America's Next Top Model

Supermodel Tyra Banks welcomes 12 aspiring models to New York City by immediately challenging them to strut their stuff for marines on a runway built on one of the worlds largest naval ships, the USS Intrepid, on the premiere of the second. New Yorks hot deejay Funkmaster Flex spins the beats for the surprise fashion show. Later, one participant gets off to a rough start when she oversleeps the morning of the first photo shoot and is abandoned by the other girls, meanwhile, another wannabe top model is forced off of the set of a nude shoot. The first participant is eliminated from the competition.

One girl breezes through runway training, but leaves a chilly air in the loft when her rivalry with another competitor escalates into a house-wide fight. Runway trainer J. Alexander is a guest judge. Supermodel Maggie Rizer lends her expertise on the runway. Top fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo adorns the ladies with his new fashions. Meanwhile, a competitor falls on a runway, while another worries that her body shape is coming under heavy scrutiny. The second participant is eliminated from the competition.

When the models undergo shocking makeovers, they are challenged to keep their cool while showing off their hot new looks during a photo shoot which requires them to dangle from wires suspending them nearly 100 feet in midair. Art Director Jay Manuel is a guest judge. Guest experts include Sephora catalog beauty editor Julie Redfern, celebrity hair stylists Joel Warren and Edward Tricome and fashion photographer Richard Dean who help transform the girls from bland to glam. Later, one of the participants who wins a challenge is rewarded with an intimate dinner date with hot IMG male models Mike Sharits, Mike Randy and AJ, while another model feels socially isolated by the group and the third participant is eliminated from the competition.

The wanna be top models face the harshest criticisms when one girl is told by a highly respected fashion expert that her personal style is the same as that of a prostitute and another participant is told that she needs to go back to amateur modeling school, Betsey Johnson is a guest judge. Guest expert Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys New York, comments on the girls individual styles. Photographer Andrew Eccles, wardrobe stylist Michael Carl art director Jay Manuel, and hairstylist Danila lend their expertise. Later, the participants glam up for a photo shoot posing as legendary celebrities. One model pouts when she is asked to emulate a star that she feels that she does not resemble and another girl faces complications from a serious illness that she has kept hidden from others. Meanwhile, Adrianne Curry, winner of the first cycle of Americas Next Top Model, makes a surprise visit to the house to offer some insight to a select group of participants.

When the girls visit a personality coach in an attempt to learn to become more charismatic, one of the competitors feels she's being attacked by the others. Guest experts include art director Jay Manuel runway expert Jay Alexander wardrobe stylist and guest judge Nole Marin personality coach Sam Christiansen intuitive advisor Suzannah Galland; photographer George Holz, and Tyra Banks mother, who makes a special visit to the loft. Later, the models are overwhelmed with emotion when they must face Janice Dickinson, who interrogates them about their deepest personal secrets during high pressure interviews. Meanwhile the wannabe top models dive into a challenging underwater photo shoot set inside a human sized aquarium. One of girls blows the judges away with her fabulous picture, while one the remaining eight models is eliminated.

One model fears a close up beauty shot when her lips swell up due to an allergic reaction. The expert panel of judges include Tyra Banks, Janice Dickinson, Eric Nicholson, Nigel Barker and guest judge IMG manager Kyle Hagler. Guest experts include art director of photo shoots Jay Manuel, photographer Bill Hueberger, actress Tasha Smith Arquese, soap opera actor Mark Collier, director James Gay, The De Le Guarda Performers and wardrobe stylist Eric Niemand. Later, the competitors bond under a waterfall of tears when each is asked to open up to her inner fear and anger, but one models inability to warm up to the acting exercise leaves her out cold. The models then attempt to out-perform each other during a passionate kissing scene with an As The World Turns soap opera star. One of the remaining 7 models is eliminated.