Episode 1 premiered with 33 potential contestants. Each one received a phone call from Tyra Banks, announcing they were the semi-finalists. They convened at a port in San Juan, Puerto Rico and met J. Alexander. He gave the girls boarding passes for a luxurious Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. This was to be their residence for the week until the 13 finalists were chosen. Their first task was to walk a runway modeling life jackets. At breakfast, the women met Tyra, before proceeding to their interviews with the judges. Memorable moments included Janet's mock waxing of Tyra, Heather revealing she had Asperger's Syndrome and A.D.H.D., and Lisa's revelation of being an exotic dancer (not nude, but wearing a swimsuit). They docked at St. John’s, Antigua for a beach photo shoot, where they met ANTM Cycle 8 winner, Jaslene Gonzalez. After the shoot, the final 20 were selected. Tyra asked the final 20 why they should become America's Next Top Model. Marvita Washington failed to make the final cut.^{[lower-alpha 1]}

• Featured photographer: Jim Wade
• Special guests: Jaslene Gonzalez, Gregorio Cuevas, Patrick Dukes

In Episode 2, the 13 contestants were taken to Los Angeles. There,they were introduced to the new green theme of the cycle. The first photo shoot portrayed the negative sides of smoking. In one set of frames, they looked glamorous smoking. In the second set, they were shown how smoking had affected them. Heather and Saleisha agreed to decide to shoot together on a single side-effect theme.

During the photo shoot, Bianca and Lisa clashed in an argument concerning Lisa's morals. The girls' first challenge was to create an outfit that was simple, yet fashionable, from Old Navy. They were given 10 minutes. The contestants went to Old Navy. Benny Ninja assisted and supervised them. The girls' outfits were judged at panel. Saleisha was determined to have the best outfit. She won US$1,000 and the chance to shoot an ad for Old Navy. Before the contestants were called in, Tyra said there would be no more smoking inside the model house, starting the following day. Many of them, especially Heather, Chantal, Sarah, and Lisa excelled, but Bianca, Ebony, and Mila struggled. Ebony and Mila found themselves in the bottom two. The judges felt that Ebony was too stiff, and that Mila did not take the photo shoot seriously. In the end, Ebony was chosen over Mila for displaying more potential and drive. At the end of Episode 2, the contestants were informed that smoking was banned as it set a bad example.

• Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
• Special guest: Benny Ninja
• CoverGirl of the Week: Lisa Jackson

In Episode 3, some contestants helped Heather dress up to improve her image. The girls then proceeded to Fashion Madhouse. There, J. Alexander shocked the girls with a scary lesson: how to perfect their runway walk while wearing straitjackets. Miss J teased Heather because of her weak walk. She also teased Bianca as she showed her signature walk too much. Back at the house, Saleisha and Bianca got into a heated argument. The girls participated in a couture runway challenge for Colleen Quen. After the challenge, Saleisha won a future trip to Paris for a Colleen Quen fashion show. For the photo shoot, the contestants were placed on a climbing wall while wearing couture gowns. Jenah was praised for her high fashion photo. Lisa, Heather, and Chantal shone in their shoots. Ebony, Bianca, and Kimberly struggled. Ebony managed to improve; she impressed the judges with a better shot than last week. Ultimately, it was Bianca and Kimberly who landed in the bottom two. Tyra stated that, besides herself, none of the judges liked Bianca's photo. Kimberly was unable to transfer her high-fashion appeal in person onto film and was sent home.

• Special guests: Colleen Quen, Roy Campbell
• Featured photographer: Matthew Jordan Smith
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

In Episode 4, the contestants received their makeovers at the Ken Pavés salon. Some girls, like Sarah and Chantal, embraced their new looks with positivity and excitement. It was initially intended that Bianca would have a long, blonde weave. However, her overly damaged hair wouldn't have been able to accept the weave. Instead, she was shaved bald. Bianca was given a blonde wig. However, it went unused for the rest of the season as the look suited her. The challenge involved the girls putting together a look, using CoverGirl cosmetics at a make-up table. It also included going through racks of clothes to find the outfit with their name on it. Janet was deemed by the judges as having the best make-up. Janet would have won. Since she didn't put on the correct outfit (Janet was unable to find it), she was disqualified. Sarah won the challenge. Her prize was the opportunity to shoot a tutorial video for the CoverGirl website on make-up application. This week's photo shoot had the girls portraying different plants.

