'Top Model: British Invasion' eliminates American model Kyle Gober

Top Model judges believed American model Kyle Gober's progress in the competition had been doing the opposite of improving.


Kyle, a 5' 10" 20-year-old from Magnolia, TX, became the seventh girl eliminated from America's Next Top Model: British Invasion during Wednesday night's broadcast on The CW.

"It has been a hard journey. It's been stressful. There's been times when I wanted to quit, but now that I'm like into it more than ever, I just wanted to stay here and continue and win the whole thing. So, I'm upset because I wanted to make it to the top. It's sad because I don't think that it's my time to go yet, but I'm just really proud of myself and hopefully Tyra is proud of me too," Kyle said following her ouster from the reality franchise's eighteenth edition in which seven amateur American hopefuls battle seven all-stars and former Britain's Next Top Model contestants for the grand prize.

Kyle, one of the four remaining American contestants, was eliminated from the seventh episode of America's Next Top Model: British Invasion after Top Model's judges reviewed the photos the season's remaining eight finalists had taken at their seventh photo shoot challenge of the season, which required them to pose as art installations at a dinner party table in a mansion while featuring the "booty tooch" and working alongside British singer Estelle. The girls were split into two teams, American girls versus British girls, although each model had the opportunity to pose in the forefront. 

Kyle ended up in the bottom two with British contestant Alisha, a 20-year-old from South London, England.


Both girls failed to really impress Top Model photo shoot director Jay Manuel and fashion photographer Ben Shaul. 

"You have to find ways of fitting into this environment," Ben told Alisha. 

"Don't forget the tooch. Let's go for the extreme," Jay added.

The girls heard Alisha's feedback during her shoot and noticed the photographer wanted more from her. The British girls worried she was playing it a little too safe and might therefore end up in the bottom two. Meanwhile, the girls were actually hoping Kyle would perform poorly because they were ready to see her go home.

"You're trying to get their attention. They're totally ignoring you. They're more interested in their food," Jay told Kyle.


Kyle asked to wear a "booty-tooch pad," because she complained she had no butt to show off. The other models were frustrated with her request because they believed it gave her an advantage during the shoot since her body just looked naturally curvy and she didn't have to work hard at making it appear that way.

Later on, the girls arrived for the eighteenth season's seventh elimination panel where they were met by Top Model judges Tyra Banks, Nigel Barker, and Kelly Cutrone, as well as guest judge Estelle.

The judges first critiqued Alisha's photo.

"It sort of looks like a 'tooch-ache.' It's okay. You're just not committed enough here. I want to see you kind of messier. I'd love to see you almost falling in it a little, and then the tooch comes up in the end and it's almost like a cat," Nigel explained.

"I love the way you're holding the fruit with your thumb, but the second half of your body, you could have maybe lifted your leg off the table -- a bit more extreme," Estelle suggested.


"You did such an amazing job last week. You blew us away -- the music video, you as a singer -- everything was so amazing and that's why you were the best. And then for some reason, when you get to be in a still photo, it goes away. You have to remember the magic that you have in motion and how to put that into a photo," Tyra said.

Kyle's photo was then reviewed.

"It's an interesting shot. I don't think it's amazing in the body. I do like your face. It's a look though that I've seen you do before many time," Nigel told Kyle.

"You weren't really aware of what was happening around you, because I was kind of dodging around you," Estelle said.

"Kyle, I'm disappointed in you. I feel that you're going downhill in this competition and I remember you as Andy Warhol in the beginning and the type of poses and the type of faces we were getting from you. And consistently each week, they appear to be getting worse," Kelly added.


Earlier in the episode, the girls were also required to create a two-minute public service announcement for Tyra's BIO Campaign -- an anti-bullying campaign. Each model was given one young girl to work with and incorporate into their own individual takes of the team PSA announcements.

The British girls ended up having the better PSA overall, and as a result, they won the chance to have their PSA released on CWTV.com, while each girl received a personal video message from a loved one at home.

After panel critiques and the judges had time to deliberate on the girls' photos in private, Tyra and the judges called the girls back in. Tyra then revealed the models in order of the best photo to the worst of the week.

Sophie, a 5' 9" 21-year-old from Oxford, England, received the first call-out.

Following Sophie, Tyra then revealed Seymone, Eboni, Annaliese, Laura, and Catherine -- leaving Kyle and Alisha in the bottom two.


Seymone, Kyle, Laura, and Eboni were the American girls, while the rest were the British models.

Tyra then recapped both girls' issues before revealing which one would get to remain in the competition.

"Kyle, you stand before me because the judges see this strong beauty, but we're not seeing great. The judges also said that they feel they are seeing the same look over and over and over again. And what America's Next Top Model is looking for is diversity, while at the same time, holding onto your brand," Tyra told her.

"Alisha, the girl that the judges from week to week are like, 'Oh my God, she's so amazing. Look at her skin. It's so gorgeous -- legs that go on for days -- but her pictures do not measure up to who she is in person. And then she does a music video, blows us away, gets called first last week. But this week, she's in the bottom two. So that makes the judges think that you are a girl that should be doing commercials but not modeling in magazines," Tyra explained.

Tyra then revealed Alisha's photo, resulting in Kyle's elimination.

"You gotta go home and practice different faces and different -- you just don't want to be the one trick girl. 'Girl next door' can still make different faces. You know who was a 'girl next door' in her career? Me, yeah," Tyra said. 






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski