Megan Gale is set to join Australia’s Next Top Model as a permanent judge, filling a position previously held by Charlotte Dawson before her tragic death.
Dawson took her own life in 2014 and while in recent series the show chose to fill the third judge seat with guests and mentors like Jean Paul Gaultier and Linda Evangelista, for the tenth season, due to air this year, they have enlisted Gale.
Gale called Dawson “a wonderful, wonderful woman” and “irreplaceable”.
“I don’t see it as replacing Charlotte. I don’t think she can be replaced. To say I am replacing her doesn’t honour her. She is irreplaceable,” she said.
“It’s just not possible to replace Charlotte Dawson but I hope to bring my own brand of guidance and wisdom to the girls.”
Gale has featured on the Fox 8 program a number of times throughout the years but has never been a permanent fixture. She did, however, host Foxtel program Project Runway for four years with the last season airing in 2012.
“I have worked on the show before over past years and helped the girls with challenges on photo shoots and was even a guest judge last season,” Gale said, adding that she was “a good fit”.
“To now be a permanent fixture on the show and be there to help guide the girls through each week will be a lot of fun and an absolute privilege.”
She will join long-standing judge Alex Perry and host Jennifer Hawkins who is entering her third season on the show. Model twins Jordan and Zac Stenmark will also be joining the face as mentors, a role previously held by the likes of Cheynne Tozzi and Didier Cohen.
With Tyra Banks walking away from the American format of the show after 20 years the relevancy of modelling show has been thrown into question but Gale defended it saying it gives the girls a leg-up in a “competitive industry”.
“I think the girls have an incredible opportunity in that they have guidance from me, Jen, Alex, Jordan and Zac. I wish I had that kind of help in the beginning,” she said.
There is no launch date yet for the tenth season, however, season nine kicked off in April so it’s likely to be some time around then.
