THEY WANTED ME TO BE HARSHER - JANICE DICKINSON SAYS THAT SHE WAS ENCOURAGED TO ‘BE HARSHER AND CRUEL, LIKE SIMON COWELL’ ON AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL. (PHOTO).

 They Wanted Me to Be Harsher - Janice Dickinson Says That She Was Encouraged to ‘Be Harsher and Cruel, Like Simon Cowell’ on America’s Next Top Model

Janice Dickinson is revisiting her days as a judge on America’s Next Top Model, sharing candid memories of the pressures behind the panel.

At 71, Dickinson appears on E!’s Dirty Rotten Scandals, where she recounts her time on the show and her perspective on Tyra Banks’ approach to managing contestants.

“The producers on America’s Next Top Model, especially Tyra, were begging me to be harsher and cruel, like Simon Cowell on American Idol,” Dickinson revealed during the episode. She explained that the strategy of sharp criticism had proven to be a ratings magnet on other reality shows, and the producers wanted the same edge for ANTM.

Dickinson also weighed in on Banks’ behavior toward the models, describing it as inconsistent. “Tyra didn’t want any competition,” she said, adding that at times, she felt Banks’ treatment of the Black contestants reflected a mix of competitiveness and jealousy.

“She was always trying to be this tough team mom to the girls, but she just did not build up enough confidence in the girls,” Dickinson explained. “They left the show completely depressed and depleted while she got so effing rich.”

Though Dickinson was replaced by Twiggy on the judging panel in 2005, she continued to appear as a guest judge through 2006. After her time on ANTM, she went on to feature in VH1’s The Surreal Life and then starred in her own series, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, which aired from 2006 to 2008.

Dickinson’s reflections offer a raw look at the behind-the-scenes dynamics of one of reality TV’s most popular modeling competitions.