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6. Australia's Next Top Model, Cycle 2

Australia's Next Top Model was the first foreign cycle I ever saw. For that reason, it is probably ranked higher than it actually should be (as my ratings seem largely based on the nostalgia factor). Still, Cycle 2 was a very entertaining and interesting cycle. It had many interesting characters, including Hiranthi, the Sri Lankan girl parading around as if she were a princess (she is probably the closest thing you have to a diva on the Australian version), Caroline, the whiny and annoying namedropper, who eventually quits because she sucks at life, and Lara, the short girl, whose. My favorite by far, however, was Madeleine. Madeleine was both entertaining and a good model and I hoped beyond all hope that she could somehow pull ahead of Jessica, one of my least favorite Top Model contestants ever, if only for the fact that she thought she was so great when she was majorly fug and unpleasant, and Eboni, the classless bitch who ended up winning the whole thing. Madeleine, however, only lasted until the Final 4. The judges were unable to come up with a decent excuse, but eliminated her anyway.

4. Australia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1

With lots of drama and some great photoshoots, Cycle 1 of Australia's Next Top Model is one of my favorites. Like America's first cycle, AusNTM 1 had great characters, as each girl had something unique and interesting about them (well, except for Naomi, but she was eliminated first! ). The catfights and bitchiness were also great, as the girls were constantly ragging on one another: one girl was accused of getting breast implants, while another girl was accused of being anorexic. The list of drama can go on and on. Nothing was greater than the rivalry between Gemma and Samantha, however. Actually, whether Gemma and Samantha's relationship could be considered a rivalry is up for debate as it was kind of one-sided, as Samantha was constantly talking trash about Gemma behind her back. Out of all the girls in the house, Samantha was the HBIC, the girl everyone in the house disliked and the viewers loved to hate. I would rank Samantha as one of the most arrogant girls to ever appear on Top Model. I mean, what type of girl would go so far as to claim that she was happy she didn't win a runway challenge (Gemma, in fact won this challenge) because she thought other girls needed more validation than she did? Still, Samantha was pretty charismatic and knew how to sell herself when it came to the challenges and the judges.

Unfortunately for Samantha, the judges felt she was common looking and she was finally eliminated at the Final 4. But despite being eliminated, Samantha still could create drama. With Samantha's elimination came the climax of her (lopsided) feud with Gemma. As she was hugging the girls good-bye, she had told the other two contestants left (who were not Gemma) that she wanted them to win and to make sure that Gemma didn't end up winning. Of course, Gemma did end up winning, making Samantha look like a stupid bitch (as if she hadn't already). Samantha tried to defend herself at the reunion show, a move that made her look even more ridiculous and stupid. Gemma, of course, had the last laugh, not just because she won, but because she went on to have a pretty successful career, both in Australia and abroad, while Samantha was limited to going to promotional events and being an F-list celebrity in Australia.

Over all, Australia's Next Top Model 1 was a great season with a great finish. The bitch lost while the good prevailed. But to suggest that this sounds like any other Top Model season would be wrong. First of all, Gemma never really received what I would classify as an underdog or winner's edit (not until the last two episodes anyway). Gemma was actually portrayed to have flaws (and not the kind of manufactured flaws that ANTM contestants have). I have no doubt that she probably wouldn't have won if she had been on an early season of America's Next Top Model. But that is what is so great about AusNTM (I know it is cliché by now, but whatever), the judges actually pick the girl they think has the most modeling potential without factoring in personality or personal history too much. Plus, many of the girls ended up getting signed with agencies and the winner was actually successful abroad (of course, she is not as successful as one winner, which I will get to later in the countdown). Go Australia's Next Top Model!