Ages stated are as of the beginning of the contest[3] The first 10 minutes of the episode, Heidi responds to the backlash the show has faced over the last few years.
This week's live walk theme features the four seasons on different difficult grounds, with the girls portraying different emotions in unusual outfits.
Heidi and guest photographer Brian Bowen Smith challenge the girls to perform in an "Alice in Wonderland" themed photo shoot, with styling inspired by the mad hatter.
The following day, Heidi and designer Yannik Zamboni provide catwalk training, emphasizing a masculine, fast, and confident walk.
The girls receive outfits representing different letters and must answer fashion-related questions while presenting confident walks and interesting poses.
Before officially joining the competition in Los Angeles, the six newcomers underwent intensive training in Munich with Thomas Hayo and Nikeata Thompson during a boot camp.
They showcase their unique walks in duels, with Ida, Leona, Mirella, Nicole, Nina, and Vivien ending up in the bottom six.
The remaining models face two challenging tasks: First, they must pose inside a giant toy machine for a photo shoot.
The models undergo interviews with Claudia von Brauchitsch, testing their professional skills, including their ability to handle difficult questions and topics.
Season 16 winner Alex-Mariah Peter shares her experience during a coaching session on dealing with negative headlines and hateful comments, alongside psychologist Pia Kabitzsch.
The models visit Berlin and have the opportunity to book runway jobs at fashion week by impressing designer Kilian Kerner.
At elimination, guest judges Kilian Kerner and Anna Dello Russo assess the girls' walks in a sea of balls.
The models channel legendary songs from past decades for a photo shoot, with guest judge and this week's photographer, Thomas Hayo, overseeing the process, while Selma secures her second job for Emmi Caffé Latte.
The models receive a surprise visit from their loved ones at home, who then watch the contestants in action at the "rich girl" photo shoot in a luxurious penthouse with photographer Yu Tsai.
Kristian Schuller photographs the models in the middle of nowhere with giant balls and blowing fabric, but Olivia and Mirella struggle.
The highly anticipated Harper's Bazaar cover shoot is here, and everything must be perfect to impress Heidi and guest judge Kerstin Schneider.
The shoot takes place in the desert, where Anna-Maria, Ida, and Olivia struggle, while Kerstin selects Somajia, Selma, and Vivien as the best performers.
In the live finale of Germany's Next Topmodel cycle 18, the top 5 contestants performed an opening routine with the Friedrichstadt-Palast ensemble and Leni Klum in Jean Paul Gaultier outfits.
In February 2023, at the beginning of the 18th season, Heidi Klum gave a 10-minute speech in which she denied all allegations against her and the show and blamed the candidates themselves.
On the other hand, because in the show very young girls in absolutely exceptional and stressful situations meet experienced editors who know exactly what the viewers later want to see on television.
[11] Frankfurter Allgemeine headlined: "This woman only has dollar signs in her eyes" and also assumed that Heidi Klum was doing a perpetrator-victim reversal.
[13] In February 2023, Der Spiegel gives a glimpse into the notorious gag contracts that candidates have to sign in order to be able to take part in the Heidi Klum show.
[14][15] In February 2023, the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung wrote that Germany's Next Topmodel is one of the worst trash TV programs on German television.
Heidi is also partly responsible for the fact that, at least on TV, such behavior should not lead to extra airtime..." The article goes on to say: "With Germany’s Next Topmodel absolutely wrong values are conveyed.
Even some tabloid media such as Focus (German magazine),[24] Berliner Kurier[25] or DASDING[26] spread the hate and cyberbullying about the young contestant in a low-level and anti-social way.
[29] In April 2023, the well-known German influencer Kayla Shyx said about Germany's Next Topmodel: "Even if you're super self-confident, you can quickly lose that on the show.
According to a study by the "International Central Institute for Youth and Educational Television", a third of all girls surveyed with eating disorders named Germany's Next Topmodel as a trigger of it.
[31] Also in May 2023, 10th placer Mirella Janev said about Germany's Next Topmodel, that the show is not about modeling, but about cringe walks and shock value to get the ratings.
The makers of the documentary admitted that they are familiar with difficult investigations, but they have never experienced it before that so many people were afraid to talk about what happened as these former participants and employees of Germany's Next Topmodel.
A crew member of the show who wished to remain anonymous is quoted as saying: "If you film a young woman from morning to night, you'll get every sectional image you want.