At panel, Tyra told Ebony that she would have been called first for having the best picture in the bunch. However, Ebony displayed an up-tight personality in front of the judges. Jenah, Heather, and Sarah once again stunned the judges. Lionel Deluy went as far as telling Jenah he'll use her when she gets signed. Bianca and Ebony surprised the judges with their improvements (in comparison to their previous shoots). Chantal was criticized for her inability to take in both the photographer's and the art director's instructions during the shoot. Saleisha's lack of emotion in her picture didn't sit well with the judges. When evaluating Victoria's cactus picture, Twiggy joked that it was a fitting representation since she felt Victoria has a "prickly disposition." Saleisha and Victoria ended up in the bottom two. Victoria was shockingly sent home for not handling criticism well.

• Featured photographer: Lionel Deluy
• Special guests: Ken Pavés, Dawn Patton, Brent Poer, Crissy Barker
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

Episode 5 kicked off with a posing lesson. Vogueing expert Benny Ninja, taught the contestants how to pose in the air while jumping on a trampoline. Ambreal was praised for her natural ability to strike amazing poses. Heather and Lisa struggled with their awkwardness. Later, the remaining ten girls used what they learned from Benny for the next challenge. It was held at an ice rink. They would pose in the air while being hoisted by figure skater, Lloyd Eisler. The prize was an Akademiks photo shoot for Seventeen Magazine with cycle 6 winner, Danielle Evans (now known as Dani Evans). Lisa won the challenge. She picked Ebony and Janet to join her in the photos shoot. Lisa inadvertently caused some tension among some contestants as they felt that her win was undeserved.

For the photo shoot, the contestants posed for high-fashion photos. They were costumed as gargoyles on the roof of the Omni Hotel building. Bianca and Ebony shocked Mr. Jay with their astounding progress. Jenah, Heather, and Lisa all delivered. Sarah struggled to get into character. Janet worried about showing her underwear. Ambreal struggled against her fear of heights. At the judges' panel, most of the contestants received praise from the judges. Heather delivered another strong photograph). However, the judges advised Heather she needed to model her face forwards as well (not just profile). Sarah was criticized for not grasping the concept of the shoot. Again, Ebony was cautioned about her uptight, in-person persona. Ebony was told that she would have been rewarded first place, if only she had smiled at the judges. The bottom two were Janet and Ambreal. Tyra felt that both girls had striking features and great personalities. However, the judges felt that Janet was constantly coached from photo shoot to photo shoot. Ambreal had worsened rather than improved but was given another chance. Janet was sent home.

• Featured photographer: Mike Rosenthal
• Special guests: Benny Ninja, Ann Shoket, Danielle Evans, Byron Kirkland, Lloyd Eisler, Marc Baptiste
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

Episode 6 began at the house. Ebony shocked contestants by saying she no longer wanted to be there. Later on, male super model Tyson Beckford surprised the contestants by knocking on the door at the house. Tyson gave a lesson on how to be effective spokespersons. Most managed an impromptu sales pitch for their teacher. Some had a difficulty concentrating on their task. Later, the girls were divided into three groups of three. Their assignment was to create public service announcements for the charity, Keep a Child Alive. One group (Heather, Jenah and Ambreal) at first struggled to create their announcement. However, they finally developed a great idea and won the challenge. The Director of Carol's Daughter placed the names of Heather, Jenah, and Ambrea in a basket for a random drawing. Heather's name was picked. Her prize was an opportunity for a photo shoot for Carol's Daughter (a beauty brand of body, hair, and skin products). Jeneah and Ambreal each won huge gift baskets of Carol's Daughter products. Heather's photo shoot was directed by singer, Mary J. Blige who advised Heather on cosmetics and outfits for the shoot. Heather used this opportunity to practice shooting face-front pictures. (She was advised by the judges about this in Episode 5.)

This episode's photo shoot had the girls model with various recyclable materials. Ebony and Ambreal struggled with their shoots. Heather received praise for not doing a single shot in profile. Saleisha, Jenah, Sarah, and Chantal excelled. Bianca was complimented for her practicing in the mirror and smiling with her eyes in most of her film. Lisa was told by Jay that she was doing well, but the judges criticized her for being too "Model 101."

At judges' panel, due to their poor performances in the photo shoot, Ebony and Ambreal landed in the bottom two, both for the second time. Ebony was told she was uninspiring in both her film and her final photo. Ambreal appeared sleepy in her photo. Tyra called Ebony to receive her photo, but Ebony stated that she no longer wished to compete. All the contestants were astonished, especially Ambreal. After Tyra gave Ebody permission to leave, Ebony left. Thus, Ambreal received "a free pass," allowing her to continue on in the competition.

