"Switched at Birth" actor Nyle DiMarco is "America's Next Top Model" cycle 22 winner. (Photo : Facebook/America's Next Top Model)
Lacey Rogers, Mame Adjei and Mikey Heverly made it to the top four. But the "America's Next Top Model" cycle 22 winner is "Switched at Birth" actor Nyle DiMarco, the first deaf model to join the modelling competition show created by Tyra Banks.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, DiMarco said he hopes to become the next male supermodel and make an equal space in the modelling world for men. He added, "'America's Next Top Model' changed my life because I am more aware of the modelling world and I have a great network now. I have even more fans than I did before."
After winning "ANTM" cycle 22, DiMarco took to Facebook to share the traditional photo taken by the winner with Banks. In the caption, he wrote, "I still can't believe it. I still am at a loss for words. I am on Cloud 9 all over again. I remember this photoshoot with Tyra like it was yesterday. I was extremely nervous as Tyra Banks prepped up for the shoot with me."
Following "ANTM" cycle 21 winner Keith Carlos, DiMarco is the second male model to win the competition and is the 22nd and last winner since Banks announced that cycle 22 will be the last one.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Banks said "ANTM" has "opened up the world to accepting reality television stars as models." She even cited Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Gigi Hadid as examples.
"If you think about Kendall and Kylie, people think Kylie's not a model, but I think she's a model, and Gigi and all of these girls from reality television," Banks explained. "I think 'Top Model' knocked the doors down for that to be okay in the high fashion world."
