“This season will have something missing.”
The ninth season of Australia’s Next Top Model premiered last night after an almost two-year hiatus and the somber mood was felt throughout the episode due to the absence of the late Charlotte Dawson.
Dawson was a television presenter, a model and a judge on the show, before she took her own life in February last year.
On last night’s episode, the show opened with a message from model and creator of the Top Model series Tyra Banks, who dedicated the season to Dawson.
After talking about the success of the show, Banks turned her attention to Dawson’s memory.
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“Now this season will have something missing,” she said.
“Charlotte Dawson was a champion of the series and the models and she will be very missed. So on behalf of the global Next Top Model family, this season is dedicated to Charlotte.”
You can watch Banks’ tribute below. Post continues after video.
Dawson will be replaced with a number of high profile models and celebrities on this season, which fellow judge Alex Perry said was a tribute to Dawson in their own way.
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“It was a tribute to Charlotte because we couldn’t find one person to replace her,” Perry said.
“[Our thinking was] ‘You know what, we’re going to get someone really fabulous every week’ – it was like a tribute to her that we did that.”
Will you be watching Australia’s Next Top Model this season?