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Tyra Banks is back on daytime television, only this time, she's not hosting solo: On FABLife, a panel-style talk show that premiered this week on ABC, she's joined by lifestyle experts Chrissy Teigen (on the food beat), Joe Zee (on fashion), Lauren Makk (interior design), and Leah Ashley (DIY projects). Cosmopolitan.com spoke to Banks about sharing the spotlight, Chrissy Teigen feud rumors, and whether the world will ever get a sequel to Modelland.
Why another talk show, and why now?
I had my show for five years and we were really successful, we had two Emmys — but I was very burnt out. I was producing the show, I was on the show, and at the same time I had America's Next Top Model twice a year and I was doing other television shows and I was running my company. I was just like, Whoa, this is so much. So after I finished, I focused on education. I took a course called "Owner, President, Management" at Harvard Business School's Executive Education, and I hunkered down on wanting to be an entrepreneur. I really wanted to do that and launch my beauty company, Tyra Beauty. I didn't think I would return to daytime again.
[But] ABC was coming to me for years and years, many, many years, wanting to go for dinners and lunch and all this. I would take the meetings and they would say that they really wanted me to come back to daytime, and I was just like, "I don't want to do this, it's super stressful, I want to be an entrepreneur and pull away from the entertainment industry." Then my mom was talking to me, and she's a big mentor for me; she said, "For so many years you've talked about supporting women and empowering women ... And now you're an entrepreneur and you're saying that you want to give them all the tools based on your experiences — but do you understand this platform that you keep turning down is a place where you can do this on a daily basis?" So I told ABC, "OK, so maybe I would be interested in this, but I don't want to do it alone."
Why not?
Because of the load. The load is a lot. Now, with FABLife, Chrissy might be cooking a full meal or Lauren might be decorating somebody's home on the stage — and I am literally in the back having a business meeting. And I can feel like I'm not neglecting my startup. I also love finding people that have the ability to take their stardom to the next level. Like with America's Next Top Model, there was Miss J and even Janice Dickinson and Pauly D — people who already have a following but taking it to the next level. Finding talent and exploding it!
Does that doesn't intimidate you at all though — sharing the spotlight?
Miss J was unknown when he started on America's Next Top Model, and about five or six years in, I went to an Academy Awards party with him and more people were running up to him than me. And I had no problem taking the camera and saying, "Oh, I'll take a picture of you guys!" He was loving it. And I love that. I love being able to have a platform to let others shine. And I just know that will happen here. For instance, I was on a carpet with Lauren, Leah, and Joe — Chrissy wasn't on this carpet — and everyone was saying, "Tyra, look here! Look here!" And I was like, "You guys, get ready because on September 14, your life is going to change and it's not going to be, 'Tyra, look here.' It's going to be, 'Joe, Leah, Lauren, Tyra, look here.'"
On a similar note, you and Chrissy have made such a public effort to squash rumors of any feud or catfight even before the rumors could really catch steam. Why did you do that — especially since rumors like that can help drum up publicity?
Well, I don't run that type of show. I've chosen every person to be on this show and I'm the executive producer of the show, so it just doesn't make sense, since I'm kind of people's bosses. It just doesn't make sense. It's just a lazy rumor.
How you are living your most fab life?
I'm just trying to get the world to know about this. And I'm sacrificing a personally fab life for this right now.
Oh no!
But once the show launches, I'll find balance. Well, actually, just this past weekend, I went [to] upstate New York and just chilled with one of my really good friends I met in school and had massages and drove — like, driving up hills, no idea where we were going, and ran into this monastery and knocked on the door and met a monk in training. So we chilled with him, which was cool because he was using curse words. We were like, "Monks swear?" And he's all, "Shit yeah!" So my fab life right now is trying to be as spontaneous as possible.
What's the latest with the Life Size sequel?
Disney Channel I think are perfectionists and are treating Life Size as if it is the golden chalice of films because they keep rewriting and rewriting and rewriting the script. I just checked in with them, because I'm an executive producer on it, and I'm like, "What is going on? I want to give you my notes," and they're all, "It just wasn't good enough. We don't want you to see it yet." I'm like, "Isn't this the third draft?" So we were supposed to have a December release of the movie, but now we're looking at a holiday release next year. So I can tease that it's going to be a Christmas kind of movie.
We're looking at 2016 at this point?
Yes, 2016. So send in your letters and tell them to hurry the hell up!
Well, we're waiting with bated breath! OK, in other sequels that we need, is there going to be a sequel to your young adult novel, Modelland?
I have Modelland going into a whole different realm. So it's not going to be another novel.
OK...
Well, I've never told anyone this and I get asked about this all the time — but it's going to be something so much bigger and much more experiential.
So are we talking about a TV series or something?
I can't say, but it is experiential and much more interesting and something you can touch and feel. You will be able to experience Modelland.
Everyone can experience it? Or just lucky contestants, à la Top Model style?
Everyone. Probably in a year or a year and a half.
But the important point here is there is still very much life in Modelland.
Yes! And the sequels will happen but just not in the traditional sense. Not in the book form.
Hmm. OK, OK. Well, we will stay tuned.
Thank you.
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