Eva Pigford
The then-19 year old Eva Pigford was the shortest contestant of Cycle 3, standing at 5 feet and 6.5 inches. She made a splash at casting with her confident attitude, which veered into nastiness, prompting Tyra to warn Eva about her attitude should she continue in the competition. Eva appeared to take the advice to heart yet was often at the center of conflict with other contestants, including with her friends Ann Markley and Norelle Van Herk. Nevertheless, Eva's confidence and modelling skills stayed strong, and she was ultimately named the winner.
- Badass Boast:
- In the auditions:
- During runway practice where the contestants had to walk with books on their heads:Ms. J: Careful. It might fall off. Don't let that happen!
Eva: It's not gonna fall.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: With Ann Markley and Norelle Herk. They even created their own clique name, "Pink Positive." And then the competition reaches Japan and they all become Vitriolic Best Buds.
- Book Ends: At the casting episode, she is the last girl called to be part of the 14 finalists. Guess who becomes the winner at the end?
- Heel Realization: After Tyra's Kirk Summation in the first episode, she immediately apologized to the other girls for her antics and asked for a fresh start.
- The "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue even showed her going further.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Came off as harsh or "bitchy" at times due to her extreme competitiveness and up-front, brash personality, but generally tried to be friendly to the other girls and apologized when she stepped on toes.
- The Napoleon: Eva is only 5'6.5" (she rounds up to 5'7"), but what she lacks in height, she makes up for in attitude.
- Proud Beauty: Eva is beautiful and she knows it. During a fight with Jennipher over her attitude, Eva snaps, "Becuase I'm cute, Jennipher. I'm sorry, I am!"
- Red Baron: She is known as "The Diva."
- Sassy Black Woman: Played with. Tyra tells her, "I don't want to cast another black bitch" and although Eva tones down her attitude and apologizes the the semifinalists at casting, she still gets into many conflicts with other contestants throughout the competition.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Much to the annoyance of the other girls, Eva is rather braggadocious.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Girly Girl to Ann's Tomboy. She became the Tomboy to Yaya's Girly Girl in the final two.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: During the spider photoshoot, she showed an intense fear of spiders, and almost refused to do it.
- Wrong Insult Offence: Jennipher attempts to scold Eva for shouting, "In y'all skinny bitches' face!" after winning a challenge. Eva corrects her that she didn't say "skinny," she said "tall."
Yaya DaCosta
Then-21 year old Yaya DaCosta had recently graduated from Brown University prior to her appearance on the show. Yaya's intelligence and pride in her African heritage was occasionally viewed as arrogance, which caused the contestants and judges to be put off by her. Yaya won several challenges and was a strong contender but ultimately the judges felt her personality was too serious and she placed second.
- The Ace: She graduated from an Ivy League university; is shown to be fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, and French; has a dance background; and sometimes moonlights as a Cool Teacher to her mom's school. During the competition, she wins five challenges and two best photos.
- Brainy Brunette: She is very smart, went to Brown University, speaks several languages, and was often accused of being too analytical.
- Break the Haughty: She is made to apologize to a fake kente cloth hat that she dismissed as being inauthentic and "bait" from the judges to talk about her Afro-centricity. In Japan, after being nearly eliminated for not being respectful enough, Tyra tells her to "go to the nearest bakery and order the biggest slice of humble pie."
- Cultured Badass: As mentioned above, Yaya speaks several different languages and has traveled a lot. Subverted when the competition reaches Japan and Yaya makes the major cultural gaffe of spitting out the umeboshi she was supposed to eat as part of a challenge.
- Graceful Loser: Despite seeming quite overconfident and self-assured during the show, Yaya was very humble about being declared runner-up and acknowledges that she couldn't give what the judges were looking for.Yaya: They wanted something a little more bubbly... and they got her.
- Insufferable Genius: At her worst.Yaya: There's one person eliminated every single time. And that one person should not be me. And if it is, I need to have a talk with the judges.
- Ironic Echo: She lectured the other girls about respect in the early episodes. Once they get to Japan, the panel lectured her regarding the same matter.
