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Former Holland's Next Top Model sacked for being 'too big' wins court case

A former winner of TV talent show Holland’s Next Top Model has won a four-year court battle for her €75,000 top prize after modelling agencies dropped her for being too large.

Ananda Marchildon, who won the contest in 2008, said she had been paid just €10,000 by Modelmasters The Agency. The agency said it was unable to find work for her because her hips were too wide and withheld the money.

She and the 2009 winner, Rosalinde Kikstra, were both dropped from the books of Elite Model Management, which took over MTA's contracts, because they failed to meet Elite’s demand for a hip measurement below 90 centimetres (35.4 inches).

Elite had put them on an intense diet and fitness programme and measured them on a monthly or bi-monthly basis, but when the women’s hips failed to shrink quickly enough their contracts were cancelled.

Marchildon, 25, sued the agencies for the remainder of the €75,000 which was guaranteed in her contract for winning the show.

A judge ruled that the modelling agencies were ‘not sufficiently accountable’ and awarded Marchildon the outstanding prize money. 

Marchildon told NRC Handelsblad she was relieved by the court’s decision.

She said: ‘This shows that the co-operation between programmes and third parties is not working.

‘I hope makers and participants will think more carefully in future about how they make these kinds of programmes.’

Source: nrc.nl: Next top model wint zaak tegen modellenbureaus

Screenshot of Pauw & Witteman TV show from YouTube