#bcycle11contestants

[topmodelranking]

#4 – Simone Murphy

It pains me to put Simone 4th, but after a lot of consideration I think this cycle had the right top 3. No one really had a flawless portfolio this cycle, and arguably Simone came the closest. Sadly though, her weakest moments were right at the end. While the others blossomed, she shrunk slightly. Still, even with that I would more or less put her on par with the other 3 portfolio wise, but on the runway she is the clear odd woman out. Her walk wasn’t awful, but the others just all felt like professionals. Simone’s felt a bit stiff to me, even if it was probably still in the top half of walks this cycle. So while those are the reasons she misses out on a top 3 finish, Simone still was leagues ahead of those below her. She remained in my top 2 for the first 5 weeks; she got 4 first call-outs; she got the highest average. As I said the last few shots were subpar, but they still weren’t bad. Simone is a gorgeous girl, who made a questionable makeover look great, and proved her versatility and photogenetic nature time after time. Her personality was absolutely delightful too; oozing charisma, and every client again seemed to recognise the dedication she showed. By the final 5 she had earned her spot in the top 4, and it still seems ridiculous that she was cut there.

I have pretty much only positives to say about her portfolio; out of the 9 weeks, she killed a third of the shoots, and was only average in the other 3; none elimination worthy. Her weakest was the one she was eliminated for, but her performance on set still wasn’t awful. It may be cheesy, but Simone still looks gorgeous, and I think it would work for some uber commercial clients. On the positive end she had so many great results. Deciding the best came down to personal preference, and she just owned the club shoot like no one else did. Even then, her swimwear shots and pastel were great too; cementing her early was one of the girls to beat. She even managed to excel in the underwater shoot, one that is notoriously difficult. Simone was versatile and adaptable, and her portfolio backs that up.

Simone may not have made the top 3, but she proved she was an exceptional model this cycle. I don’t think she should have gone any further than 4th though. The top 3 just showed strengths that Simone didn’t quite reach, and I think perhaps the lack of one area of clear domination was Simone’s undoing. Alannah was the queen on the runway this cycle; Olivia’s face was built for high fashion; and Jennifer just had that commercial charm needed to dominate. Simone was good, just not good enough to defeat those three.

[topmodelranking]

#9 – Victoria Clay

Victoria had so much going for her, but never really lived up to what I expected. Her look was everything I love. Fair hair and skin, with soft features, curvy body and just tonnes of potential. She felt like someone who could be melded into a successful model, but just never really got there while on the show. Her photos never quite felt as elevated as they good, and in person she just came across as less spectacular. Her sweet personality and demeanour, along with the soft look just meant she could fade into the background; especially with such big personalities around her. While I didn’t want her to be eliminated, I can’t help but feel she was cut at a fair point.

Victoria’s portfolio unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. I can’t help but want more when I see her shots. Her best is still just pretty, and while I think she did what she needed to do for the brief, the other two in the shot outshine her. It would have been stronger if she had gotten a solo shot, as I think her hair and skin look beautiful, but just out of place beside the tanner two. As for her worst, I just still don’t know what she was doing. I remember watching her fumble on set, and it was clear she didn’t have the experience. She got too literal in her direction, rather than embodying the theme. I actually still think you can see Victoria’s natural beauty in that shot, but it just gets overshadowed by the poor body language.

Victoria’s progress after the show has really surprised me. I didn’t expect her to be one of the few success stories, but I’ve actually seen her various times outside of the BNTM context. She has found her niche as a curvaceous, gorgeous model, who still rocks the bright red hair. Based on what I’ve seen post-show she has really improved, and pretty much all the flaws I mentioned have now been fixed. If improvements after the show affected my ranking, Victoria would definitely be sitting much higher on this list. Still, based solely on what we saw on the show she was not nearly at the same level as she is now.

