Germany's Next Topmodel

Each yearly search of Germany's Next Topmodel has 10 to 17 episodes and starts with 12–30 contestants. Each episode, one contestant is eliminated, though a double/triple elimination or no elimination was given by consensus of the judging panel.

Makeovers are administered to contestants early in the competition (usually after the first or second elimination in the finals).

Only Heidi Klum herself has been part of the judging panel on every cycle. All the other permanent judges have always been male. Thomas Hayo remained a permanent judge the longest (six consecutive cycles), followed by Peyman Amin (four consecutive cycles). After leaving the show, Amin eventually hosted the show's spin-off, Die Model WG, and signed cycle 5's winner Alisar Ailabouni despite never meeting her on the show. And although Boris Entrup only was a regular judge on cycle two, he still was part of the show until 2017 as the make up advisor for the girls. In 2017 Wolfgang Joop became the first former judge to return as he was a guest judge for one episode as well as the finale, he came back in 2018 as well.

The judging panel since the 14th season consists of guest judges only with Klum being the only permanent judge.[2]

Since Cycle 5, the show's ratings decreased.[3] In an attempt to increase the ratings, the format is increasingly focusing on conflicts between contestants.[4]

In 2009, German model Julia Stegner said that Germany's Next Topmodel had "little to do with the reality of modelling."[5]

In 2011, cycle 5 winner Alisar Ailabouni withdrew from her contract with ONEeins Management (which is managed by Heidi Klum's father Günther), which she received as part of her prize page for winning the competition.[6] This was first time a winner of the show sued her way out of a prize contract. Ailabouni was not invited to cycle 6's live finale, while several ProSieben-related magazines referred to cycle 4 winner Sara Nuru as "last year's winner", given she was working as a backstage host. Since then, a number of other contestants have withdrawn from their contracts with ONEeins, including Viktoria Lantratova[7] and Miriam Höller (both cycle 5),[8] Jana Beller (cycle 6 winner),[7] Luise Will (cycle 8)[9] and Aminata Sanogo (cycle 9).[10]

In 2012, former judge Rolf Scheider criticized the program, saying, "The show has never produced a new Nadja Auermann or Claudia Schiffer", and that girls who "lack modelling talent" are selected purely for ratings.[11] Regardless of this, he appeared on the fifth cycle of Austria's Next Topmodel as a judge.

In 2013, Klum was criticized by German comedian Cordula Stratmann, who branded Klum "the face and soul of a cold-hearted, disgusting production" and "the trainer in malice and condescension."[12]

In May 2013, during the live finale of cycle 8, Klum was attacked by two topless Femen activists, Zana Ramadani and Hellen Langhorst, who flashed her.[13]

In April 2014, Miriam Höller, from cycle 5 said in an interview that contestants are poorly treated on the show; for example, they are not given enough food or their mobile phones are taken away. She also said that Klum was "extremely cold", and criticized the cooperation with Günther Klum. She also mentioned that a client who had worked with her before the show wanted to book her but ONEeins said Höller was busy, even though she wasn't busy at that time. The client was offered to book Sara Nuru instead of Höller.[8]

In April 2014, German model Eva Padberg said that the show was just entertainment and not the reality of model business. She also expressed her hopes for participating girls to know this.[14]

In May 2015, psychiatrist Manfred Lütz said according to a study "GNTM" promoted anorexia.[15] Also, in that time, "Germany's Next Topmodel" was checked by the German Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz). Since the first cycle, the show is subject of repeated checks by the Commission.[16][17][18]

In September 2015, former judge Wolfgang Joop criticized the show as well, stating he didn't want to be part of that anymore since "The viewers expect things that the fashion expert does not. Namely, contestants collapsing, getting homesick, crying and falling on their heels. These are stories that do not interest us in the fashion world."[19][20]

In 2017 in Episode 9 of Cycle 12 the contestants had a photo shoot on a bed with male models wearing lingerie. The photo shoot took place in the streets of Los Angeles and caused a car accident and Heidi Klum made fun of that accident. The audience and several media criticized Heidi Klum and the show for that.[21][22]

