both for the second time. Ebony for being uninspiring in both her film and her final photo, and Ambreal for giving a sleepy photo. Tyra called Ebony to receive her photo, but Ebony stated that she no longer wished to compete. After astonishment and permission from Tyra, Ebony left and Ambreal received "a free pass" allowing her to continue on in the competition.

• Featured photographer: Fredric Reshew
• Special guests: Tyson Beckford, Elizabeth Santiso, Lisa Price, Mary J. Blige, Matthew Rolston
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

After Ebony’s departure, Sarah questioned her self-image. Things heated up when Bianca accused Heather of just “sitting pretty” and not doing anything extra to produce good photos. Tyra taught the ladies how to model in front of a moving camera. Later, the contestants shot a music video with Enrique Iglesias. The girls met Enrique in their van, where he told them one of them won the reward of being featured more in the video. They gathered again later where both Lisa and Heather were announced as the winners, incorporating a “Gothic” look in the video. During the filming, Heather fainted from exhaustion. At panel, Lisa, Heather and Saleisha's clips received praise, while Sarah was criticized for feeling embarrassed about her own body. In the end, she landed in the bottom two together with Chantal, who had a lackluster performance in the music video. In the end, Sarah was eliminated.

• Featured music video director: Jessy Terrero
• Special guests: Enrique Iglesias, Billy Parks, Lisa Arianna
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The remaining seven girls went to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. There, they were paired up with student fashion designers, as their muses. On the runway, the girls showed off their outfits as well as explained their dresses. Heather and Lisa both stumbled on their performances, and Saleisha was chosen as the challenge winner. The reward for the challenge was a photoshoot for Seventeen magazine, and she chose Bianca and Lisa to join her in her reward. For their photoshoot, the girls were dropped off in the desert, where they had to portray a model stranded in the middle of nowhere, posing with a burning car. During the photoshoot, Heather's frustration over her poor challenge performance took its toll, and she produced many mediocre takes.

At panel, the girls were surprised by a lion dance as told them would be going to Shanghai, China for the remainder of the competition, but there were only six spots available. Most of the girls received praise for their pictures, especially Bianca and Jenah, but Heather was informed that this was her weakest shoot to date. Ambreal was advised that she needed to work much harder, and Lisa was told that she was fading away from the judges. In the end, Ambreal and Lisa landed in the bottom two, but it was Ambreal who was eliminated since the judges felt Lisa had more potential.

• Featured photographer: Trevor O'Shana
• Special guests: Benny Ninja, Neal Hamil, Ann Shoket, Angela Avanesyan, Richard Chan, Julia Chumak, Angelo Estrada, Justin Green, Erin Helgersun, Yuko Pena
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The six remaining girls flew to Shanghai and were brought to their suite. However, there were only five beds inside, and when Saleisha refused to share the only king-sized bed, Heather was left without one. Jenah and Bianca ended up sharing the large bed. The girls learned basic martial arts poses. Their challenge was to showcase their poses in the air on high wires. At the challenge, Bianca refused to pose in the air and disqualified herself. Heather won the challenge and was rewarded with a shopping spree. She chose Chantal to accompany her. This week, the girls were told to wear clothes that showcased their personalities. They ended up shooting both a commercial and photoshoot for CoverGirl Queen collection.

At panel the judges felt all the girls struggled with either their commercials or their photoshoots. The judges decided that the commercials were more important than the photos were so Chantal and Saleisha received relative praise for their commercial performances, despite unsatisfactory photos. Jenah was praised for her photo, but her personality was questioned by the judges. Heather and Lisa's commercial takes were deemed the worst, and they landed in the bottom two, despite strong photos. Though her photo was deemed "warm and approachable," it was Lisa who was eliminated, with her ability to handle criticism in question.

• Featured photographer: Jim Wade
• Featured commercial director: Jeffrey Chu
• Special guests: Louis Liu, Brent Poer
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The remaining five girls were sent to PT Models in Shanghai for go-sees. Heather had difficulty finding her way around the city and ended up only visiting one designer, while Jenah received bad comments about her personality and walk. Bianca and Saleisha were the only two to make it back on time; Chantal (20 minutes), Jenah (15 minutes) and Heather (40 minutes) were all disqualified for their tardiness. Bianca won the challenge; as her reward, her picture was to be used in a campaign for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Later, the girls took part in a photoshoot with Nigel, where they stood out in a crowd of Chinese lions and dragons. Some of Jenah's comments caused friction between her and Nigel, leaving Jenah to worry about her fate in the competition.

