The most fascinating contestants in 12 years of ‘America’s Next Top Model’

The CW’s veteran competition show “America’s Next Top Model” is calling it quits after 22 cycles, encompassing 12 years with host Tyra Banks.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the more interesting contestants who’ve sashayed down the runway, cried, argued and worked it since the show’s earliest days.

Adrianne Curry, winner of Cycle 1 (2003)

Curry, the first winner of “ANTM,” went on to grace the covers of the Spanish-language Marie Claire, People and Maxim. She met her future husband, former “Brady Bunch” star Christopher Knight, while starring on the VH1 reality show “My Fair Brady” and also appeared on the fourth season of “The Surreal Life.” (Curry and Knight divorced in 2012.) Curry also produced (and had a cameo in) the big-screen horror-movie parody “Tales of Halloween.”

Eva Marcille Pigford, winner of Cycle 3 (2004)

First introduced as the hazel-eyed confident tomboy, the LA native now goes by Eva Marcille. She went on to play Tyra Hamilton on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” and has had much success as a model, appearing in ads for CoverGirl, Samsung and DKNY. She has also graced the covers of Women’s Health and Fitness, King and Essence magazines. In 2008, she was engaged to actor Lance Gross, but the couple split in March 2010. Marcille went on to have a baby girl, Marley Rae McCall, with rapper Kevin McCall. The couple are now split, and Marcille can currently be seen on TV One’s “Born Again Virgin” as Tara.

Yaya DaCosta, Cycle 3 (2004)

Even though the Harlem-born dancer lost to Marcille, she’s still the most successful “ANTM” contestant to date. The Brown University alum went on to star in movies such as “The Kids Are All Right,” “The Butler,” “In Time” and Whitney Houston’s Lifetime biopic “Whitney.” The 33-year-old, currently starring in NBC’s “Chicago Fire,” married and has filed for divorce from independent movie producer/director Joshua Bee Alafia, with whom she has a 2-year-old son.

Naima Mora, winner of Cycle 4 (2005)

Mora was born in Detroit and achieved success after taking the top “ANTM” prize in 2005. In 2012, she released the iBook “Naima Mora’s Model Behavior” and went on to appear on “Veronica Mars” and to star in a CoverGirl commercial. She’s done work for Elle, Us Weekly and In Touch magazines, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen her strike a pose.

Danielle Evans, winner of Cycle 6 (2006)

The Arkansas native, 30, was best-known to “ANTM” fans when she protested being sent to a dentist by Banks to close the gap in her front teeth. Evans compromised by closing the gap a bit — but not all the way. She was also told to see a speech coach to get rid of her strong Southern accent. Evans went on to appear in Elle, Essence and in The Post. After her win, she was signed to Ford Models, but is currently signed with Click Model Management. We still wonder if she ever took those voice lessons.

CariDee English, winner of Cycle 7 (2006)

The first natural blonde to win “ANTM” went on to host Oxygen’s “Pretty Wicked” in 2009 as well as appear on “How I Met Your Mother” on CBS. English, 31, has taken on projects that battle animal cruelty as well as the NOH8 campaign, a charity with a mission to promote marriage-, gender- and human-equality through education, advocacy, social media and visual protest. English, who suffers from psoriasis, is the spokeswoman for the National Psoriasis Foundation and can currently be seen in commercials for Stelara, which treats psoriasis.

Jaslene Gonzalez, winner of Cycle 8 (2007)

The first winner to be born in a Spanish-speaking nation, Gonzalez tried out for Cycle 7 and only made it to the semifinals. But the show’s producers remembered the sassy Latina and cast her in the following cycle. Gonzalez went on to appear in The Post and graced the cover of Latina” magazine. As the winner of Cycle 8, she landed a contract with Elite Model Management, and a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl. Gonzalez has walked the runway for New York Fashion Week for designers such as Custo Barcelona.

Whitney Thompson, winner of Cycle 10 (2008)

She was the first plus-size model to win “ANTM” and, in 2009, launched a jewelry and candle collection called Supermodel. She went on to model for People magazine, Forever 21 and Saks Fifth Avenue. Highlights of her career include shooting a CoverGirl commercial with Rihanna and becoming an ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association. She is currently represented by Wilhelmina Models.

Ann Ward, Cycle 15 (2010)

Coming in at 6-foot-2, Ward was mostly known for her thin frame and lack of self-confidence. One of her more memorable moments on the show was when runway trainer J. Alexander nearly wrapped his hands around her waist. A huge backlash followed for Banks, with people accusing her using overly skinny models. (Banks later cleared up any confusion or anger that she may have caused.) Ward, 24, went on to have success in multiple fashion shows in Africa, Europe and Asia.

Keith Carlos, winner of Cycle 21 (2014)

Carlos, the first male “ANTM” winner, received four college football scholarships, choosing Purdue University. Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he went on to become a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011 and then the Giants in 2013. Modeling on the side, Carlos tried out for the reality show and went on to win it all. He is currently signed with Next Model Management — and may want to hit up Tyson Beckford and take some notes.