- Nerds Are Sexy: She is well-educated, cultured, and beautiful.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Camara.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: During the Alter Ego pictorial
. - The Runner-Up Takes It All: While Eva is no slouch, Yaya successfully transitioned into acting, landing several major film roles and a lead role on Chicago Med.
- The Smart Girl: She is an intelligent person and is not afraid to let others know it.
Amanda Swafford
Amanda Swafford had many attributes that made her a unique contestant: at 25, she was the oldest to compete in the cycle; she was a mother of a young son at the time of filming; and she was legally blind, having been afflicted with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition. Although her poor vision could occasionally be a hindrance, the judges noted that Amanda's best feature was her stunning, Icy Blue Eyes. Amanda quickly proved to be one of the strongest competitors, and she ultimately placed third.
- Establishing Character Moment: Arguably also counts as a Wham Line.Amanda: I'm legally blind. And I'm going to be about 30 when I go completely blind. It's a disease called retinitis pigmentosa, and I just wanted y'all to know I will always see your face. Please don't cry, I've had 10 years to get used to this. I've seen my son smile and that's all I ever wanted.
- Horrible Judge of Character: She accused Eva of stealing her laundry and money. She also suspects other contestants of hiding her crystals. And then Amanda remembers she hid her crystals so they wouldn't get stolen and Hilarity Ensues.
- Inspirationally Disadvantaged: She is legally blind, but tries not to let her disability get in the way of her modelling skills.
- Proud Beauty: After the makeover.Amanda: The girls are starting to feel intimidated by me and it's really making me feel good as hell.
- Team Mom: She was the oldest contestant of her season, had a young son, and in the early episodes, she acted as a mother figure to the other girls.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: The judges frequently praise her eyes in photos.
- Your Days Are Numbered: At the time of filming, Amanda was projected to totally go blind by age 30.
Ann Markley
Ann Markley was a NCAA water polo player studying at Mercyhurst College prior to her appearance on the show. Her athletic physique prompted judge Janice Dickinson to nickname her "Ann the Man." Ann was known for her close friendship with Eva Pigford and Norelle Van Herk, which turned bitter towards the end of the competition. While Ann's runway walk was strong, she was unable to produce impressive enough photographs and she placed fourth.
- Beauty, Brains, and Brawn: With Eva and Norelle Herk, which turns into Vitriolic Best Buds when the competition reaches Japan.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Forms a co-dependent relationship with Eva Pigford and has a meltdown when the two are unable to share the same room.
- Facial Markings: During the Alter Ego pictorial.
- Foil: To Norelle, who is good at taking pictures but terrible with her runway walk.
- In-Series Nickname: Eva occasionally called her "Anna-banana" or simply "Banana". Janice also called her "Ann The Man".
- Morality Pet: To Eva. She was the only one Eva would show her softer side around.
- The Runner-Up Takes It All: Despite placing third, she continued to have a successful modelling career, modelling for major brands (such as Ford Fusion, L'Oreal, Ray-Ban), magazines (ELLEgirl, Glamour Italia, G.Q.), and walking the runway for designers such as Alice + Olivia and Cynthia Rowley, amongst others.
Norelle Van Herk
Bubbly and energetic Norelle Van Herk entered the competition still wearing braces, which she managed to wear with confidence. She quickly formed a close friendship with Eva Pigford and Ann Markley, which quickly soured towards the end of the competition. Norelle's ditzy nature hindered her in Japan, where she was eliminated due to a poor performance at a Japanese tea ceremony and lackluster photoshoot, placing fourth.
- Artistic License – Geography: Played for Laughs.Norelle: I don't know if they're called Japanese people from Tokyo or Tokyians?
- Cat Girl: She's a Hello Kitty fan and does the "cat pose" quite often.
- Costume Porn: During the Alter Ego pictorial.
- The Ditz: She struggled to open a sliding door in Japan, doesn't know how to refer to Japanese people from Tokyo, and thinks Panda Express is Japanese food.
- Foil: To Ann, who has a good runway walk but struggled hard in the photoshoots. Norelle has a terrible runway walk but shines in photos.
