On the surface, Paulina Porizkova seems like the sweetest, most down-to-earth celebrity. But, as fans of America’s Next Top Model also realize, she’s not afraid to unleash her refreshing opinions—much like a certain outspoken Idol judge. “It feels really good to be called the ‘Simon of Top Model,’ as opposed to Paula, which Nigel (Barker) did on my first show,” she says in a new CW interview. “I try to be as honest as I can. I don’t think I benefit the girls by saying ‘Oh yes, you can absolutely be a model because you’re so gorgeous,’ when…you can’t.” The current cycle is all about transformation, Paulina explains, “because when I first saw the girls, I thought ‘who let the dogs out?’ They didn’t look like models. But they really grow into their beauty, into modeling, into being beautiful in pictures.” The supermodel icon can speak from experience. Once a poverty-stricken political refugee from Czechoslovakia, she and her young brother had to steal bread in order to eat. Then at age 15, Paulina was photographed by a friend and offered a ticket to Paris, where she soared to worldwide acclaim in the fashion modeling industry. Her first novel, A Model Summer (published last year), is loosely based on those early experiences. Tonight, Paulina and her fellow panelists will narrow the Top Model field to ten hopefuls. Have you chosen a favorite?

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