[topmodelranking]

#1 – Alannah Beirne

For me at least, Alannah never really fell from the top. That is probably the strongest reason for why she sits at first on this list. While she never actually raced alone at the front of the pack, she was one of the few constants to not have a major rough patch. With Jennifer not excelling till the second half, Simone faltering in the last few weeks and Olivia having an uneasy start, Alannah’s professionalism stood her in a strong place throughout. She managed to excel regardless of what was thrown at her. While her body and ability on the runway were her clear strengths, I think Alannah managed to adapt her modelling style to the areas she never expected to work in. Her face was unique enough to open to the door to editorial, without harming her success in more conventional and commercial areas. She displayed this variety in her portfolio, as well as continuing to dominate the runway throughout the show. Throughout her professionalism was made clear; clients seemed to see that passion and drive, and I just think Alannah knew what she wanted, and conquered the competition. The weakness I might point out is her future. I think this was her peak. Jennifer and Olivia were younger, so while I felt Alannah was stronger at the time, I feel both could surpass her if they had the same chance to grow.

Alannah’s black and white shot was my shot of the cycle, so my love for that should be clear. It was just a stunning photo, while also incredible surprising. Alannah hadn’t done anything like it before, and it proved she had even more to offer; which is impressive for so late in the game. The fact the judges cut her after seeing that fills me with horror, as it just feels so emotional and raw. She obliterated the other two, and ended her time on the show on a massive high. As I said though in Simone’s ranking; nobody had a perfect run. Alannah’s smile did seem to be a slight issue for her. There were two shots up for contention: trampoline and pastel. Both feature a wide, kind of creepy smile. Alannah just looked out of place, and while she proved she could give a stunning smile in the Garnier shoot, these still stuck with me until the end.

I think what did her in at the end was the personalities she was competing with. It was clear the judges never fully warmed to Alannah the same way they did the others. Olivia and Jennifer were sweeter, and far more endearing to watch. I never had issues with Alannah’s personality, but compared to those sweethearts, she did come across as a lot more head strong, and self-assured. The other reason I think was key was that the judges clearly considered the future potential of the girls, rather than taking a snapshot of them at the time. Considering that as well I would most likely give Olivia the crown, but based on what they displayed throughout the cycle I have always been sure that Alannah deserved the title of Britain’s Next Top Model a little bit more.

[topmodelranking]

#2 – Olivia Wardell

Tall, young, proportioned, unique face. All the raw ingredients that can’t be bought or taught but are really necessary for real success. Olivia had them all in bucket loads. She easily topped the group on the basis of raw potential, and that helped her throughout the competition. Her performance was not always as polished and refined as some, but that natural essence meant her work was still stood out. Her runway walk was a little bit shaky, but you can’t buy her height and body, and it meant clients still selected her. Throughout her portfolio we see her striking features, but when it came down to the poses they felt slightly off. None of this is a bad thing, but it shows Olivia still had room to grow even at the end. The awkwardness hadn’t been fully shaken off, and her delightful goofiness was still present. But the progress had definitely begun. At the end Olivia looked like a working model; not sure she was quite a top model yet, but her future was certainly looking bright. Even if she wasn’t my winner, I can’t help but be happy for her.

Olivia’s portfolio was strong, competing with Simone and Alannah for best of the cycle. Her few down moments were never awful, aside from perhaps her promo shot. It showed while Olivia’s potential is overly apparent, it does have some flawed angles. It was possibly the worst her face looked, and the basic body just meant that was the key feature. Comparing that to her later work (or even those that immediately followed) just shows the progress she made throughout the competition. My instant choices for Olivia’s strongest performances were instantly the slew of shots perfectly illustrating her face. Her watches, pastel and Distorted Dreams shots were all perfection, and advertisement ready. In spite of how much I adore all those, her performance in the Boohoo commercial might actually have knocked them out. Her movements felt fluid, modern and she just embodied the brand. I can see why she was so heavily featured in the commercial, and that is again a testament to how brilliantly everyone did, as she wasn’t even in the top half that week for me.

Olivia’s win really reminds me of a less severe version of Kyla’s win in Cycle 24. I don’t think Olivia quite beat out Alannah looking solely at this cycle, but with the raw potential she showed, I don’t doubt she has the most to gain from winning. She has room to grow, but now has a chance to really test her skills. Alannah was sort of at her peak, similar to Khrys and Jeana, whereas I still think Olivia can become twice the model she was at the end of the competition. She now has the platform to prove herself as a high fashion model, and I genuinely believe she has the ability to succeed in whatever area of modelling she chooses to.  

