America’s Next Top Model is…a dork.

The redhead overcame her shyness to become the first petite-cycle winner on Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model! At 5-foot-7-inches tall, Nicole is one of the shortest champs in ANTM history. It was also the first-ever Top Model finale pitting two finalists against each other (there are usually three finalists). Southern sensation Laura Kirkpatrick won runner-up in the series’ first-ever petite-themed competition. Nicole managed to edge out the Southern belle — who credits the competition with helping her cope with a lifelong struggle against dyslexic.

The 18-year-old University of Colorado student has landed a $100,000 Cover Girl contract and six-page spread in Seventeen Magazine and representation from Wilhemina Models, thanks to her big win.

“I’m a dork and I’m America’s Next Top Model!” the beauty from Louisville, Colo. gushed after her win, E! Online reported. “I had to learn to embarrass myself—and to speak, which was a struggle,” she said. “Sometimes I didn’t think I was going to survive the journey. Like, I remember during casting week I went home and I cried because I was like, ‘What have I gotten myself into? I can’t deal with this.’”

Tyra Banks, host and executive producer of The CW’s long-running runway competition, has tapped former Chanel muse and Baby Phat founder Kimora Lee Simmons as a judge on the forthcoming 14th cycle of ANTM.

This won’t be Kimora’s first foray sharing the small screen with her on-again/off-again bestie — she formerly appeared as a judge on the first season of Top Model, alongside ex-supermodel Janice Dickinson.

Will the comedy legend be lending his fashion sense to the catwalk mavens? Not quite. According to E!’s Kristin Dos Santos, Eddie will be in the house to cheer on Bria, who will appear with the Top Model finalists in the show. Here’s a picture of the 19-year-old beauty at a recent event in Los Angeles with her ex-model mom Nicole Murphy.

Biracial models? As in Blackface on White Chicks? Why do I have a feeling this is going to be $hit?

ANTM airs tonight @ 8PM on The CW.

On the 13th cycle of ANTM, aspiring catwalk mavens 5′7” and under faceoff as the Emmy-winning former supermodel and her team of judges go on the hunt for fashion’s next pint-sized big thing.

America’s Next Top Model premieres Wednesday, September 9 @ 8PM on The CW.

Contestant Pics After The Jump!

Check out the photos and bios of the stunning shorties who will be hitting the runway when Top Model returns to The CW on Wednesday, Sept. 9 @ 8PM.

For the first time, the show will focus on girls who are 5′7″ and under.

Check Out A Complete List Of This Season’s Guest Judges @ FanBolt.com

The weak state of the economy – not an off-screen catfight with host Tyra Banks – led to Paulina Porizkova’s birthday dismissal from America’s Next Top Model, the show’s executive producer told PEOPLE on Monday.

“I wouldn’t know [what kind of person Tyra is] because all I know of her is literally when we are on set talking to each other in front of the cameras. That is the only time she would speak to me,” Paulina said of her relationship with the Emmy-winning former supermodel, who allegedly fired her on April 9 — her birthday.

While Paulina recently claimed she was dismissed from the reality show after having “a little bit of an issue” with Tyra showing up more than an hour late for every judging, Top Model co-executive producer Ken Mok attributes the change in cast to a change in the economy.

“The current state of the economy has forced shows to make major budget cuts industry wide; and ‘America’s Next Top Model’ is not immune to these financially challenging times,” Mok said in a statement Monday. “We’ve had to make significant cuts in every area of the production and, unfortunately, Paulina was a casualty of these cuts.”

Teyona Anderson, a 20-year-old student from New Jersey, was crowned the Most Fierce of Them All on Wednesday night’s dramatic Season Finale of America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12, after beating out blonde beauty Allison Harvard on the catwalk in a Rosa Cha Fashion Show.

“I live for modeling,” said a thrilled, trembling Teyona after getting the news. “I’m so proud of myself, it’s ridiculous.”

As the winner of ANTM, Teyona will be managed by Elite Model Management, she’ll receive a $100,000 contract with cosmetics giant CoverGirl, and she’ll also appear on the cover and a six-page fashion spread in an upcoming issue of Seventeen Magazine.

What do you think ANTM? Did Tyra & Co. make a good choice selecting Teyona as America’s Next Top Model?

The supermodel made the shocking announcement that she has been fired from Tyra Bank’s ANTM judges panel — on her birthday (April 9) no less -during an appearance on CBS’ Late Late Show.

Tyra won’t be pleased about this little revelation.

“Listen, do you know why I am in Los Angeles?… Because I am looking for a job,” Paulina told host Craig Ferguson. “I was fired by ‘America’s Next Top Model’ on my birthday,” she said.

“The reason I was told I was fired was because, it seemed that ‘America’s Next Top Model’ has gotten too fat and they needed to cut some fat and the fat was me,” Paulina blabbed, bitterly spilling the beans on her impromptu depature.

“So I figured it was either that or my gigantic huge ego, which I wasn’t aware of until I was told by the producers that I have an ego problem,” she later said, adding that Tyra’s people let her go during a conversation over the phone.

Paulina replaced ’60s fashion icon and runway trendsetter Twiggy as a judge on The CW’s fashion reality competition earlier this year. The winner of the current cycle of ANTM will be revealed on Wednesday’s show.