Jay Manuel

How we've come to love Jay Manuel with his sharp tongue, his easy laugh (usually, and hilariously, at the models) and his oh, so immaculate grooming.

Jay began his association with ANTM in series one as the humble but talented make-up artist. He quickly became a key part of the team with his witty asides and his astute summing-up of each of the model's strong points (or indeed lack of).

In his role as the show's creative director Jay oversees the weekly photo shoots, offering supportive encouragement to the girls and artistic direction to the team. Even if that does sometimes involve a lot of heavy sighs of exasperation!

As each series has progressed, the photo shoots have become more and more ambitious. Much of the vision for each week's impressive display is down to Jay's innovative creativity.

Outside of the show, Jay is very much in demand in the industry for his make-up artistry, or, as he calls it, 'the business of managing the aesthetic'. His impressive client list includes greats such as Tyra herself, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, Pink and David Bowie.

Jay's talents and vision extend much further, having designed several glamorous advertising campaigns and provided his unique conceptual direction for high-profile fashion editorials. Through this work he's collaborated with legendary photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon and Herb Ritts. His magazine credentials include Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire and the famous Victoria's Secret catalogue.