• Featured photographer: Fredric Reshew
• Special guests: Tyson Beckford, Elizabeth Santiso, Lisa Price, Mary J. Blige, Matthew Rolston
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

This was the recap episode of the season, reviewing the first six episodes of the cycle. It included some never-before-seen footage.This included: Miss J's fashion checkpoint at castings; Bianca running into a glass door; Jenah visiting the dentist over a chipped tooth; Tyra discussing body image with the girls; Janet teaching Bianca how to unclog the toilet; Jenah dealing with nicotine withdrawal; Bianca's confrontations with Saleisha, Chantal, Lisa and Heather; and the contestants playing a card game. During the latter, one of the girls spoke about Bianca's maturity and loss of her attitude after having all of her hair shaved off.

In Episode 8, Sarah questioned her self-image. The house heated up when Bianca accused Heather of just “sitting pretty” and not doing anything extra to produce good photos. Tyra taught the ladies how to model in front of a moving camera.

Later, the contestants shot a music video with Enrique Iglesias on his single, "Tired of Being Sorry". The girls met Enrique in their van. He said that one of them won the reward of being featured more in the video. They gathered again later where both Lisa and Heather were announced as the winners, incorporating a “Gothic” look in the video. During the filming, Heather fainted from exhaustion.

At judges' panel, Lisa, Heather and Saleisha's clips received praise. Sarah was criticized for feeling embarrassed about her own body. In the end, she landed in the bottom two together with Chantal. Chantal's performance in the music video was lackluster. In the end, Sarah was eliminated.

• Featured music video director: Jessy Terrero
• Special guests: Enrique Iglesias, Billy Parks, Lisa Arianna
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

In Episode 9, the remaining seven girls went to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. There, they were paired up with student fashion designers, as their muses. On the runway, the girls showed off their outfits and explained their dresses. Heather and Lisa both stumbled in their performances. Saleisha was chosen as the challenge winner. The reward for the challenge was a photo shoot for Seventeen American Magazine. Saleisha chose Bianca and Lisa to accompany her. For their photo shoot, the girls were dropped off in the desert. There, they had to portray models stranded in the middle of nowhere, posing with a burning car. During the photo shoot, Heather's frustration over her poor challenge performance took its toll. She produced many mediocre takes.

At judges' panel, the contestants were surprised by a lion dance. They were delightfully surprised to be told they're going to Shanghai, China, for the remainder of the competition. There were only six spots available. Most of the girls received praise for their photos, especially Bianca and Jenah. Heather was informed that this was her weakest shoot to date. Ambreal was advised that she needed to work much harder. Lisa was advised she was fading away from the judges. In the end, Ambreal and Lisa landed in the bottom two. Ambreal was eliminated as the judges felt Lisa had more potential.

• Featured photographer: Trevor O'Shana
• Special guests: Benny Ninja, Neal Hamil, Ann Shoket, Angela Avanesyan, Richard Chan, Julia Chumak, Angelo Estrada, Justin Green, Erin Helgersun, Yuko Pena
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

In Episode 10, the six remaining girls flew to Shanghai and were brought to their suite. However, there were only five beds inside. When Saleisha refused to share the only king-sized bed, Heather was left without one. Jenah and Bianca ended up sharing the large bed. The girls learned basic martial arts poses. Their challenge was to showcase their poses in the air on high wires. At the challenge, Bianca refused to pose in the air and disqualified herself. Heather won the challenge and was rewarded with a shopping spree. She chose Chantal to accompany her. This week, the girls were told to wear clothes that showcased their personalities. They ended up shooting both a commercial and photo shoot for CoverGirl Queen collection.

At panel, the judges felt all the girls struggled with either their commercials or their photo shoots. The judges decided that the commercials were more important than the photos. Chantal and Saleisha received relative praise for their commercial performances, despite unsatisfactory photos. Jenah was praised for her photo, but her personality was questioned by the judges. Heather and Lisa's commercial takes were deemed the worst. Thus, they landed in the bottom two, despite strong photos. Though her photo was deemed "warm and approachable," it was Lisa who was eliminated. Her ability to handle criticism was in question.

• Featured photographer: Jim Wade
• Featured commercial director: Jeffrey Chu
• Special guests: Louis Liu, Brent Poer
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

In Episode 11, the remaining five girls were sent to PT Models in Shanghai for go-sees. Heather had difficulty finding her way around the city and visited only one designer. Jenah received bad comments about her personality and walk from the designers she visited. Bianca and Saleisha were the only two to make it back on time; Chantal (20 minute's late), Jenah (15 minute's late), and Heather (40 minute's late) were all disqualified for their tardiness. Bianca won the challenge. Her prize was having her picture used in a campaign for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Later, the girls took part in a photo shoot with Nigel Barker, where they stood out in a crowd of Chinese lions and dragons. Some of Jenah's comments caused friction between her and Nigel, leaving Jenah to worry about her fate in the competition.

