Tyra Banks’ Hosting Duties Through the Years: ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and More

Credit: Barbara Nitke/CW Network/Kobal/Shutterstock; ABC

Tyra Banks’ Hosting Duties Through the Years: ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ ‘Dancing With the Stars’ and More

All she needs is her signature smize! Tyra Banks got her start as a model, but she is perhaps more well-known as a TV host in this day and age. The businesswoman took the world by storm when she kicked off America’s Next Top Model in May 2003. She not only served as a host and mentor to up-and-coming catwalk stars, but she also created and executive produced the hit reality show. Although Banks shepherded the careers of more than one major model during her time on the series, she does not necessarily want son York — whom she welcomed via surrogate with ex Erik Asla in January 2016 — to follow in her footsteps. “Only if he wants to,” she told Us Weekly and other reporters in November 2019. “I’m not really into that. If you notice, I don’t put him on social media. I feel like he hasn’t asked for that, so I try to protect him as much as I can.” Banks added that she didn’t have to teach York how to smize because “it’s in his genes.” [jwplayer HW469Goz-zhNYySv2] The Life-Size star went on to host her own talk show and America’s Got Talent before taking over for Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews on Dancing With the Stars in 2020. “I think the challenge is stepping into shoes. I mean, you know, Tom Bergeron and Erin. They lead the show, this is one of the top-rated shows in the world,” she exclusively told Us in September 2020. “So [I’m] respecting the stage that they have set and then adding my icing to that. I feel confident about that, but of course, it’s a challenge, but I don’t back away from challenges.” Banks was not afraid of messing up in the gig either. “I love when something wrong happens because the world can see, like, the imperfection,” she explained. “I always say, ‘Show the mishaps and the malfunctions and the mistakes.’ … It’s my job to show everybody that I can do this so that I can entertain you.” After receiving some criticism for how she handled her role on Dancing With the Stars, the Coyote Ugly star fired back in September 2020. “If I didn’t want to mess up, if I wanted to be perfect, I know how to do that,” she told Us at the time. “There’s a very clear way as a host that you just read the words and you’re perfect and you know exactly how to do that. But when you’re relaxed and you keep it real, the mess-ups happen. And the producer in me knows that even though somebody might be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you’re messing up!’ it’s live, and it’s real. It’s better than being like a doll.” Scroll down to revisit the model’s hosting jobs through the years, from America’s Next Top Model to Dancing With the Stars and more. [podcast_block]

Credit: Jonathan Mannion/The CW

America’s Next Top Model

Banks hosted the competition — which she also created and executive produced — for 22 cycles before handing over the reins to Rita Ora in 2016. However, she returned to the position for cycle 24 in 2018. 

In May 2020, the Modelland author responded to backlash surrounding some of the show’s controversial moments. “Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you,” she tweeted. “Looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs.”

Credit: The CW

The Tyra Banks Show

Banks helmed her talk show from 2005 to 2011. The Tyra Banks Show won two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Talk Show Informative during its run.

The series also served as the setting for her infamous February 2007 speech about body image after she was criticized for her weight: “I have something to say to all of you that have something nasty to say about me or other women who are built like me … women whose names you know, women whose names you don’t, women who’ve been picked on, women whose husbands put them down, women at work or girls in school — I have one thing to say to you: Kiss my fat ass.”

Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

FABLife

Banks cohosted FABLife, which she created, alongside Chrissy Teigen, Joe Zee, Lauren Makk and Leah Ashley. The show ran from September 2015 to June 2016, though the California native announced in November 2015 that she was leaving her role as cohost to focus on her beauty brand. 

She assured fans the show would go on without her, but it was subsequently canceled after one season.

Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

America’s Got Talent

Banks hosted America’s Got Talent during seasons 12 and 13. She told Access Hollywood in November 2018 that she “had a lot of fun” on the competition series.   

“Tyra’s leaving on her own volition and because she wants to produce and act more,” a source told Us in December 2018. “She likes to produce and create.”

Credit: ABC

Dancing With the Stars

After the show fired Bergeron and Andrews in July 2020, Banks took over as host. She teased to Us at the time, “My goal is for a 12-year-old to be sitting on the couch with their parents and grandparents and everybody can relate personally to what they see on that screen.”

Banks announced in March 2023 that she was exiting the ballroom competition series after three seasons as host. “I’m really focused on business, like, crazy, crazy focused on business,” she told TMZ at the time. “I think it’s time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor. Mic drop.”

Later that month, former DWTS pro and judge Julianne Hough — the sister of current judge Derek Hough — was announced as her replacement. “The businesswoman in me sees how Julianne is great on multiple levels. She’s a professional dancer. She is the sister of Derek, a DWTS multi-champion, who is now a stellar judge,” Banks exclusively told Us in response to the casting news.

She continued: “It’s going to be a family affair in that ballroom which people will love to watch. And she has so much personality and strong opinions backed by expertise. She’s a perfect choice! She’s gonna crush it.”