Camille McDonald talks ‘America’s Next Top Model’, legacy and J’can pride

In the three-part documentary series Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which premièred on Netflix on February 16, models, judges, and creator of the series, supermodel Tyra Banks, reflected on the reality show’s “complicated legacy”. America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) enjoyed a peak viewership of close to 100 million, and its 24 seasons/cycles ran from 2006 to 2016. Aspiring models from across the United States lived in the same house, were followed around by cameras, competed in challenges, and each week, one contestant was sent home. At the end of each season, America’s Next Top Model was crowned.

A decade after it last aired, the conversation around ANTM has reopened. In the docuseries, the former contestants spoke about incidents of alleged racism, body shaming, harassment, and over-the-top and sometimes controversial photoshoots and makeovers.

In a review, Slate.com notes that “the documentary does what you want a good documentary to do: It reminds us what happened, and why it happened, and ultimately renames it as both a culture-buster and a reinforcement of the worst of predatory entertainment”.

Television personality, host, fashion model, and entrepreneur Camille McDonald, who is of Jamaican heritage, competed in ANTM. A first runner-up in the Miss Jamaica USA beauty pageant, McDonald has graced the covers of Glamour, Juicy, US, and W Magazine. She has also appeared alongside Sean Paul, Shaggy, Idris Elba, Cam’ron and Beyoncé in music videos or film “further solidifying her presence in both the fashion and entertainment worlds”. She initially appeared in Cycle 2 of ANTM and returned for Cycle 17, the All-Stars edition.

McDonald told The Sunday Gleaner that she never set out to audition for ANTM. At the time, she was focused on graduating from Howard University and pursuing her goal of becoming a creative director at one of New York City’s top advertising agencies.

She had already launched A New Generation in Fashion, a company that helped Howard students build portfolios and encouraged them to participate in fashion shows and hosting opportunities across the Greater Washington, DC, area. She supported several of them in auditioning for America’s Next Top Model, but none were selected. In solidarity, and perhaps a little light-hearted coercion, they urged her to audition instead, playfully threatening to flood her voicemail with messages and not work with her if she didn’t.

As luck would have it, duty called for McDonald in Florida. “I had to go to Miami to bring some clothing to Steve Wilson for Sean Paul, as I was starting to style artistes. I realised at the local mall there was a huge audition with hundreds of girls for America’s Next Top Model. I said to myself, I have never been afraid of a challenge and this was a challenge ... they were going to select me as one of the contestants for ANTM. If I wasn’t doing it for myself, I was doing it for those girls at Howard,” she said.

Reflecting on her experience, McDonald described just how different the show was from what she had expected. “I walked in expecting a modelling competition. Now, looking back, what I got was a crash course in reality television. The cameras never stopped, the pressure was constant, and the emotional intensity was far beyond anything I imagined. But even in that whirlwind, feeling like they were trying to break me, I stayed rooted in who I was. That’s what carried me through,” she said, adding that it was on the show that she developed her signature walk.

For McDonald, while she was not interviewed for the recent documentary, her appearance in the Netflix production was important, even if she was only featured through archival imagery. “Being part of the Netflix documentary mattered ... although you don’t see me speaking or [doing] one-on-one [interviews],” she said. “ ANTM shaped a generation, but it also left many of us with experiences that needed context and reflection. I will contribute to that conversation with clarity and integrity.”

She said the fashion industry has taught her three major lessons that have guided her far beyond the runway. “Know your worth before anyone tries to define it for you. The business side is just as important as the beauty. [And] longevity comes from authenticity, not trends,” McDonald shared.

If she could speak to her younger self during her ANTM days, she would offer clear counsel: “Protect your peace — it’s your most valuable asset. You don’t need to shrink to make others comfortable. Ask more questions about contracts and usage rights. Trust your instincts. They’re sharper than you think, and have fun — you’re making history without even realising it,” she said.

As one of the first models of Caribbean heritage to compete on the show, representation was deeply personal for her. “I carried my Jamaican heritage with pride, and I knew that every time I stepped on that runway with my signature walk, a young Caribbean girl somewhere was watching and seeing herself reflected,” she shared.

That sense of responsibility fuelled her determination not to conform to stereotypes often imposed on black women in reality television. “I knew I had a social and moral responsibility to young women of colour. Being a Howard University student, I was adamant about not giving into the stereotype of black women in reality TV, which were overly sexualised and made to look overly aggressive in a negative way, feeding the stereotype. Women of colour are so much [more] than this,” said McDonald.

PROUD JAMAICAN HERITAGE

Jamaica remains central to her identity. “Jamaica is in my DNA, in [my] bones,” she said. “The culture, the rhythm, the resilience — it all shapes how I move through the world. My walk, my confidence, my creativity… they’re all influenced by that island energy. Jamaican music, especially reggae and dancehall, keeps me grounded and reminds me of where my strength comes from. It’s my cultural heartbeat.”

When it comes to food, she shared that the national dish has a special place in her heart. “My favourite dish will always be ackee and salt fish with fried dumplings and callaloo,” she said, calling herself a big foodie and adding that porridge also ranked very high. “Jamaican food tastes like home and Sunday mornings and family all at once!”

Musically, she is currently vibing to Ffurious, a protégé of Capleton, particularly the track Higher, which she says resonates with her ANTM experience. She also treasures classic reggae and early ’90s dancehall, citing the influence of her late uncle, B.B. Seaton, and legends such as Gregory Isaacs and Alton Ellis. “Songs with that authentic Jamaican pulse — riddims that make you feel alive — those are the ones that get me on my feet every time,” she shared.

McDonald also pays tribute to industry figures who supported her journey, including the late Kingsley Cooper of Pulse and Deiwght Peters of SAINT International. “I would also like to give respect to the late Kingsley Cooper of Pulse Models for embracing me, and also Deiwght Peters of SAINT International for continuing to push the envelope where Jamaican models are concerned. I spoke about breaking glass ceilings, and this is what we do as a people,” said McDonald.

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com