Thanks to The Shade Room, the world is finally seeing the modeling industry in a different light with their latest project Thick House, and Celeb Secrets has the inside scoop on what to expect from this refreshing reality series.
The six-episode series, which first premiered on Sunday, May 16th, follows a group of plus-size modeling contestants as they battle it out to impress the panel of cat-walking judges and ultimately be crowned “Miss Thickie.” While we’ve seen models duke it out on America’s Next Top Model in the 2000s, Thick House is something that we’ve never experienced as each of the seven contestants are diverse, plus-sized glamazons.
Hosted by ANTM’s first plus-size contestant Toccara Jones, the competition features a star-studded panel — celebrity stylist EJ King and plus-size fashion blogger/stylist Kelly Augustine; with special guest judge and former Glee and DWTS winner Amber Riley — that are looking for the next viral modeling sensation to cultivate a hot new fanbase.
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When speaking with Celeb Secrets, host Toccara Jones shared that she’s excited to usher in a new generation of young, talented, plus-sized ladies on a new platform with Thick House.
“It just warmed my heart to be on the other end of the competition, to give real advice and to really be invested in the girls and the judges… that really came from our hearts,” adding, “These women came in and were real shapes, real bodies and personalities… and everyone gets to see them shine.”
Throughout each episode, viewers will see each model navigate through the world of social media, which is one thing judge Kelly Augustine said each girl needs to keep in mind if they plan to succeed in 2021.
“Having friends that are plus sized-models, there is an understanding when you’re getting booked…almost every client will ask a girl what their social media is,” Kelly says, “that will be a determining factor as to whether or not they get chosen.”
In true TSR fashion, viewers will get to see both drama and authenticity in each episode, as judge EJ King opened up to us about the show’s filming process and more.
“It was a really fast process, so there was no luxury of elimination and stuff like that,” EJ says. “So it was like, ‘somebody’s going home today!’”
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Thick House is part of Facebook Watch’s We the Culture programming, aimed at amplifying the voices of Black content creators. Despite being the first of its kind, the promising new series seems to be catered to anyone looking to get a peek into the fashion world with a new perspective on how the industry is changing every day. You can view the entire first season on The Shade Room’s Facebook page here and IGTV here.
Check out our full interview with Toccara, EJ and Kelly to learn more about Thick House and let us know if you’re enjoying the show by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
