Cheryl Tiegs Spills ‘True Beauty’ Secrets

By: Jen Smith
Fancast.com

With just a dash of America’s Next Top Model, a pinch of Beauty and the Geek, and a splash of Punk’d, True Beauty is the main course to Tyra Banks‘ and Ashton Kutcher’s years of hors d’oeuvres. Putting their heads together was a natural step in the progression toward total domination of reality-competition TV. But do these executive producers have what it takes to make another compelling show?

Cheryl Tiegs certainly hopes so. Tiegs joined the show as a judge; her job, along with the other judges, is to decide whether the contestants have inner beauty as well as outer beauty. The men and women are put through a series of challenges but are unaware that they’re secretly being judged from the inside out.

Tiegs talked to Fancast exclusively about True Beauty, premiering tonight at 10 p.m. on ABC. She had a lot to say about the show, like the risky premise, the chemistry between Banks and Kutcher, and—of course—the drama!

What makes the premise of the show so compelling?

It’s really important message to get out to the American public in that outer beauty is nice and great and wonderful, but it’s not everything. I think that inner beauty is so important. It’s a big part of the package. In the business I’ve seen perfectly chiseled features come and go. They disappear and they don’t come of anything because they don’t have the inner beauty. So I think we’re hoping to inspire the people to think “What if the camera were on me 24 hours a day? Am I really as kind as I want to be?”

Ashton and Tyra love to showcase inner beauty on their respective shows. Why did they merge that?

I think it’s a great combination. Tyra wants to help the American people to become a better people. Ashton likes to really slyly or mysteriously find the inner beauty of people and their inner character. I thought it was brilliant. People will always present themselves as one thing if they know they’re being watched. But they didn’t know they’re being watched.

Did Tyra and Ashton handpick you to judge? Because obviously you’re a perfect fit for this show.

Thank you! At the time when I knew they were searching for people to become judges, I was in Ireland. I did something I’ve never done before in my life. I said “I’ve got to be on this show.” I called them in Los Angeles and told them I believe in this so much in my heart. I believe that your inner beauty eventually shows up in your features and becomes your outer beauty. You can’t have one without the other. I don’t think you have to have perfect features.

Can you give me an example of some of the hidden challenges the contestants had to face?

We had all sorts of tests. For the most part, how did they treat their fellow contestants? When they were walking down the street, did they give to charity? Of course, all these things were planned. They were our people who we had employed to sit there and say they need help. We saw the different personalities emerge: anger, tears, insecurity. It was interesting to see all of that show up.

Are those hidden cameras, or do they know they’re being filmed?

They don’t know they’re being filmed. They know they’re being filmed in the house. The cameraman’s right there in from of them, but they think that’s all that they’re being on camera. We have 54 cameras, and a lot of them were hidden cameras. So the judges would sit in the spy room and see them 24 hours a day if we wanted. We would always see what we wanted in order to judge how they were as people.

Was there anything you saw that shocked you in one extreme or another?

For the most part they took it very well if they were eliminated. I would say don’t take it as a rejection, to just be proud of the good thing that you did and be proud. There was one contestant who turned around, walked down the hall screaming because of the elimination. It was very difficult to judge people and all of the sudden I was in this position to judge. I think that I tried to do it kindly and constructively.

This show doesn’t really lend itself to have a second season because once it airs, the jig is up. Are they going to try to do one anyway?

Well we’re all behind closed doors figuring it out. We knew that going in. These are smart people, and they’re not going to say “We had a great season… bye!” They’ll come up with something else. There’s different ways of doing it.

Any plans to guest judge on Top Model?

I would like to. I think I’ve become a very good judge.

Do you think you would be more like Nigel barker or Janice Dickenson?

No, I’d never become like Janice Dickenson! I’ll be like myself. It’s not necessary to be cruel in order to eliminate someone. You can be kind!