Keith Carlos, the first male winner of America's Next Top Model, is finally revealing what really went on behind-the-scenes of the hit reality show - and what happened when the cameras stopped rolling.
Carlos, now 37, won the reality series in 2014 during Cycle 21, which was the first that allowed male contestants to compete.
The reality competition series, which started in 2003, was created by model Tyra Banks.
Women would compete each week for the chance to launch their modeling careers with a lucrative contract with an agency.
In the earlier seasons, contestants were also offered various additional prizes, like the chance to be on the cover of now-defunct Seventeen Magazine, or the opportunity to work with CoverGirl makeup.
In addition to the show being hosted by Banks, the show also featured creative director Jay Manuel, photographer Nigel Barker, and various permanent and guests judges such as model Janice Dickinson, publicist Kelly Cutrone and even Chrissy Teigen.
However, although the series ended in 2018, it has had a resurgence in pop culture over the past few years, as many re-discovered the show during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But upon recent reflection, it made headlines for some of its previous controversies, as many re-evaluated the way the show approached body image, race and sexual orientation.
Keith Carlos, the first male winner of America's Next Top Model, is finally revealing what really went on behind-the-scenes of the hit reality show
However, although the series ended in 2018, it had a resurgence in pop culture over the past few years, as many re-discovered the show during the Covid-19 pandemic
Carlos, now 37, won the reality series in 2014 during Cycle 21, which was the first cycle that allowed male contestants to compete
Some also criticized Banks and the other judges for their behavior throughout the seasons.
In 2022, Business Insider published an expose about the show, interviewing multiple people who worked behind the scenes and even former contestants - one of whom described the experience as 'psychological warfare.'
But in a new interview with DailyMail.com, Carlos, who was playfully nicknamed 'Manaconda' by Banks, explained what really happened on set, and what Banks and the judges were like when the cameras stopped rolling.
'Behind the scenes was straight comedy,' Carlos admitted during the exclusive interview.
'They pumped the house with liquor, and you get a group of us together with different personalities,' the former NFL player claimed.
'So a lot of the stuff that was pretty funny or things that happened, I guess you couldn't really air on national television.'
On the show, they rarely mentioned alcohol - except for a few times when they would show the cast going out on the town or at a dinner - like during Cycle 4, when contestant Tiffany Richardson vomited on the table while at a meal.
In recent years, other reality TV show contestants have filed serious allegations against networks about the use of alcohol on set.
'Behind the scenes was straight comedy,' Carlos admitted during the exclusive interview with DailyMail.com
'They pumped the house with liquor, and you know, you get a group of us together with different personalities,' the former NFL player claimed
On the show, they rarely mentioned alcohol - except for a few times when they would show the cast going out on the town or at a dinner - like during Cycle 4, when contestant Tiffany Richardson vomited on the table while out to dinner
In 2022, Love Is Blind star Jeremy Hartwell sued the Netflix show, with claims of food, water, and sleep deprivation while providing an 'excess of alcohol.'
The lawsuit was settled for $1.4 million in May, per Courthouse News.
'They have to get everything out of you and there's like a lot of I would say instigated by the interviewers,' Carlos explained about his experience on America's Next Top Model.
'I saw that early, so I was able to like "okay, play the game and flirt a little bit and take it home."'
DailyMail.com reached out to 10 by 10 Entertainment, who produced the show, as well as Paramount network, which aired ANTM, for comment.
But according to Carlos, it wasn't only the contestants who caused some drama - it was also the judges.
He told DailyMail.com that when the cameras stopped rolling, some of the those involved on the show acted much differently than they appeared on TV.
'Tyra [Banks] was actually pretty cool, down to earth, but I also saw where there were people that would come onto set or would try to speak to her, she was a little off-putting to them,' the model explained to DailyMail.com.
!['Tyra [Banks] was actually pretty cool, down to earth, but I also seen where there was people that would come onto set or would try to speak to her, she was a little off-putting to them,' the model explained to DailyMail.com](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/05/17/94732963-14346679-_Tyra_Banks_was_actually_pretty_cool_down_to_earth_but_I_also_se-m-60_1738776233086.jpg)
'Tyra [Banks] was actually pretty cool, down to earth, but I also seen where there was people that would come onto set or would try to speak to her, she was a little off-putting to them,' the model explained to DailyMail.com
Carlos has also taken his talents to OnlyFans, where viewers can subscribe to his posts
'It was more so situational,' he continued. 'You notice that with a lot of, pretty much all, the judges... you can tell when the lights came on, people's personality changed and things flared up.'
DailyMail.com reached out to Banks' reps for comment.
However, a source told DailyMail.com that 'America's Next Top Model was a professional workplace, and Tyra always approached it as such.'
The sometimes 'off-putting' Banks didn't seem to bother Carlos, though, as 10 years later, he still keeps in touch with the modeling mogul.
'I actually just supported her ice cream company not too long ago,' he said.
He also added that Banks is a 'solid' person and 'really business oriented.'
'She learned a lot from things that she's done in the past, I'm sure, and a lot of it is cringeworthy, but it is what it is,' Carlos shared.
The 37-year-old also credited the series for changing his life.
'It made my career valid,' he said. 'It gave me a platform where I can get into certain rooms and I get certain opportunities because I'm the first male winner of this, so along with winning $100,000, that set me up to really move out to LA and get with my agency and start working immediately and start providing for my family.'
'It really set me up and gave me a platform to do whatever I wanted to do off of that,' Carlos added.
And, it looks like it's working for him so far.
Since he took home the prize on America's Next Top Model, Mr. Manaconda has been busy modeling and acting, appearing in the movie Black Spartans last year, about the Michigan State Spartans football team in the mid 1960's.
He even appeared as the love interest in Cardi B's music video for the song Be Careful, and does cybersecurity by day.
Carlos has also taken his talents to OnlyFans, where viewers can subscribe to his posts.
'We'll see where it goes,' the star promised.
