(Photo: The CW/Nikos Papadopoulos/Landov)

America’s Next Top Model crowned Lisa D’Amato their first ever “All-Star” winner last night and the Top Model’s fifth cycle contestant took home the title (and a hefty prize), but the judges decision isn't as straight forward as it seems according to former show judge Janice Dickenson.
In the final round, with three models standing, the judges disqualified contestant Angelea Preston without explanation and then seemed to thoughtfully deliberate between the final two models left in the game: D’Amato and Allison Harvard, both of whom appeared on ANTM cycle 6. Ultimately, D’Amato took home the $100,000 contract with CoverGirl Cosmetics, a fashion spread in Vogue Italia, a cover and spread in Vogue Italia’s beauty magazine Beauty in Vogue, a blog on Vogue.IT, a celebrity guest correspondent role with Extra and the chance to be featured in upcoming campaigns (an Express national ad and a spokeswoman spot for the show’s own fragrance “Dream Come True”).
While viewers debate whether the judges got it right with Lisa and wonder why Angelea got the boot, former ANTM judge Janice Dickenson said earlier this week that the judges don’t really pick the winner at all and that the show is “rigged.”
"CoverGirl are the people that choose the model ... Not any of the judges, not what Tyra says. It's who CoverGirl thinks should win, each season," Janice said in a FilmOn interview. "She [Tyra] makes a lot of money per year still hawking that franchise around the world, but...it's CoverGirl who chooses the winner."
This makes some sense: fans of the show know that each season finale is dedicated to CoverGirl and the finale choice hinges heavily on how well the girls do in their shoot for the beauty brand (who also puts up the money for the prize and contract with their company). Tyra herself seemed to back up Janice's revelation when she confessed that her critical judging personality is all a front while appearing on a “Dinner With Larry King” CNN special this week. “It’s a character," she said. "Like, in real life, I'm passive-aggressive ... I'm even in coaching to, like, learn how to be confrontational."
Are we surprised the judges of the show do a little “acting?” This is "reality" TV after all.
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