Former America’s Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker is sharing more details about the famed reality show in the aftermath of Netflix’s new docuseries.
“My personal memories of the show are very positive. I had a great time on the show. I loved it,” Barker, 53, shared during his Tuesday, February 17, appearance on “The Viall Files” podcast. “I was also — as one always is — you’re acutely aware of what’s happening around you to some extent and contestants who had bad times, hard times, difficult times.”
Barker noted that he “didn’t know the ins and outs” of what each contestant was going through during their time on the show.
“They very much wanted the judges to be impartial, so I had no idea what happened outside of the photo shoots and outside of the judging room,” he said, explaining that there were some “eye-opening” moments when he watched the Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model docuseries.
The three-part docuseries hit Netflix on Monday, February 16, and included interviews with Barker.
Barker explained during Tuesday’s podcast episode that he would “leave straight after” filming “almost deliberately” so that he wasn’t involved in any gossip about what was going on behind-the-scenes.
The photographer spoke candidly about Jay Manuel’s revelations from the docuseries and even revealed where his relationship with Tyra Banks stands now. Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations from Barker’s appearance on “The Viall Files”:
Does Nigel Barker Still Speak to Tyra Banks?
Barker revealed that he has no bad blood with Banks despite being fired from ANTM in 2012.
“Tyra and I are still friendly. I don’t speak to her often. I normally speak to her once or twice a year,” Barker explained, sharing that they usually “bump into one another” at an event and are “very cordial” to each other.
“She, sort of, doesn’t like that kind of confrontation as for what I’ve experienced,” he added. “There were some hairy times, and when I left the show, I was definitely hurt at the time. I thought it was not handled well by the show.”
He added, “I’m a big boy, and life goes on.”
How Did Nigel Barker React to Jay Manuel’s Docuseries Reveals?
Barker shared during Tuesday’s podcast episode that he was unaware of what Manuel was going through on the ANTM set. (Manuel and Banks had a falling out after he decided to step away from the show after season 8. He ultimately didn’t leave until he was fired after cycle 18.)
“I really didn’t realize how much he was going through it on the show, to be fair,” Barker explained. “Immediately after I watched it, I called him and and I said, ‘God, Jay, I really wish I had known more about what you personally were going through on the show.’ It’s funny because I knew certain things, like I knew when he wanted to leave the show, for example, and then I knew that he couldn’t, but I never knew why he couldn’t.”
Barker explained that Manuel was “very private” and wanted to “protect certain people on the show.”
How Were the ‘Best’ Photographs Chosen on ‘ANTM’?
Previously, Barker stated that sometimes the best photos weren’t chosen. He doubled down on this claim during Tuesday’s podcast appearance, explaining that Banks chose the “best shot” and most photographers didn’t get a say.
“In my opinion, sometimes it wasn’t the best picture,” he said. “As a professional photographer, even when I shoot for a leading magazine, I don’t get to say which are the pictures that have been used. I just shot a cover of a magazine just last week, and I absolutely think a different picture should have been used for the cover.”
