Tyra Banks Uses Her America's Next Top Model Skills to Help America's Got Talent

-This is nice to have you in New York,
because you were born in L.A. and currently working in L.A.
But you spent a lot of your life in New York.
-Yeah, I was here as a model a lot,
and then I lived here for eight years,
and I just moved back to L.A. two years ago.
-Okay, so, what do you miss most about New York?
-I miss getting barbecue late-night.
-Oh, really? -Yes.
-It's hard to get late-night barbecue in L.A.?
-Yeah, L.A. -- It's like, 10:00, it stops.
New York, it's like you can get the 'cue all night, boo.
-Wow! Where do you -- Where's a good late-night place
to get the 'cue? -You know, I love Daisy May's.
-Okay, where's Daisy -- -On 11th Street.
-Okay, great. -Oh, my God. The sides.
It's very cafeteria style. Don't think it's all fancy, y'all.
All right? You can't wear this dress there.
-By the way, it was very hard
for me to picture fancy barbecue late at night.
-So you know. Okay. Yes.
-All right, well, great.
So, congratulations on "America's Got Talent."
You -- very good ratings this year. You're a host.
Have you been enjoying it?
-Yeah, I have been having a really good time,
but it is hard as hell. -It is.
You were saying backstage. You have to interview everyone.
-I have to interview every single person.
-And they have very divergent talents.
-Quite. I mean, it's the --
The singin' chicken that plays the piano, and the dog --
-Yeah? Was that a good interview?
-That was really good. She was, like, laying eggs and stuff.
And then I'm the one that has to, like, hug them
when they're crying and tell them it's going to be okay.
-Right, so you're sort of a therapist, as well.
-Yeah. And you have to know, you guys,
that when you see people and they're doing some kind of crazy act
and you're like, "Oh, they're in on it. They're just having fun."
No, a lot of times, they are really serious
and think that's their real talent.
-Oh, gotcha. So there are -- -Yeah.
-You mean there's times where I'm watching and I'm saying,
"That person knows that's dumb," they don't?
-They don't. -Interesting.
-And you just don't see it. It might not have made the cut
with them running into my arms and crying.
-Right, but I will say, I mean --
Even things that look -- Again, who am I to judge?
I'm sure a lot of people think what I do for a living is dumb.
Everybody has clearly put a lot of time into it,
which is really nice.
Like, even the skill that you would think is the silliest
has like a lifetime of doing it.
Have you had a favorite contestant this year?
-Yeah. My favorite is this singer named Yoli.
-Okay. Great. -She is out of Miami.
And she came on the stage during auditions,
and she's 21 years old,
but she had on all this, like, jewelry and makeup,
and just like way too much.
And she started to sing,
and Simon stopped her, and he was like,
"[ British accent ] I don't know. I just --
You just -- just --
You just look old, and I just can't --
I can't get into this."
God, I just made him very cockney, didn't I? Anyway...
And I could tell
he was about to, like, kind of just be over it.
And my feet hurt on "America's Got Talent"
'cause I'm on my feet all the time.
So y'all don't know, but I take off my high heels all the time,
and I throw on Vans.
They're not paying me. But you should.
And I throw on Vans,
and before I can turn to put on my high heels,
I had to go save Yoli.
I run out on the stage. I take off all of her jewelry.
And she's like, "Oh, my God! Aaah!"
And I take all of it off, and I'm like,
"Girl, be young. Be young. Now go!"
-Oh, wow. -And then she sang again.
She got a standing ovation,
and she made it to the mid-rounds,
and now she made it to the live shows!
-Well, congratulations for helping her out.
-Thank you. -Congratulations to Yoli.
So, that -- that seems like a little bit
of your "America's Top Model" skills, like, drifted in.
-I can't help myself, Seth.
-And now you're going back to "America's Top Model."
This is the 24th cycle of the show, which is crazy.
-Yes. 24 cycles.
It's one of the longest reality shows,
or television shows, ever, pretty much.
-Now, we've obviously established you've brought
some of your "Top Model" to "America's Got Talent."
Will that go the other way?
Are you going to ask the models to, like, spin plates?
-Spin plates, juggle. -Yeah.
I actually --
'Cause I created "Top Model" and I produce it.
So I've been speaking to my team and saying,
"You see that 'America's Got Talent' heart?
You see how everybody's on their couch crying,
looking at them kids singing, and this dog doing this?"
Our objective is to make people cry this cycle!
-Really?! -Yes!
-'Cause you don't think about the emotional connection
on "America's Top Model" as much.
-I mean, we have emotion, and we have tears and stuff.
But I want 'em to flow.
I want you to watch "Top Model" and be like,
"Tyra, baby, keep her! Don't send her home!"
-I will look forward to this season of "America's Top Model."

Tyra Banks Uses Her America's Next Top Model Skills to Help America's Got Talent

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