Former America's Next Top Model judge Jay Manuel could be set to expose all of the show's secrets in his new book.
Jay, who was creative director on the US reality show from its inception in 2003 through to season 18 in 2012, has written a novel, The Wig, The B***h & The Meltdown, Variety reports.
The book is set for release on August 3 and is inspired by his time working on the show.
And while it's not exactly a book about the show, fans could gain some valuable insight into what it's really like behind the scenes of the reality contest, hosted by model Tyra Banks.
It comes at a time when the show is facing criticism for its "out-of-touch commentary".
It's claimed the show hasn't aged well with viewers, who have called it out for racial insensitivity and body-shaming on social media.
The accusations come after many fans decided to revisit old series on streaming platforms while in coronavirus quarantine.
But Jay says he's actually been working on his novel since 2014.
Speaking about the new interest in - and backlash against - the show, he said: "I never saw that coming. My novel has been in the works for quite some time, so this really is a surprise to me."
Jay's book was inspired by his time on America's Next Top Model and takes a satirical look at what it's like behind the scenes of a modelling competition show.
Described as a cautionary tale about the seduction of fame, the novel follows fictional reality show Model Muse, which is hosted by a supermodel named Keisha Kash, perhaps a nod to host Banks.
The story is told through the eyes of Pablo Michaels, a young man who heads to New York in the hope of making it big in the fashion industry.
Jay admits the characters in the book were inspired by people in his life, meaning we could learn a thing or two about life in the America's Next Top Model world.
He said: "I wanted this book to entertain and that’s why I used satire, and had a lot of fun with it. All of the characters in the book took on a life of their own and were just inspired by people in my life, but we write what we know and, as they say, art imitates life — and is often larger than life."
There are plenty of nods to the show.
The title on the book cover mirrors the logo, and a chapter entitled The Meltdown sees the fictional host screaming at a contestant, which Jay admits was inspired by that infamous "we were rooting for you" scene, in which Tyra took down one of the hopefuls she felt wasn't taking the competition seriously.
Jay says he didn't consult Tyra or any of his former colleagues about his book.
And he says he doesn't really have a relationship with Tyra any more.
He confessed: "Over the past few years, we’ve emailed. To be very honest, we really have no relationship to speak of, which is really sad. Our time together on ANTM was amazingly productive and, at times, magical. We got to experience being part of a global phenomenon."
