Holland's Next Top Model - Show Format

Show Format

Each season of Holland's Next Top Model has from 8-10 episodes and starts with 10-12 contestants. Each episode, one contestant is eliminated, though there have been cases of a double elimination by consensus of the judging panel. Makeovers are administered to contestants early in the season (usually after the first or second elimination in the finals), and a trip to an international destination is scheduled at about two-thirds of the way through the season (usually with five or six contestants remaining).

Each episode covers the events of roughly a week of real time (however, while overseas, an episode roughly covers three to four days, totaling two weeks of filming abroad), and features a fashion challenge, photo shoot or commercial, judging, and critique of each contestant and her performance by the judging panel led by Daphne Deckers, and the elimination of one or more contestants. The current panel includes Australian photographer Philip Riches, runway coach Mariana Verkerk, former model and Miss Rosalie van Breemen and publisher of Grazia magazine Hilmar Mulder. Previous judges included the topmodel Yfke Sturm, photographer Carli Hermès, stylist Ruud van der Peijl, and publisher of Glamour magazine Karin Swerink. Usually, an additional guest judge will sit in on the panel every week. Each episode is usually associated with a theme in the world of modeling, such as dealing with the press in interviews, selling a commercial product, appearing in a runway show or going on "go sees".

An episode usually begins with the contestants receiving training in an area concurrent with the week's theme. For example, contestants may get coached in runway walking, improvisational acting, or applying make-up to suit various occasions. A related challenge soon follows, such as a mock runway show or interview, and a winner is chosen by a judge. She receives some prize, such as clothing, a night out, or an advantage at the next photo shoot, and she is usually allowed to share the benefits with a certain number of other contestants of her choice.

The next segment is a photo shoot, and each contestant's performance will reflect heavily on her judging for that week. Each season features photo shoots such as bikini or lingerie shots, beauty shots, posing nude or semi-nude, posing with a male model, and posing with animal(s). Usually one photo shoot per season is replaced with a commercial shoot.

The final segment of each episode is judging. Each contestant's photo is then shown and evaluated by the judging panel. After all photos have been evaluated, the contestants leave the room as the judges deliberate. The elimination process is ceremonious, as Daphne reveals and hands out the photos of the contestants that have not been eliminated one-by-one, in order of merit. The last two contestants who have not received their photos are brought up as "the bottom two", and Daphne critiques each one before revealing which of the two has been eliminated. However, there have been three exceptions, as Cycle 1 had an elimination, where the girl who was eliminated called as first and Cycles 2 & 3 had a double-elimination.

The format varies slightly when only three contestants remain. With the exception of Cycle 1 where there wasn't a live show, the three remaining contestants compete in a runway show in front of the judges and a live audience. After the runway show, the judges and the public voters may vote on their favourite contestant and the results will declare a winner.