America’s Next Top Model 9 Finale: Breakdowns, Slip-Ups, and Top Models

Next, the girls meet up with Mr. and Ms. J. They see the runway they will be walking on for the show and are informed that they will start out as old and go into the future. There will be 500 extras in the show and Jaslene will open the show. Apparently they aren’t wasting any time, though, since the next scene is the girls in makeup talking with Jaslene. She says that this is their moment. Tyra greets the girls and I have to say that she looks really fake! Each girl will have three changes, and Tyra wishes them luck. I’m so getting sick of Tyra.

The show begins, and I have no clue where the audience is. Everyone in the crowd is an extra. The judges walk the runway, and I’m so confused why this is going on. Why on Earth is Tyra walking down the runway with someone holding an umbrella for her? Does she want a comeback? This is the weirdest show ever. Then the people on stilts come out with Jaslene! Ugh… her walk looks great, though.

Saleisha is out first and I think her walk is a little tight. Chantal follows and I have to admit she looks amateur, like the judges said. When the girls get backstage from their first walk, they are torn apart and changed into something else. Saleisha goes out again and her walk has attitude. Chantal is next and her walk is okay, but I’m just not impressed. By the third walk, Saleisha looks really good and Tyra is impressed with her poses. Chantal follows and her dress gets caught in the stilts of one of the extras. She totally loses concentration and messes up. In the end, though, all the models come out clapping and Chantal gets backstage and cries, knowing that it’s all over at this point. Yeah, it’s all over for her winning – we remember the screw-up with Melrose!

The girls arrive at panel and Ms. J.’s hair is now the size of a toddler. Tyra says that one girl will win a modeling contract with Elite Model Management, a cover and six-page spread in Seventeen magazine, and a $100,000 contract with Cover Girl cosmetics.

It’s time to look at their photos over the competition, and the smoking photo is first. The judges feel that Chantal was graceful in her first shoot and showed promise. Saleisha was graceful, too. In their “fashion gargoyle” photo shoot, Chantal was sexy and Saleisha was unique. When they worked with Tyra, Saleisha was extraordinary and took China by storm with her poses. Chantal was tiptoeing and took full advantage of dominating the photo.

Now let’s talk about the final runway. Ms. J. thinks that Chantal was short and baby doll, but wasn’t quick enough. She didn’t own her space. Saleisha had it down, though. Twiggy thinks that she looked like she was on the runway her whole life. She felt Chantal started out confident but never let her nerves go, while Nigel thinks that Saleisha had the walk down and Chantal was just “good.” Chantal admits to slipping and breaking character, and Tyra adds that Saleisha was confident, but got a little too into it at times. She had a lot of booty and shoulder. Tyra felt Chantal looked great, but was stiff. Now it’s time for the final deliberation!

The judges talk about the girls, and they all feel that both have something to prove and show. Ms. J. thinks that they are both commercial, but if they want high fashion, Chantal should win. Twiggy says that Chantal is the winner, body-wise, but Nigel counters and says she’s not in control of her body, while Saleisha is – she doesn’t need much training. Ms. J. thinks that Saleisha is TOO in control, and a bit stiff. Tyra didn’t think they would make it this far, since both were so commercial, and she knows that she’s going to crush someone by sending her home. She hates having to deliver the news, but they reached a decision. I think I know who has this.

Tyra greets the girls and tells them they both came a long way. Both admit to being nervous, and Tyra says the screen next to them will have the photo of the winner, and that girl will be an Elite model and on the cover of Seventeen. The winner is… Saleisha! Saleisha drops to the ground and then hugs Chantal. Chantal tells the camera that it hurts and she wanted this. It wasn’t meant to be and she says she’ll continue to work hard.

Saleisha gloats – I mean talks about winning. She says that she was always a shy kid and sort of an ugly duckling, but is so proud now. She dreamed of this and fought for it, and now has got it. She cries to the judges and they congratulate her, and so ends Cycle 9 of America’s Next Top Model.

I’m not surprised Saleisha won. I picked her as the final three from my pre-show article, and even said she would probably win. I’m pretty good at that! So now all we have to do is look forward to next season, and since Twiggy won’t be around, I can already feel my blood pressure going down. Thanks to all the readers for the tons of emails – I love them!