Yup, it’s that time of the week again to give you guys a recap of what went down on the latest episode of Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5. Previously, we saw the rise and literal fall (poor Tu and Layla) of a few aspiring contestants as the first episode served up a good amount of tears, tension, and even some twin rivalry. If you think the second episode is going to omit any of these dramatic elements, think again.
Having witnessed Anjelica’s tearful elimination, the girls were visibly shaken, and we see the group’s gradual divide as they start sectioning themselves off into smaller clusters. And just as a few of the girls were busy gossiping about their fellow contestant Maureen, in comes the next Cindy Mail, giving them yet another cryptic clue as our hopefuls prepare to bring their A-game to the next challenge.
True to the theme of Cycle 5, “Expect the Unexpected”, the girls set foot in a dance studio where they meet their mentor Cara and Kay Grace Lee, a contemporary choreographer in Singapore who will be teaching the contestants a few dance moves before introducing them to their next challenge. The top three performers from last week’s challenge, Clara, Valerie, and Maureen, were allowed to pick their team members, some cleverly prioritising dance skills instead of family when it came to their selection process.
Each team was given a specific word to go on for their choreography, getting half an hour to pull their dance routines together for the showdown. The winning team will receive a pampering session at Jean Yip Loft, and, needless to say, that got our girls all revved up for the challenge. After Clara and Valerie’s groups sailed through their routines, it was time for Maureen’s group to show Cara and Kay what they’ve got. And their dance routine ended up being… decidedly strange, if we’re being honest – but Maureen’s group took home the challenge win! Something we totally didn’t see coming.
The girls headed back to the model house to find out their challenge scores, with Dorothy, Nametha, and Maureen topping the list this time, while Heidi burst into tears when her name was unveiled right at the bottom. Already, there’s palpable tension between Jennica and Maureen at the dining table regarding the challenge win. And just like that, the next Cindy Mail arrives, heavily hinting at a challenge that’s got something to do with dental care.
Arriving at the set of their next photoshoot and being given the theme “My Signature Smile”, the girls say hello again to last week’s photographer Joel Lim as he’ll be the one to capture their best grins and pearly whites. Sibling rivalry lives on as Veronika tries to outshine her sister on the photoshoot with her cheeky personality, showing Valerie just how it’s done. Next up, it’s Layla’s turn. We’re so proud that she’s back with much more confidence compared to the last episode, stepping up her game with a fresh face and doe eyes as she simultaneously shows the camera her shy disposition. The girl’s finally giving it her all this time, and we’re hoping this new energy will stick around for episodes to come.
Things started out pretty well for Jennica, but as soon as Cara told her to amp up the energy and be more confident, her smile disappeared in a flash. COME👏🏼 ON👏🏼 GIRL 👏🏼 You can’t let constructive criticism like that annoy you so easily, because you’re here to learn and grow as a model!
When Cindy stepped up and took her spot on set, she immediately started giggling and laughing, lighting up the whole shoot effortlessly with her captivating smile. She gradually toned it down a little, and gave Joel her best poses.
As for Nametha, however, she admitted earlier that her smile wasn’t her best feature, and her self-consciousness definitely showed through as she started making silly faces to the camera. But after taking in Cara’s instructions, she pulled it together and delivered a much more sophisticated range of grins. When it was Heidi’s turn, we actually had high expectations for her, seeing as how she absolutely nailed the previous challenge with her strong poses – but this time, she gave a little too much energy and lacked control over her facial expressions.
Once again, it’s time for another round of elimination. This week’s panel is joined by Thai supermodel and actress Metinee Kingpayome, as well as renowned photographer Yu Tsai, who’s back as the Creative Director for the series – and boy is he gonna bring some extra sass to the judging panel. When it was Dorothy’s turn, Yu Tsai did not hold back his comments, saying, “I don’t like them because you went from cheeky to cheesy for me, like, ‘I’m this quirky girl, I’m so cute, I’m so pretty…’ I can hear her voice [in the pictures] and I wanna slap her! It’s annoying.” Yikes. Cindy then jumped in to defend her photos, and that’s where things got worse. Yu Tsai lashed out and said, “If I flipped the page and I see pictures like these with her tongue sticking out and eyes going the other way, I might as well look at a dog fancy magazine!” BURRRRN 🔥 God, that must’ve hurt. The only girl whose photos the judges all seemed to love was Cindy’s, as they showered her with compliments on her great smile and versatility. This girl is one to watch, for sure.
Time for the results. Despite all of Yu Tsai’s harsh comments, the first girl to be called out was Dorothy! Ultimately, she performed the best in the entire week, and she’s also been given the opportunity to be the face of Colgate’s Optic White. As the photos whittled down to just two, a tearful Heidi and Jennica stand before Cindy. In the end, the judges said goodbye to Heidi, as she wasn’t able to control her expressions and poses. And being in the bottom two this time, the nerve-wracking experience will definitely light a fire under Jennica. Have a look at the images from their photoshoot challenge – did any of them make you want to brush your teeth?
Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5 airs every Wednesday at 9pm, only on Star World (Starhub TV Ch 501/Singtel TV Ch 301). asntm.com
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