- Genki Girl: Has a bubbly, energetic personality.
- Malaproper: She often mixes up words and phrases and she is aware of it, once complaining about the Japanese commercial, saying, "I can barely speak English and you want me to speak Japanese?"
- Modesty Bedsheet: The Japan episodes showed her sleeping topless or nude under these.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She has black hair and pale skin
- Tag Along Kid: Often faded into the background as the comic relief character, while largely ignored by the judges.
Nicole Borud
Then 21-year-old Nicole Borud was notable for her punk rock look and for being openly bisexual. Nicole was a consistent competitor but started to fade into the background when the competition reached Japan. Although all of the remaining contestants struggled in the Japanese-language Campbell's Soup commercial, the judges felt Nicole was the least memorable and she was eliminated.
- Covert Pervert: During the acting challenge, the girls were asked by the mentor to close their eyes and tell her the first thing they saw. Nicole responded with nothing because...Nicole: The first thing I saw was not appropriate, so I had to just say I didn't see anything!
- Deadpan Snarker: Often makes snarky comments.
- A Death in the Limelight: Subverted. In the episode she is eliminated, she receives no additional screen time.
- Fiery Red Head: Subverted. Her hair was dyed bright red for her makeover but she retains her calm, even-tempered personality.
- Forgettable Character: This, according to the judges. She was forgotten twice, once by an acting teacher after a challenge and once by the judges during a panel.
- Hotter and Sexier: "Real" Nicole in the Alter Ego pictorial.
Toccara Jones
Toccara Jones was the only plus size contestant of Cycle 3 and she was noted for her vivacious, vibrant personality. Although Toccara was generally liked by the judges and won Cover Girl of the Week four times, it became apparent that the limitations of the fashion industry for plus size models put a damper on her energy. In particular, Toccara was driven to tears because the stylist couldn't provide decent-fitting clothes on the Ford Mustang photoshoot. Afterwards, the judges noted that Toccara lost her spark and she was eliminated.
- Badass Boast:
- During casting.
- During makeover.Toccara: You can shave my head off bald and I'm still gonna walk out here like a goddess.
- Boob-Based Gag: There are several jokes about her large bust, with Norelle joking that they are the size of her head and Miss J joking, "When she released those puppies, they were full grown dogs."
- Breakout Character: One of the most memorable contestants from the show, even being voted as such by AOL Entertainment.
- Genki Girl: Has a fun, energetic personality.
- Graceful Loser: She accepts her elimination gracefully.
- Sassy Black Woman: As seen in her Badass Boast quote.
Cassie Grisham
Then-19-year old Cassie Grisham was a former stripper who struggled with insecurity over the course of the competition. It was eventually revealed that Cassie was suffering from bulimia, and although the other contestants urged her to seek help and Tyra herself offered to provide counseling, Cassie insisted that she was fine. But Cassie's insecurities worsened after go-sees in which fashion designers made blunt comments about her body. Eventually, she was eliminated due to the fact that judges felt that she lost her drive in the competition.
- Abusive Dad: Her father is a top-notch Jerkass.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: She used to be a stripper before joining the competition.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: Mr. Jay compared her to a Disney character.
- Ms. Fanservice: She was a stripper before the show and showed off some dance moves during her introduction to the panel.
- Pink Means Feminine: During the Alter Ego pictorial◊.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Diet Coke. Arguably, brownies as well.
- The Unfettered: her goal is to lose weight, so she can become a top model, and will do whatever methods (healthy or not) in order to do so.
- Weight Woe: She is not fat by any means, but is very obsessed with her weight, and admitted to struggling with bulimia during the show.
Kelle Jacob
New York native Kelle Jacob came from a wealthy background and claimed to have been described as a "white girl with a really good tan" by friends. She quickly became disliked by the other contestants, who felt she flaunted her wealth and privilege. Kelle also generated controversy amongst the other black contestants when she said that her biggest insecurity was her "monkey mouth" jawline. Kelle struggled to produce good photographs and she was ultimately eliminated due to the fact the judges felt she did not have enough potential.
