Tyra Banks has done it all, and now, there’s a new gig to fill the supermodel-turned-scholar’s resume—hosting “America's Got Talent.” The most eclectic, “out-of-the-box” TV talent competition, which gives a five-year-old or a 95-year-old the same shot at attaining a lifelong dream, has been without a host since Nick Cannon quit the position. Cannon and NBC executives came to a falling out after the comedian, music, and radio show mogul used his rather typical, racially-referenced humor in his Showtime standup special.
Feeling that the network brand had been tarnished, Cannon left in what he now calls “a calculated decision” as reported in the Huffington Post per an “Entertainment Tonight” interview. One host’s decision makes for another's debut, and Tyra is raring and ready for her new stage.
More than one more model
Tyra Banks’ arrival on the #AGT stage does mean that another supermodel has a major role, with Heidi Klum holding on to her judges chair, along with Mel B, Simon Cowell, and Howie Mandel, who offered a video welcome to the new host this weekend. Tyra is definitely equipped for hosting duties after 22 seasons with “America's Next Top Model.” She’s seen the smoking glares, the tears, the fainting, and even the claws coming out with all those fake nails, but is she ready for a sobbing preschooler?
No one gets to a $90 million empire without knowing the ropes and a heavy Harvard dose of business savvy. Who knows? Tyra may be able to steer those teary-eyed moms and dads on a solid financial trajectory to keep their talented son or daughter on top! In her words, Banks insists she was taken with “dreamers” and “grandiose acts” putting everything out on the stage “since I was a little girl,” according to E! News. “I look forward to connecting with the dreamers, having fun, and giving hugs and words of encouragement when needed,” she related via press release. Anyone who ever was a fan of her talk show knows that Tyra has a laugh to remember, and she's not going to be shy about letting her playful side out, saying that she may get in on “a performance or two.” No long time #AGT fan will ever forget Nick Cannon duct taping his nipples, and twirling on a stripper pole.
The 12th season may be truly charmed, and a touch more tasteful.
Ready for living rooms
Tyra Banks won millions of fans from her groundbreaking magazine covers, breaking the barrier for women of color in many ways. Her television career made her real, relatable, and human, beyond supermodel stereotypes. She's had her share of tough bosses, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. She gushes that she loves most how “America's Got Talent” is able to capture that spirit of the dreamer, and “bring it into America's homes.” Can Tyra win over an audience of millions, prompting them to give her the welcome mat? Nick Cannon, for one, promises no hard feelings.