During panel, Tyra announced that the final four would go to Beijing for the remainder of the competition. Saleisha shone, while Bianca was critiqued for forgetting about her face in her photograph, and Jenah's communication skills were questioned. Chantal was complimented for a beautiful picture. Heather was criticized for not being able to handle pressure and doing the worst in the go-sees challenge, although her picture received praise. Jenah and Heather ultimately landed in the bottom two, both for their communication improprieties. While both were commented on having the two best portfolios of the remaining models, the judges felt they lacked something in their communication. With that, Jenah's name was called and Heather was eliminated.

• Featured photographer: Nigel Barker
• Special guests: Susan Yang, Shan Jin Ya, Lu Kun, Stephen Peng, Flora Zeta, Helen Lee, Fiona Vong
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The final four flew to Beijing, where they were introduced to the story of the Four Beauties. The next day they participated in a challenge in which they turned a traditional Chinese garment into their own style. During the task, Bianca purposefully gave Jenah bad advice, so when Jenah was declared the winner, she instead chose Chantal to share her prize of custom-made Chinese qípáos gowns. Jenah also won a personalized runway lesson with Miss J.

The girls then traveled to the Great Wall for a Mongolian warrior-themed photoshoot photographed by Tyra. Chantal excelled throughout the photoshoot by thinking outside of the box, while Jenah, Saleisha and Bianca struggled at first but pulled off good takes at the end. Tyra was generally positive about all the girls' performances, but she showed concern over Jenah's identity crisis and Bianca's stiff poses. The shoot concluded with a final group shot to see which girl stood out the most.

At panel, all the photos were greeted with positive reviews, and Tyra confessed that her opinions about the girls had changed after photographing them. Chantal's photo was deemed as one of the best shots ever from the show by Tyra, praising her for thinking outside the box, and using her whole body. Jenah explained that she was homesick, but cared greatly about the competition, and Bianca argued that she had consistently improved. In the end, Bianca was eliminated for not demonstrating the same innate talent as the other finalists.

• Featured photographer: Tyra Banks
• Special guests: Kevin Lee, Ann Shoket
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

The final three were put to the test when they had to shoot a CoverGirl commercial for CoverGirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers. The girls got to choose from twelve fruity flavors to portray in their commercials. All the girls struggled with their commercials at first, but Chantal managed to pull off good takes in the end, although Jenah's attitude came off as slightly abrasive to Jay, and Saleisha (who was the weakest) asked for a minute to compose herself due to frustration.

Before evaluation, the girls were asked to critique their competition. All the girls commented themselves as having the most potential, but Jenah's laid-back attitude caused her to be deemed as having the least. As she was being evaluated, Jenah broke down into tears but was praised by Tyra for finally showing her real self to the panel. Chantal and Jenah's photos were heavily praised while Saleisha's was criticized. Saleisha and Jenah landed in the bottom two. It was pointed out that Saleisha may have had modeling experience in the past, but her portfolio was hit and miss though it was improving when they came to overseas, while Jenah, without any modeling experience in the past, had taken much stronger photos than Saleisha. In the end, despite having taken some of the most high-fashion pictures of the season, Jenah was eliminated in her third consecutive bottom two appearance.

• Featured photographer: Jim De Yonker
• Featured commercial director: Brent Poer

The final two had a photoshoot for Seventeen magazine's February cover issue. The final runway took place near the Forbidden City, where Saleisha and Chantal modeled Qi Gang's line of couture dresses. Cycle 8 winner Jaslene Gonzalez started off the show. Chantal was a bit stiff and had a slight accident when her dress tripped a stilt performer, while Saleisha owned the runway show. Behind the scenes, Saleisha consoled Chantal, who was slightly distraught about tripping the stilt performer.

During the final panel, the judges praised both finalists' personalities and their pictures throughout the season. The judges praised Chantal's bubbly personality and blend of high-fashion and girl-next-door appeal, and Saleisha's commercial ability and holistic modeling potential.

The girls were called back, and Saleisha was declared the ninth winner of America's Next Top Model.

• Special guests: Qi Gang, Darren Duan, Ann Shoket, Jaslene Gonzalez, Stephen Danelian