During judges' panel, Tyra announced that the final four would go to Beijing for the remainder of the competition. Saleisha shone, while Bianca was critiqued for forgetting about her face in her photograph. Jenah's communication skills were questioned. Chantal was complimented for a beautiful picture. Chantal was praised for doing the best at the go-see challenge. Her photo received a ton of compliments from the judges. Jenah And Heather ultimately landed in the bottom two, both for their lack of communication skills. With that, Jenah's name was called to remain in the competition. Heather was eliminated.

• Featured photographer: Nigel Barker
• Special guests: Susan Yang, Shan Jin Ya, Lu Kun, Stephen Peng, Flora Zeta, Helen Lee, Fiona Vong
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

In Episode 12, the top four contestants flew to Beijing, where they were introduced to the story of the Four Beauties. On the next day, they participated in a challenge in which they turned a traditional Chinese garment into their own style. During the task, Bianca purposefully gave Jenah bad advice. When Jenah was declared the winner, she instead chose Chantal to share her prize of custom-made Chinese qípáos gowns.Jenah also won a personalized runway lesson with Miss J.

The contestants then traveled to the Great Wall for a Mongolian warrior-themed photo shoot, photographed by Tyra. Chantal excelled throughout the photo shoot by thinking outside of the box. Jenah, Saleisha, and Bianca struggled at first but had good takes at the end. Tyra was generally positive about all the contestants' performances. However, Tyra showed concern over Jenah's identity crisis and Bianca's stiff poses. The shoot concluded with a final group shot to see which girl stood out the most.

At judges' panel, all the photos were greeted with positive reviews. Tyra confessed that her opinions about the girls had changed after photographing them. Tyra deemed Chantal's photos one of the best shots ever from the show. Saleisha was also praised for thinking outside the box, and using her whole body. Jenah explained that she was homesick, but cared greatly about the competition. Bianca argued that she had consistently improved. In the end, Bianca was eliminated for not demonstrating the same innate talent as the other contestants.

• Featured photographer: Tyra Banks
• Special guests: Kevin Lee, Ann Shoket
• CoverGirl of the Week: Heather Kuzmich

In Episode 13, the top three contestants were put to the test when they had to shoot a CoverGirl commercial for CoverGirl Wetslicks Fruit Spritzers. The girls got to choose from 12 fruity flavors to portray in their commercials. All the girls struggled with their commercials at first, but Chantal managed good takes in the end. Jenah's attitude came off as slightly abrasive to Jay. Saleisha (who was the weakest) asked for a minute to compose herself due to frustration.

Before evaluation, the girls were asked to critique their competition. All the girls commented themselves as having the most potential. Jenah's laid-back attitude caused her to be deemed as having the least. As she was being evaluated, Jenah broke down into tears but was praised by Tyra for finally showing her real self to the panel. Jenah's and Chantal's photos were heavily praised while Saleisha's was criticized. Saleisha and Jenah landed in the bottom two. It was pointed out that Saleisha may have had modeling experience in the past. However, Saleisha's portfolio was hit and miss, though it was improving when they came overseas. While Chantal, without any modeling experience in the past, had taken much stronger photos than Saleisha. In the end, Jenah was eliminated in her third-consecutive, bottom- two appearance.

• Featured photographer: Jim De Yonker
• Featured commercial director: Brent Poer

The final two had a photo shoot for the February cover issue of Seventeen. The final runway took place near the Forbidden City. There, Saleisha and Chantal modeled Qi Gang's line of couture dresses. Cycle 8 winner, Jaslene Gonzalez, started off the show. Chantal was a bit stiff and had a slight accident when her dress tripped a stilt performer. Saleisha owned the runway show. Behind the scenes, Saleisha consoled Chantal, who was slightly distraught about tripping the stilt performer.

During the final panel, the judges praised both finalists' personalities and their photos throughout the season. The judges praised Chantal's bubbly personality and blend of high-fashion and girl-next-door appeal. They comments about Saleisha’s commercial ability and holistic modeling potential. The girls were called back. Saleisha (who is now known as Sal Stowers ) was declared the ninth winner of America's Next Top Model'

• Special guests: Qi Gang, Darren Duan, Ann Shoket, Jaslene Gonzalez, Stephen Danelian