- Big Applesauce: She is from Seagate, New York City's only gated community.
- Butt-Monkey: To the judges. They often criticized her photos, her looks, personality, anything they could think of that day.
- I Am Not Pretty: After being criticized for her poor photos in panel, her self-confidence goes down significantly during the course of the show and she admits she is insecure about her "monkey mouth" jawline.
- I Just Want to Have Friends: Struggled with this in the second episode, as she had trouble making friends with the other contestants.
- Valley Girl: According to her, people at home refer to her as "a white girl with a really good tan".
- The Whitest Black Guy: Was criticized by Tyra and some of the black contestants for "acting too white" and not embracing her blackness.
Jennipher Frost
Then 22-year-old Jennipher Frost was a bartender prior to her appearance on the competition. She quickly clashed with Eva Pigford and Ann Markley, with whom she almost got into a physical confrontation. After a poor performance at the Dooney & Bourke accessories photoshoot, Jennipher attempted to endear herself to the judges by mooning them with "ANTM" written across her behind. Unsurprisingly, the judges were unimpressed and she was eliminated.
- Digging Yourself Deeper: She basically dug her own grave when she mooned the judges.
- Hated Hometown: She is from Pocatello Idaho, and the last thing she wants is to be a "Pocatello girl who gets knocked up and never leaves".
- It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: Mooning the panel with ANTM written on her butt was supposed to be a joke. The panel members, obviously, were not amused.
- Traumatic Haircut: She cried during her makeover even though her hair was only cut to shoulder-length.
Kristi Grommet
Then 20-year-old Kristi Grommet was a college student attending New York University prior to her appearance on the competition. She is notable for wearing her senior prom dress, which she made from an American flag, to her initial audition. Although Kristi had the looks and the body for a model, the judges felt she lacked confidence and she was eliminated.
- Blonde Republican Sex Kitten: She has long blonde hair, and is a Republican who goes to school in liberal New York.
- Everyone Loves Blondes: She has long blonde hair, which she described as her best asset.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Blonde and got along pretty well with the other contestants.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Her real name is Laura.
- Reluctant Fanservice Girl: She was nervous before the topless jeans photoshoot, because she knew her parents back home would not approve.
- Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Well, it was actually an American flag dress.
Julie Titus
Julie Titus was the only Indian-American contestant of Cycle 3 and she vowed to project a new image for what a South Asian woman could look like. Julie seemed like she was off to a promising start at the competition but at the judging panel, she admitted that she was more interested in fashion design and starting her own manufacturing company. Unsurprisingly, she was eliminated because she did not appear to truly want a modelling career.
- Token Minority: She is the first person of Indian descent to compete on the show and one of the few Asian contestants to compete ever.
Leah Darrow
Small-town girl Leah Darrow hailed from a small town in Oklahoma and was eager to prove her ambitions of becoming a model. However, she had unimpressive photoshoots with a photographer noting her inability to make eye contact with the camera. She was the second contestant to be eliminated and she left the competition without bidding farewell to her competitors.
- A Death in the Limelight: Received a lot of screentime before her elimination
- Farmer's Daughter: She comes from a small farm in Oklahoma to a strict Catholic family.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has blonde hair and a sweet personality.
- My Death Is Just the Beginning: She says this during her elimination.
Magdalena Rivas
From Worcester, Massachusetts, Magdalena was studying nursing at the University of Massachusetts prior to her appearance on the competition. She failed to produce a strong photo at the first photoshoot and was the first to be eliminated, never appearing in front of the judging panel.
- Hollywood New England: Speaks with a thick New England accent, particularly when she pronounces her hometown (Worcester) as "WOOS-TAH!"
- Hospital Hottie: she was majoring in nursing at the time of the show.
- Non-Gameplay Elimination: She was ejected after the first photoshoot and never appeared in front of the judging panel.
- Spicy Latina: She is of Puerto-Rican descent
- We Hardly Knew Ye: She is eliminated immediately after the first photoshoot and never moves into the house with the other contestants.
