Curse of: America’s Next Top Model

Episode: Tale of Two Winners

Host: Bridget Armstrong
Date: September 30, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Glass Podcasts

Brief Overview

In this episode, Bridget Armstrong investigates one of America's Next Top Model's lesser-known but most telling controversies: the revocation of Angelea Preston's win in Cycle 17 (All Stars), which was never aired. Through candid interviews with Angelea, the "official" winner Lisa D'Amato, and multiple other past contestants, the episode exposes the harsh realities behind the show's contracts, the profound toll on its participants, and the power that production held over their careers and lives. The episode raises larger questions about the true costs of reality TV fame—and if the so-called "curse" of America’s Next Top Model is real.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. The Hidden Story of Cycle 17: Two Winners (09:10–14:00)

• Angelea Preston's Journey

  • Angelea recounts her struggle to get cast, including sleeping in NYC's Port Authority while chasing her dream.
  • [07:00] "I was just a girl with a dream... Slept in the Port Authority in the stall. It was so gross. Yes. I was so hungry. So hungry for it, girl."
  • Endured personal tragedies and multiple rejections before finally making it into Cycle 14 and later Cycle 17.

• Her Unseen Triumph and Loss

  • Angelea recalls being crowned the winner in the Cycle 17 All Stars finale—a moment never aired.
  • [14:30] "When I won first, I was happy. I was like, hell yeah, I won. Yeah, yeah. My life has changed forever. Like, my mama gonna be taken care of."
  • But her win was abruptly revoked by producers, citing a contract breach.

II. The Contracts: "Signing Your Life Away" (23:00–42:30)

• Contractual Rights and Exploitation

  • Multiple models describe the contracts as shockingly broad and restrictive, granting the production rights over their likeness "in perpetuity and throughout the universe."
  • [42:05] UV Gomez: "It said something wild like, we cannot talk about it on this planet or any other planet."
  • Contestants had to waive the right to sue over edits, injuries, or even death on set, and could not profit from their Top Model experience for 10 years.
  • [33:00] Hannah Cat Jones: "If something happened to me on the show, if I got injured or even died, my family wouldn't be owed anything."
  • [37:15] Sarah Hartshorn: "At the time, we knew we were signing our life away, but I'm not sure I had the prefrontal cortex to really understand the ramifications of that."

• Ramifications for Winners and Contestants

  • Even winners, like Ioanna House (Cycle 2), describe not receiving monetary rewards or meaningful career advancement as promised.
  • [1:11:05] Ioanna: "There was no financial reward. I was getting billed for everything...And yet I'm like, famous, and everywhere I go, people are wanting my autograph...But I'm not making any money right now."

III. The Controversial Disqualification: Three Stories (52:30–1:16:00)

• Lisa D’Amato’s Perspective

  • Lisa, the "official" Cycle 17 winner, believes her win was predetermined and contends the show used Angelea’s situation to create drama and boost ratings.
  • [47:20] Lisa: "I actually signed the winning contract before even going on All Stars...I was set up to win from the very beginning."
  • After Angelea's win leaked, Lisa says, “They did Angeli so dirty” (49:15).

• What Actually Happened to Angelea

  • Angelea opens up about a period of post-show despair, financial struggle, and being manipulated into a brief stint in sex work after being lured by promises of easy money—an ordeal she survived with the help of friends.
  • [1:24:20] Angelea: "I'm like, shit, I need money, and I'm here. Why not?...It was embarrassing...But I need money."
  • Production found out (potentially via a friend reaching out to get her help), confronted her, and cited a breach of the "morality clause" in her contract as reason to strip her of her crown and prizes.
  • [1:30:20] Angelea: "They basically told me, we can't air you as the winner because you violated your contract."
  • This left Angelea heartbroken, with no legal recourse.

• Aftermath and Fallout for Both Winners

  • The finale was hastily reshot with Lisa, under threat to keep silent about the circumstances.
  • [1:45:00] Lisa: "He goes, don't you fucking say a word about this reshoot. And he put his finger in our faces. Me and Allison were standing right next to each other in the hallway."
  • Lisa suffered backlash from furious fans and never felt her win was valid or redemptive.
  • [1:51:00] Lisa: "I got so much backlash after winning All Stars...Everyone thought I paid somebody off...It was devastating."

IV. The "Curse"—Longterm Impact on Contestants' Lives (Throughout)

• Broken Promises and Mental Health Toll

  • Contestants, even winners, describe persistent struggles—financial hardship, mental health needs with little support, and decades of bitterness or regret.
  • [1:14:20] Kenya Hill: "I remember feeling like this sucks. Like this show now is blowing up and we don't make a dollar off of this."
  • [1:19:08] Sarah Hartshorn: "I think people should be paid for their work. That's all."

• Eventual Recovery and Moving Forward

  • Angelea eventually leaves modeling, goes to college, becomes a journalist, and finds fulfillment outside of the fashion industry.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sleeping in Port Authority (07:20)

  • Angelea: "Slept in the Port Authority in the stall. It was so gross. Yes. I was so hungry. So hungry for it, girl."

• On the Contract (42:05)

  • UV Gomez: "It said something wild like, we cannot talk about it on this planet or any other planet..."

• On Winner’s Disappointment (1:11:05)

  • Ioanna House: "There was no financial reward...I was in debt and I don't have a place to stay. And yet I'm like, famous...It was a very stressful time."

• On Mental Health Fallout (1:19:08)

  • Sarah Hartshorn: "I'm bitter that there were a lot of girls who couldn't afford the mental health help that they needed after the show."

• On the Pain of Losing Everything (1:36:00)

  • Angelea: "I was bawling, I was crying, right? Obviously, because you guys just put a dagger through my heart. I done had all these plans for this money...now you're basically telling me, nope, you just did all this for nothing. Again."

• On Backlash for Winning (1:51:00)

  • Lisa D’Amato: "I got so much backlash after winning All Stars...That was undeserving. It's like, you don't know my story."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 09:10 — Introduction to Angelea’s backstory and ambitions
• 14:30 — Angelea’s win (never aired)
• 23:00 — Introduction to the contractual obligations and “owning contestants”
• 33:00 — Models discuss insurance waivers and lack of protections
• 37:15 — Signing their “life away” and family concerns
• 42:05 — The “throughout the universe” contract clause
• 52:30 — Winners who didn’t get paid and hidden costs of winning
• 1:11:05 — Ioanna House details post-win struggles
• 1:24:20 — Angelea recounts the desperate circumstances post-show
• 1:30:20 — The network revokes Angelea’s win, citing morality clause
• 1:45:00 — Lisa describes the reshoot and threat to keep quiet
• 1:51:00 — The backlash Lisa receives and loss of redemption
• 1:54:00 — Reflections on moving on and the continued curse

Tone & Original Language

Bridget’s narration is engaging and balanced, alternating between journalistic clarity and empathy for her subjects. The models’ voices are raw, candid, and sometimes wounded; they speak with the slang, humor, and vulnerability of women looking back on defining (and often traumatic) experiences.

Conclusion & Preview

The episode powerfully illustrates how ANTM’s production wielded enormous control over contestants, leveraged contractual power to protect its interests, and often left its “winners” with little more than fleeting notoriety—and lasting scars. It ends with a tease for the next episode’s deep-dive into the show’s questionable use of psychiatric evaluations during casting.

For listeners:

Even if you didn’t watch Cycle 17 or haven’t followed ANTM, this episode offers an unflinching look at the machinery of reality TV and its human collateral. The “curse” is real—and its stories are finally being told.