Why Rita Ora Is Just the Woman to Host the New ‘America’s Next Top Model’

These days, its seems like there’s nothing Rita Ora isn’t doing. The 26-year-old, who leapt onto the scene as a budding pop princess, has transformed over the years into the very model of a modern star and style muse, dipping her hands into a variety of projects that have had her wearing many hats.

Her successful, 15-season collaboration with Adidas is blossoming into a bigger, more involved project. She’s slated to appear in a new independent film in which she will display the acting skills she honed doing Fifty Shades of Grey, in a role that is sure to be her biggest yet. And if that isn’t enough, Ora, whose hosting credits include The Voice U.K. and X-Factor, is spearheading the newest season of America’s Next Top Model, helping young, driven women grow into entrepreneurial powerhouses whose influences go beyond fashion. This latest group of girls must know how to turn out a fierce photo and be business-savvy — who better to guide them through than another young woman who is doing it all?

We sat down with Ora to talk about her hosting gig with America’s Next Top Model, how she’s approaching the previously uncharted territory of judging a modeling competition, and what’s next for her career, which shows no signs of slowing down.

Yahoo Style: So, Tyra Banks is passing the torch to you this season on Top Model. What made you decide to get involved judging this particular competition?

Rita Ora: My first instinct was, “How the hell am I ever going to replace Tyra Banks?” But then I looked at it as, it’s not replacing Tyra Banks, it’s basically rebranding Top Model for 2016. Tyra is still involved. She makes cameos, she is an executive producer on the show. She as well as I had a conversation—she knew it was time to move on into the new generation with 2016, and with people that have a following on Instagram. Social media is really ruling a lot of things in our generation, so the smart thing was to revamp the show instead of changing it completely.

This crop of girls is full of young entrepreneurs.

That the girls had the initiative to really do something, whether or not it got anywhere, was really the point. It was about them wanting to be the face of their brand and them taking great photos because unfortunately, just taking a good photo today is not good enough. You have all this other competition out there. With [people like] me, for example, collaborating with brands, or Gigi Hadid teaming up with Tommy Hilfiger, not only being the face of the brand – there’s more to it now. That’s what we are looking for. We need you to take a great photo for sure. We want you to be on covers of magazines and do campaigns, but we also want you to be smart enough to expand that brand, go into a room and own it.

Did Tyra Banks give you any advice going into this?

She gave me so much advice! Sometimes, I feel like I called her so much, she stopped answering! I was like, “Tyra, look, I’ve been such a fan of this show, I really want to give it the same approach. These girls are starting to really affect me, I started to learn about them, relate to them.” Some of them came from literally nowhere to be on TV and have the chance to win this amazing prize.

She said, “Look, it’s natural to really connect to these girls; you start falling in love with their family and who they are, but the competition is what it is. It’s the real world. And if you weren’t involved, someone else would have done it in the outside world.” I relate to that. It’s happened to me so many times, and you forget when you’re helping someone else, that [you were in that position before] too.

You have a lot of experience hosting. What’s different judging a talent versus a modeling competition?

Oh, it’s completely different. First of all [with talent], you don’t have that much time to get to know the contestants. So it’s easier to detach yourself. Second of all, you’re judging them solely off the performance they’re showing you, whereas this show, you have to judge their growth and look at the pictures they’ve taken previously, so it’s a lot because you have to remember what these contestants have done. In a talent show, they have just three minutes to blow you away, and the public gets to vote, whereas [with ANTM], you have four panelists that have to decide.

You’re known mostly as a singer, and not a model. What do you say to people who are confused as to why you’re hosting this particular competition?

I knew this was going to happen, first of all, with me being from London and judging [an American competition], I always thought that was funny. It’s a new world. We’re in 2016. We are looking for people who are trying to accomplish something in their lives. And being 26 and with the amount I have achieved, I feel like I have a right to be on that panel. We have Ashley Graham, who does the modeling and the pictures. We have me, who can sit in front of you and tell you how to make money, be a boss and have your own say in your career. You have Law [Roach], who does the styling to turn you into a superstar, and the Drew [Elliott], who has the right to put you on a cover or not. I wanted to create a factory for these girls. This isn’t just about taking a great photo. I think once people get to watch the show, see how we run, how it works, and the tasks [the girls] have to do, it will make sense.

We also want to surprise people. That’s what this is. You want to surprise the consumers, you want to surprise the viewers. Yeah, I am 26 and hosting America’s Next Top Model! And what? It’s like, say something, because you’ll still be watching the show!

What are some of your favorite Top Model moments?

America’s Next Top Model was a worldwide success, but one of my my favorite moments, obviously, is the iconic Tyra moment when she loses her cool [on a contestant]. She’ll talk about it openly too. I also enjoyed seeing the contestants just going in at each other. But now that I’m in it, I don’t want them to fight! Now I understand why Tyra gets so emotional and passionate. I look at these girls, and some of them don’t take it seriously, and I’m like “do you understand what position you’re in and how many people wish they were in your shoes?” This is new for me too. This is the first season for me of hosting this show. So don’t complain to me! It really gets to you sometimes, because you just want them to win.

So you’ve had a very successful stint working with Adidas. What can we expect to see next from you and the brand?

We’re just going into a transition. It’s been four and a half years. I signed my deal with Adidas way before everybody else started doing it. It was before Yeezy signed, Pharrell signed, before Rihanna was with Puma and Kylie was with Puma. I felt like I was really happy with how much I achieved with Adidas four years down, 15 collections in. But we did even more. As Global Ambassador, I’m kind of going around the world talking about it. I just felt like it was a time in my life to just start doing a collaboration and start actually owning the sportswear sector. I was reading a really interesting article in the Harvard Business Review about sports collaborations becoming very busy, how they’ve become so busy to the point it’s not a surprise [when a celebrity signs on with a brand] anymore. So it’s about thinking ahead and realizing OK, Topshop just got with Beyoncé, what are we going to do now for sports to move it forward? Instead of me now being a collaborator, I’m distributed with them and doing my own thing with Adidas. That’s the future of my personal business with them.

Sounds like a very exciting time for you.

Thank you! And again, this is what I want the girls to learn. Being ahead of time, and not saying, “OK, I’m going to do this because so many people do collaborations.” I want them to say, “If everyone is doing this, what can I do next?” You have to have that brain, and that’s what this is hopefully going to help the girls do.

Tell us about your latest movie project, Wonderwell.

I play Yana, a fashion designer/witch — I’ve got powers! I was married to this old man who died, and I took all his money and I made this amazing line. It’s like Devil Wears Prada meets Maleficient, but in Italy. It’s with Carrie Fisher who plays the good witch. It’s really about two kids, whose power I want to finish my empire and own the town. I’m evil. It’s an indie movie; it’s not a crazy budget like Fifty Shades, but the script really got to me and I’m excited for people to see it, it’s a different side to me for sure.

Did you draw upon any inspirations for the role?

Yes! For me, the vision is Daphne Guinness, you know, with the blond hair and the black thing and the high heels, and the black and the studs. Yana’s not as mean as she looks — she’s just manipulating, and I think that is interesting. I was also inspired by Gaga in American Horror Story. That to me was fantastic. That fierceness is what this movie is going to have.

America’s Next Top Model premieres Dec. 12 at 10 p.m. on VH1.

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