Heidi Klum opened her casting show “Germany’s Next Top Model” to male models for the first time in the 19th season. Ex-juror Peyman Amin criticizes the start and declares the show a “talent-free zone”.
It’s like a small revolution: In Heidi Klum’s (50) ProSieben show “Germany’s Next Topmodel” Men can also take part for the first time – in the 19th season. In the end, this time there will not only be a female winner, but also a winner, both of whom will receive 100,000 euros each.
“I’m really happy – for the first time ever, I’m not just casting women,” said Klum, welcoming her candidates in Berlin at the start of the season. “I’ve had the desire to be a male model for a long time, but somehow it was never the right time,” she said. In recent years, Klum has increasingly focused on diversity on the show. Last year won with Vivien Blotzki (23) a plus-size model, 2021 caught up Alex Mariah Peter (26) a transgender model won for the first time. Candidates of older age, so-called best agers, also took part in previous seasons. Now, for the first time, men too.
“Even worse than expected” – Peyman Amin criticizes the new GNTM season
Model-Agent Peyman Amin (52), the start of the new GNTM season was not convincing. Amin was a member of the jury in the first four seasons of the show from 2006 to 2010, but has been critical of the format for a long time. In an interview with BUNTE.de on Friday, he said about his impression of the new episodes and his already low expectations: “I’m actually not surprised. If anything, it’s because the potential for both men and women is even worse than expected “In my opinion, it has become a talent-free zone. You have to look with a magnifying glass to even discover talent and potential. I wouldn’t even see the addition of ‘Top-‘ in front of ‘Model’ here anymore,” he said.
From Amin’s point of view, GNTM has “mutated into a trash entertainment show”. He said: “It’s really just about entertaining people. There were moments when I thought I was watching ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ and then aspects like a contestant neighing horse noises come to the fore then you know what the hour has come,” criticized Amin, who has a modeling agency himself.
Ex-juror settles with “Germany’s Next Top Model”: “An exhibition”
Amin is particularly bothered by the fact that, in his view, GNTM is no longer about “showing charisma in the sense of being a true top model or cutting a good figure, but rather it’s about standing out at all costs. Dimensions, body control, all of that Points hardly play a role anymore,” said Amin.
At least – the model agent saw a few bright spots in the opening episode of the new GNTM season: “Here or there there were two men – I remembered the names: Armin and Dominik – in my opinion, they have potential as models to work. But in the end the focus wasn’t on them at all, but on people who stand out, at any cost. It’s a fight for ratings.” For the makers of the show and for Heidi, this calculation apparently works out, says Amin. “But for the candidates involved, it’s an exhibition.”
Nevertheless, he expects that viewers will continue to tune in, “because two worlds collide here – men and women. People will certainly put their fingers in the wound and show catfights. Between the sexes and among the sexes,” he said Amin: “Germany’s Next Top Model” is pure entertainment “and no longer a professional casting and professional search for true top models who can compete on the international stage and make a name for themselves.”
Peyman Amin advises models with potential not to take part in Klum’s GNTM: “Trash entertainment show”
Things were different when he sat on the jury for the ProSieben show. “When I think back to the first season, in which we at least had one Lena Gercke have found. They weren’t top models either, but at least personalities who made a name for themselves in a serious way, perhaps not on the modeling stage, but in the media world. These times are a thing of the past,” said Amin with conviction.
He thinks it makes sense that by opening the show to male models, both a male and female winner will be chosen at the end. “But that doesn’t mean that the winner has top model potential,” Amin said. “Models who really have potential, be they women or men, don’t take part in this format. Because they think, why should I expose myself in front of the camera?” These people sought out professional agencies. “I would advise anyone who has potential not to join here,” Amin underlined his stance.
Amin also caused a stir after the last GNTM finale with sharp criticism of the show. It no longer corresponds to the spirit of the times, the final resembles a carnival show with “always the same boring guest jurors,” he criticized in the “Bild” newspaper.