The eighteenth season of Germany's Next Topmodel aired on ProSieben from February to June 2023. For the fifth straight year, only the host (Heidi Klum) herself appeared in the judges panel, as one or more guest judges were featured for each episode.
The winner of this season was 23-year-old Vivien Blotzki from Münstermaifeld who is notably the first plus size model to win Germany's Next Topmodel. Her prizes include a cover and spread in the German edition of Harper's Bazaar, a €100,000 cash prize, and a campaign with MAC Cosmetics.
The international destinations of this cycle are Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Ibiza.
This season broke the record in terms of having the biggest pool of contestants in the history of the Top Model franchise with 35 contestants. This is also the final season to have an all-female cast.
Contestants
Ages stated are as of the beginning of the contest
Episode summaries
Summaries
Results table
The contestant won best performance
The contestant was immune from elimination
The contestant withdrew from the competition
The contestant was absent from panel but was declared safe
The contestant was eliminated
The contestant was eliminated outside of judging panel
The contestant was in danger of elimination
The contestant won the competition
Photo shoot guide
Episode 2 photoshoot: Personal styling in beachwear in pairs
Episode 3 video shoot: One-take self introduction videos
Episode 4 photoshoot: Mad Hatter from Alice In Wonderland
Episode 6 photoshoot: Sedcard
Episode 7 video shoot: Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with the Elevator Boys Episode 8 photoshoots: Black and White test shots & Sedcard (wildcards) Episode 9 photoshoot: Posing in a giant toy machine for Skechers Episode 12 photoshoot: Portraying legendary songs of past decades in groups Episode 13 photoshoot: Rich girls in a luxurious penthouse Episode 14 photoshoot: Posing in the desert with colorful balls and fabric Episode 15 photoshoot: Underwater action on the streets of Las Vegas Episode 16 photo shoot: Harper's Bazaar cover-try Episode 17 photo shoots: Cirque du Soleil on a trapeze and MAC Cosmetics campaign
Controversies
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. This was once again heavily criticized by both the viewers and the media in Germany. The Berliner Morgenpost wrote: "Everything is wrong, says Klum. She emphasized that 'everything is real' on her show. There is no text or storyline for the models. That's why it's not her fault if a young model feels misrepresented after the broadcast. 'We can only portray a person as they are,' philosophizes Klum. Whether this is true remains questionable. On the one hand, because a story can be cobbled together afterwards that doesn't have to have anything to do with reality. 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." Die Welt called Heidi Klum's statement "bizarre". Frankfurter Allgemeine called it a "Catwalk of Shame". Web.de headlined: "Why Heidi Klum's statement is dishonest". Annabelle (magazine) (Switzerland) headlined: "Heidi Klum, this justification went wrong". In an article, Puls24 (Austria) asked whether Heidi Klum practiced perpetrator-victim reversal and Gaslighting. Frankfurter Allgemeine headlined: "This woman only has dollar signs in her eyes" and also assumed that Heidi Klum was doing a perpetrator-victim reversal. BILD asked: "How evil is Heidi Klum really?".