If there was anyone else hosting ANTM, I might actually watch it.  But seeing Tyra Banks on ANTM is close to what must happen in Guantanamo Bay.  T-O-R-T-U-R-E.  I might even consider it my personal hell.

After an NYC casting call for America’s Next Top Model turned ugly Saturday as hundreds of hopefuls were caught in a stampede resulting in three arrests and six injuries, the show’s host and executive producer Tyra Banks tells aspiring models that they will still have a chance to compete.

“To all the Top Model hopefuls who were affected by the New York casting, we are doing everything we can to make sure that ALL the girls who weren’t seen, get an opportunity to audition — we’ll update you on our plans very soon,” Banks told Usmagazine.com in a statement Monday.

She added: “It is so important to me to redefine beauty and make sure that everyone gets a fair chance to pursue their dream. I am beyond excited for Cycle 13; for the first time ever, young women 5’7″ and under have a shot at becoming America’s Next Top Model!

“I encourage each girl to come out ready to rock the runway and show off their fiercest pose. I’m rooting for all of you!”

As aspiring models waited in line at the Park Central Hotel, fights broke out as news of a supposed car on fire began to spread.

Police were forced to shut down the casting call, and arrested two women and one man on charges of disorderly conduct and inciting to riot, according to the Times. Two people were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, while four others refused treatment.

“We are concerned by the events that occurred Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of the New York City casting call for the next cycle of America’s Next Top Model,” executive producers Banks and Ken Mok told Us in a statement earlier on Monday. “At this time, we still don’t know all the details of what happened or what triggered the incident. We appreciate the efforts of the NYPD and will assist them in any way possible in this matter.”

America’s Next Top Model debuted its twelfth cycle earlier this month.

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And you thought the onscreen catfights on America’s Next Top Model were good…

New York police arrested three people following a massive stampede that erupted during a casting call for the new season of the Tyra Banks-powered reality contest—a melee that involved hundreds of people outside a Central Park hotel.

At least six people were injured, two of whom were hospitalized, in a scene that left the surrounding vicinity looking like Fashion Week meets Thunderdome and shut down the auditions.

Police said they did not immediately know what triggered the crush of bodies, but according to the New York Daily News, the combination of would-be catwalkers (all under 5-foot-7 this cycle) waiting on line for hours and a broken-down BMW proved combustible.

A fight had broken out among some of the bystanders; then, moments later, the car appeared, spewing smoke, and reportedly led to shouts that a bomb had gone off.

“The girls were running like it was 9/11 part two,” 27-year-old Jennifer Brown of Brooklyn told the Daily News. “I feared for my life.”

Two women and a man were arrested on disorderly conduct charges.

Banks and her fellow executive producer Ken Mok released a statement on Sunday: “We are concerned by the events that occurred Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of the New York City casting call for the next cycle of America’s Next Top Model. At this time, we still don’t know all the details of what happened or what triggered the incident. We appreciate the efforts of the NYPD and will assist them in any way possible in this matter.”

And in an understatement, the CW said: “An altercation occurred today at a casting call for the next edition of America’s Next Top Model in New York City. Representatives of The CW are working and cooperating with local authorities on the matter.”

Despite upcoming tryouts in Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles and a new season ahead after that, we’re not sure Tyra & Co. can top this.

Meanwhile, the current edition of Next Top Model kicked off last week.

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After two days of glowing headlines for the CW, you just knew everybody’s favorite hard-luck network was going to have a change of fortune: Despite the CW’s stellar start this week with the return of “Gossip Girl” and unveiling of “90210,” Wednesday night’s “America’s Next Top Model” premiere was the lowest-rated in the network’s history.

The two-hour “Top Model” premiere (3.5 million viewers, 1.7 preliminary adults 18-49 rating and a 5 share) was down 11% from last February’s cycle, and down 32% from last September in the adult demo. Among the network’s 18-34 demo (1.9/6), the drops were steeper. It marks the lowest-rated premiere since the show debuted in 2003 on UPN.

Given all the heavy advertising of “90210″ and “Gossip” running up to their premieres, it seems conceivable (if not highly likely) that efforts to promote awareness of the soap dramas may have come at the expense of the network’s highest-rated show. Then again, after running two editions for the past five years or so one would think “Model” fans would either not need too much prompting, or, more probable, feel the show is long in the tooth. This is Cycle 11, which is an extraordinary run for a reality show, and “Model” has slipped in the ratings for a few editions now. If the premiere week ratings horse race doesn’t change over the course of the season, the CW will have a new top-rated series.

SPEAK UP!: Did any of you watch it? I could not believe how TERRIBLE it was. WTF was up with all the Sci-Fi crap!? It was embarrassing to watch!

Here are the pictures from last night’s photo shoot!

“She has — pardon the pun — that extra something special,” judge J. Alexander tells In Touch about Isis, the 22-year-old transgender contestant who’ll be competing on the 11th cycle of America’s Next Top Model. “Please — she could probably teach me something on the catwalk!”

Even though Isis was born a man and is still saving for a sex-change operation, “Miss J” says this wasn’t an issue when it came time to compete: “We put her in a bathing suit and there was nothing dangling.”

In fact, J. asserts, transgender models have long been a part of the fashion industry — although many haven’t been as open about it as Isis. “Over the past 15 years, there have been several highly successful ones,” he says. “I know five, easy, who’re passing as women, doing shows, with really great careers — and no one knew. Well, I knew! So the great thing about Isis is that she actually goes into this competition with no luggage, per se. The struggles of her formerly being a man aren’t hindering her challenges — just everything else that makes modeling difficult. She’s just one of the girls.”

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