Tyra Banks heard the America’s Next Top Model fandom shout “Who?†when Rita Ora took over hosting duties for the resurrected modeling competition, and after a season spent on the sidelines, the inventor of such lexicon staples as the “smize†and the “booty tooch†is coming to reclaim her reality crown. “I’m overwhelmed and humbled by the intensity of the ANTM fan base whose deep affection for the show led me to have a change of heart. After giving it a lot of thought, I realized that remaining behind the camera wasn’t enough because ANTM is woven into my DNA,†Banks said in a statement released by VH1. In other words, Banks’s DNA screamed “Snatch it back!†and so Tyra shall return.
Fellow producer Ken Mok is also enthusiastic about Ms. Tyra’s larger-than-life personality coming back to the show, saying, “Tyra has always been the heart and soul of the franchise and her absence was deeply felt by our fiercely loyal fans who missed their Queen of the Smize. We’d like to thank Rita Ora for being a great partner and total pro. She infused this new iteration of ANTM with passion and creativity and we wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors.†Professionalism aside, a Rita Oracle is no Tyra Mail.