In May 2017 the finale of Cycle 12 aired and Heidi Klum was heavily criticized by the media and audience for her performance. For example, Süddeutsche Zeitung said, that the only winner of the show after 12 cycles is just Heidi Klum and not the participants. They critzied that it does not matter who is winning the show, because it is only about promotion, the showmanship of Heidi Klum herself and about showing a pestilent body image.[23][24][25] Among other things, Heidi Klum had sung by means of Playback and was criticized for the quality of this performance by Spiegel Online.[26] In addition to that, the cycle 12 finale had very low ratings.[27]

Also in May 2017 the German radio and television broadcaster Philipp Walulis criticized the show and its practices within his YouTube-show "Walulis" as well. His main criticism is that the contestants get gagging contracts and that the show is only concerned about advertising campaigns instead of the contestants. Within this video, former contestants have their say.[28]

Beth Ditto said in June 2017: "I see it very critically that in programs like this girls are stirred up against each other. There are so many other ways to do what you want without such a show that destroys so many dreams."[29]

In May 2018 Cycle 13 contestant Victoria Pavlas officially said that Pro7 and the Team behind Germany's Next Topmodel portrayed her in a wrong way on television. She said: "I do not want to be portrayed like this by Pro7 only for Fame." In addition to that, like many contestants in the history of the show, she also got out of her contract, and she did not appear on the live finale.[30][31]

In 2019 Cycle 4 contestant Tessa Bergmeier criticized the show and revealed the practices of the crew behind the camera, stating: "The production people often put words and phrases in the contestants mouths that they would never have said." She also said, that she never applied for the show, she was hired because of her emotional nature.[32]

In 2019 in Cycle 14 there was a physical fight between contestants Jasmin Cadete and Lena Lischewski shown on Television, leading to the disqualification of Cadete. The lawyer of Lischewski sued ProSieben and the cameramen saying: "It is unacceptable that a television station films how a minor is beaten by another participant during the filming and the present camera crew does not intervene immediately, but continues to film the scene."[33]

Also in Cycle 14 in 2019 after Vanessa Stanat quit, ProSieben took over her official Instagram account. Shortly after, Stanat did not have access to her personal account either. Many, including Stanat herself, believe that this happened due to ProSieben being angry about her announcing her quit just a few weeks before the finale. Rebecca Mir took to Instagram to discredit Stanat, however she and ProSieben received backlash, because ProSieben shared personal information about Stanat with Mir.[34]

In 2020, Cycle 14 winner Simone Kowalski said that "it is not right that it is perceived as entertainment, how young people make each other down." She also stated, that she is not able to watch the show.[35]

Contestant Lijana Kaggwa received death threats after participating in the 15th cycle of Germany's Next Topmodel. She told that she was spat on the street, her car was refilled and people tried to poison her dog which led to police protection. Therefore, she took consequences herself and quit in the live final. Christian Vock from web.de criticized the show for not being completely aware of the death threats. He said that the editing room was mainly used to show unpleasant statements from Lijana on TV and thus exaggerate it.[36][37] Mareike Fangmann from Stern (magazine) wrote: The broadcasting channel ProSieben has also a complicity because the broadcaster knows exactly how to cut scenes together in order to identify a clear bitch. Good for the ratings, good for the show. [...] But ProSieben should have protected Lijana beforehand. Could have omitted scenes to protect her and thus incited less hatred.[38]

In December 2020 Lijana Kaggwa 15th cycle also stated: "The broadcast of GNTM 2020 completely ruined me mentally. I've become a different person. Bit by bit it took away my self-confidence and my lust for life." [39]

In December 2020 Cycle 14 winner Simone Kowalski met Günther Klum (the father of Heidi Klum) in court. In the end, the court decided: The employment contract with Günther Klum will be terminated retrospectively and Simone will receive her full salary. [40]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Germany’s Next Topmodel.

• Official website
• Official YouTube Channel
• Germany's Next Topmodel at IMDb
• GNTM-Blog / German Fanbase