“Germany's Next Top Model”, “GNTM” for short, is back (always Thursdays, 8:15 p.m., on Pro Sieben), and Heidi Klum starts season 17 with a declaration of war: “Everyone is talking about wanting more diversity. But me, I'll start it!" Among the 31 candidates this time there are actually some who break with conventional model dimensions: they are supposedly too small like Kashmira, who measures only 1.54 meters, or supposedly too big like basketball player Wiebke with 1 .95 meters. Others are tattooed from head to toe, sport prominent scars, nose rings, pink mules, and nerdy glasses or plus size.
Heidi Klum also knows no limits when it comes to age this time: Paulina from Berlin says that at the age of 32 she "should actually already be in model retirement". Austrian Martina is starting at the age of 50 and has brought her 18-year-old daughter with her as reinforcement. This is also a premiere: there has never been a mother-daughter duo on "GNTM". Just like these candidates: Lieselotte and Barbara are the oldest applicants who have ever started at “GNTM” at 66 and 68 years respectively.
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Heidi also has a lot of confidence in her Golden Girls: "You can write history here!" She encourages her. Backstage, however, she makes it clear that Liese and Barbara cannot expect any extra treatment: "Of course, despite their age, I will hit them just as hard as my younger candidates." Both are at least not entirely inexperienced in showbiz: Barbara has modeled a few times, and Liese played in the first women's rock band in the GDR. She's only afraid of one thing: "The main thing is that I don't have to strip naked!"
At the first fashion show in Athens, the candidates will keep their Jasmin Erbas robes: "You should feel like a Greek goddess in them," the designer wishes. Showman's daughter Pauline (18) is still too revealing about the fumble: "Can I wear underpants underneath?" She asks. Swiss Emilie (19), on the other hand, finds the high heels too much. Because she slides back and forth in it, she abruptly dispenses with it - not the smartest idea, as it will turn out later.
Heidi and guest judge Kylie Minogue pay particular attention to two candidates: Both 18-year-old Sophie from near Bielefeld and curvy tattoo model Lenara had stated before Heidi that they were "born stars": Sophie only sees "GNTM". as a springboard, wants to "take off internationally". And Lenara is sure that she "will definitely be the first curvy model to win".
On the catwalk on the slippery floor, there's not much star appeal left, at least Heidi thinks: "I didn't have goosebumps, it was flat." Kylie Minogue is also not impressed: "If you do the talk, you gotta walk the walk,” she trims the two supposed high-flyers down to normal. The Australian: “The audience decides who has star qualities. It's not enough to say so.” Ouch! Nevertheless, both candidates come to the next round.
"What's wrong with you?" Heidi wants to know from barefoot Emilie and gives her an enema. "Imagine you're at a real fashion show, then you can't just walk without shoes!" Diversity or not, in the end the only thing that counts is to always say yes and amen and not to protest. Heidi: "I'll make it short and painless: you're out." Another candidate named Meline flies because Heidi doesn't like "the way she pulls the corners of her mouth down". It doesn't help that Meline, like Heidi, comes from Bergisch Gladbach. And even for the overly covered Pauline, it's over after the first episode: "You looked down very often, it wasn't really tingling."
On the other hand, all three Golden Girls are further, even if there is still plenty of room for improvement: "Lieselotte, you were petrified," Heidi criticized the somewhat stiff walk of the 66-year-old. She was still happy about wearing a designer robe for the first time in her life: "I usually only wear 20-euro dresses!" Co-candidate Juliana (21) is very happy about Liese's progress and cheers: "Mum, you you're further!" Liese is only slightly irritated: "You call me mom?"
Speaking of irritation, candidate Viola is responsible for it: The extremely eye-catching appearance with a pink mullet and hipster nerd look says that her friends have registered her with "GNTM": "It's a group project." But the rumor is already doing the rounds on Tiktok, Viola was smuggled in by Jan Böhmermann as a fake candidate. A statement by would-be world star Sophie fits: "That's fucking Pro Sieben at prime time," she says, when makeup is applied, "that's not somehow … I don't know, ARD or something."
RND/Teleshow