[topmodelranking]

#3 – Jennifer Malangele

I feel like ANTM has hardwired me to look down on commercial models, and that is one thing I love about BNTM. It doesn’t overly favour one specific type of modelling (even if the shoots tend to mainly fall on the commercial end of the scale) and look down on others. Someone like Jennifer was rightfully praised for knocking the commercial shoots out the park. Jennifer was such a gorgeous girl. Her skin was absolutely beautiful, and she just looked incredible healthy. Jennifer could easily fit in as a brand ambassador for most of the major brands. Her smile was just infectious. She excelled on the runway as well, having a calm and cool walk that. It wasn’t quite as flashy as Alannah’s, but I think the kind that could be melded into doing any type of show. The top 3 were incredible tight, but Jennifer’s slight inconsistency is what meant she ended up with bronze. She never really shone until they went overseas and had quite a few weak photos. While I don’t hold her performances in the trampoline or underwater shoots against her (as they are pretty unrealistic), she didn’t really exceed my expectations in those that she should have. She just took a lot longer to hit her stride, and that needs to be considered when against two who were the early front runners.

As I just said, her weakest shots were easily the trampoline and underwater shoots: neither showed confidence or an awareness of her body. While both shoots might happen, I will admit the likelihood of doing them in the real modelling world is incredible unlikely. Her Garnier shoot is probably the most disappointing performance. Jennifer would probably have been my top choice for succeeding. She shone on set, and whether it is down to it being a team shot, or just poor modelling, the final result is a bit flat. Those last few weeks though were incredible strong (aside from the final nude shoot). She essentially gave her 3 strongest performances, with the natural photoshoot just being phenomenal. I have sung its praises enough before, but it still stands as a pristine example of how to nail commercial without going cheesy or bland. Jennifer looks fresh and beautiful; enviable while relatable. No one even came close to her that week.

If Jennifer had just come out of the gate a tiny bit stronger she might have made it into my top 2. I also think had she just succeeded a little bit better in that final nude shoot, it might have pushed her over the edge. She is by no means an unworthy finalist, but I think considering it all Alannah and Olivia just gave stronger performances across the cycle. In saying that, I’d be more than fine with them just having done a top 3 this cycle, and had two joint runner-ups. Seeing those three strut the runway, and kill it would have been such a perfect end to a tight competition.

[topmodelranking]

#5 – Bianca Thomas

When I first saw the photographs, I stereotyped Bianca. She was the shock of the cycle when I watched it, and probably one of my favourite personalities. Modelling wise she pleasantly surprised me too. She showed ranged; managed to succeed with a tougher image as expected, but also brought an unexpected softness, and elevated vibe. It wasn’t a flawless portfolio, but definitely one that showed she had what it takes. While I think Bianca had the potential to do all different types, her tattoos definitely serve as a massive blockade, as we actually saw in one of her last episodes. They won’t fit with a lot of brands desired image, and probably will limit those who are willing to book her.. I still think Bianca has the potential to succeed in alternative or sportier areas, where tattoos are less of a problem, and has a strong enough book and walk for some clients to hire her knowing she will be put in looks to cover the tattoos. Essentially it is an issue, just one that I think Bianca could overcome.

Bianca’s portfolio can cleanly be divided into the good, the bad and the meh. Her trampoline shot still blows my mind; it was leagues ahead of the rest, and just looks incredible. With slightly adjusted styling I could see that being an ad for any sports fashion brand, as well as still fitting the more commercial aim of the shoot. Her club shot deserves praise too, as while being out performed by Simone, she still looks incredible on a more editorial level. On the weaker end we have two shots that just feel kind of creepy. Her face in both her watch and pastel shots looks slightly vacant and doll like, and especially in her watch shot her body feels stiff. I might have thought she was a better model than 7th place would suggest, but I do struggle to justify keeping her when she produced that tragic photo.  

While I think Bianca had more to offer than some of those who made it ahead of her, I actually somewhat agree with her elimination. Chloe (supposedly) and Tallulah did really well that week, so Bianca was the only real logical choice. It is one of those times that the actual ranking of the models just can’t really fit up with the elimination. Still, in an ideal world she would have made it overseas, but still wouldn’t have come close to rivalling the clear top 4 of the cycle. Of the bottom 8 though she definitely proved the most, and was one of the few to have multiple successes, with enough evidence to warrant such a high placing (sorry Abby).

