Tyra Banks Talks First-Ever Top Model Contestant With Vitiligo: Chantelle Brown-Young Is "Absolutely Beautiful"

Host says she reached out to the model personally in hopes she would appear on the show

By Mike Vulpo Aug 21, 2014 2:19 AMTags

Tyra Banks knows how to keep America's Next Top Model fresh!

As the show celebrates its 21st season, fans are quickly falling in love with contestant Chantelle Brown-Young, a 20-year-old model diagnosed with the skin disorder, vitiligo.

"She's absolutely beautiful," Banks gushed during her visit to E! News Wednesday. "We were looking [for contestants] and I just kept seeing this girl pop up, this beautiful, striking girl."

But instead of finding her through one of the show's nationwide casting calls, Banks took it upon herself to recruit the fan-favorite.

"I reached out to her myself and told my team, ‘Find her! I want her here in a week.'" Lucky for us, the aspiring model agreed to participate and already wowed the judges in the season premiere.

Facebook

Vitiligo is a condition that causes the loss of skin color in blotches. The extent and rate of color loss is unpredictable. It is, however, not life-threatening or contagious.

Chantelle's decision to appear on the show has quickly inspired hundreds of fans living with the condition. One of them is E! News' very own Terrence Jenkins.

"She inspired me when I saw photos of her," he told Banks. "I was like wow! She inspired me to show my spots instead of covering it up with makeup all the time."

We know who we're rooting for this season on America's Next Top Model: Guys and Girls. Good luck, Chantelle! 

For more entertainment news and A-list interviews, watch E! News weeknights at 7:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m.