“Germany’s Next Topmodel”
Model struggles with marital trauma during the shoot
Asked the “GNTM” models for a pool shoot: Heidi Klum.
© ProSieben / Sven Doornkaat
Shark tank model business: During the pool shoot of “GNTM” there was actually supposed to be a crackle underwater between the models.
Sometimes the shadows of the past even lurk underwater. In episode eleven (Thursdays, 8:15 p.m., ProSieben or on Joyn) from “Germany’s Next Top Model”, Heidi Klum, 50, had a very special challenge in store for her protégés: the universally dreaded underwater shoot was coming up. The models were supposed to make it crackle in the cool water, dressed as bridal couples. Two candidates particularly struggled: The pool shoot brought their most emotional memories to the surface. In the end, the dream of “GNTM” victory was shattered for two highly traded models.
Mare is afraid of the water
Candidate Mare, 22, is one of the season’s brightly colored birds of paradise. The tattoo model from Upper Bavaria has not been at a loss for an answer so far and has confidently gone her own way. However, when Heidi announced the challenge of this episode, Mare was speechless: a couple’s shoot under water was coming up – and this given her panic about the deep water. The roots of her fear of water lie in her childhood. Mare was pushed into the pool as a non-swimmer. Since then, water has not been her element at all. The fact that the search for a shooting partner was so complicated also didn’t help Mare’s safety. Lucas, 24, was also anything but happy with his water-shy partner: “I think I have the ass card,” was his verdict.
“I want it to look like love”
Heidi wanted the colorful model couples to also crackle underwater: “I want it to look like love,” was her requirement. The feigned intimacy during the shoot posed a huge challenge for several models: What if their boyfriend at home doesn’t understand this? In particular, Xenia, 24, from Hof, who had little experience in relationships, had to struggle: “I think my boyfriend won’t be very happy, but I want to go through with it now.” Jermaine, 20, and Maximilian, 21, were the only male couple to find each other. Dominic, 20, and Fabienne, 20, formed one of the most unusual couples. They were perceived as “inappropriate” by the competition. During the shoot they were supposed to prove everyone wrong.
“I couldn’t imagine being able to breathe without him.”
On the set, Heidi had a wedding chapel lined with a pool built. For the shoot, the models dressed in tuxedos and wedding dresses – which led to an emotional flashback, especially for Stella, 34. The mother of four married for the first time when she was young and seven months pregnant. Shortly after the wedding, while she was still sending thank you notes to the wedding guests, her then husband died of a heart attack. Seeing herself dressed in a wedding dress brought back memories of the most dramatic time of her life. “I had my whole life in front of me at the time. And when he died, I couldn’t even imagine that I could breathe without him.” The fact that she is living her modeling dream today was like coming to terms with her own story. During the shoot with Linus, 25, both shone and made it one round further.
“The marriage can be annulled.”
As the best of the shoot, Heidi sent Luka, 24, and Lea, 24, as well as Frieder, 24, and Sara, 28: “You were perfect!” Other couples were unable to convey the necessary emotionality and the “hearts” Heidi wanted into the lens of star photographer Russell James, 62. This is how the decision was made among the shaky candidates. And Maximilian from Vienna, whose modern look had always been praised in previous episodes, was caught completely unexpectedly. His world was clearly collapsing. At the same time, he praised his time at “GNTM”: “Every day was like a dream.” The end also came as a surprise to Mare, if not quite as much. And Lucas? Before the decision, he had speculated about his own end and classified the wedding shoot with Mare as a flop: “The marriage can be annulled.” He still made it to the next round.