[topmodelranking]

#6 – Tallulah Steed-Fassett

If there was ever a model to prove that personality actually does matter, Tallulah is without a doubt that model. Despite consistently producing average shots, and acting kind of like a mess on set, the clients all raved about her. It seemed like no matter what her incredibly effervescent personality managed to pull her through. While that is great, I still don’t think Tallulah proved she was the strongest of models. Tallulah’s look was okay. Her face was pretty, and could photograph gorgeously, but her body was totally average. This cycle had some great figures, and she clearly just didn’t have the strongest proportions. Her progress through the cycle was just too random. There was no consistency in anything she did, aside from maybe her atrocious runway walk. Personality shouldn’t be enough when there are girls going home who are clearly stronger, even if you have some great moments.

Tallulah’s portfolio was just hectic; there is no other word to describe it. She produced two of the worst shots of the cycle, but also gave us some beautiful photograph. Her trampoline shot and her close-up swimwear shot were just a mess; no other words to describe it. They were so amateur and represent the lack of focus Tallulah showed through the cycle. Sometimes her wild personality resulted in good shots, but other times it just ended up with sloppy shots. On the better end of the spectrum she had some good, though again slightly messy, photographs. My favourite is definitely her watches shot. Her face looks incredible there, and similarly could be said for her underwater and Distorted Dreams shots. Sadly, the stuff going around in each of those shots distracts from the simple beauty. I like when a model pushes it, but Tallulah never seemed to get it to a point where the shot is extreme, but still fully usable.

Tallulah was such a sweet girl, and great TV, but making the final 4 was criminal. There were just better models who were taken out unfairly. I think her performance should have been enough to take her to the final week in Britain, but her lack of consistency should have been enough to prevent her going overseas. I do think she had the potential though. At the end of the day her charismatic personality seemed to serve her well and can make people forgive a lot of things. With some polishing up of her modelling style, and an overhaul of her walk she could turn things around. I just think if that is what you still need to do when you are sitting at the top 4, it perhaps points to you having overstayed your welcome.

[topmodelranking]

#7 – Chloe Lockley-Middleton

Looking back Chloe had a pretty strong look. It isn’t the most unique, but she had all the raw ingredients to actually make a top model. Like quite a few people this cycle, her makeover did her absolutely no favours – and probably was the worst of the cycle – but at the end of the day it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the other worst makeovers. Her performance though just didn’t hold up. She drifted through the middle, with more bad moments than good. She showed promise as a blank canvas in those early weeks, but by the end she was repeating the same tricks. Looking at the shots collectively I think there might be enough to give her a solid chance of working as a commercial model, but there was no high fashion or editorial spark in her shots. To combat those possibilities though you had her personality. While it did improve, her shy demeanour really does seem like something that would prevent her succeeding at go-sees in the real world.

Looking back, Chloe’s portfolio was stronger than I remembered. There were two bad weeks, but the rest ranged from good to average. Like many, her underwater shot was the lowest point. The shot just lacks any composure or grace, and Chloe’s face looks far weaker than it ever had before. A lot of girls stumbled at this shoot, and Chloe was certainly one of them. Aside from that (and her Garnier shot) her portfolio was decent. It does lack that one stand out moment though. In the end I chose her club photoshoot – even though she was overshadowed by Olivia – but this could easily be replaced with her pastel, trampoline or Distorted Dreams shots, as all are pretty much equivalent. The running theme though seems to be the strength of her face. The shape is interesting, her skin is gorgeous and it just showed potential; shots which are great in the early weeks, but not at the final 6.

Chloe was a cute girl, but not an amazing model. As I said before, there is potential for commercial work, but there were just other girls who surpassed her this time around. She was lucky she wasn’t cut instead of Abby, and then just sort of clung on until it was clear the rest were better. The middle part of this ranking was a lot hazier, so I was okay with Chloe lasting longer than pretty much everyone she did, with one small exception, and just wished she had pushed it a little bit more in those last few weeks past just being a cute girl