The 'Dancing With the Stars' host opened up to ET about her first season as emcee and some bumps in the road along the way.
Tyra Banks is halfway through her first season as host of Dancing With the Stars, and she's looking back at what she's learned, in terms of style and self-acceptance. The TV personality -- who also serves as the executive producer on the hit ABC series -- opened up to ET about some of the rocky areas she's traversed during her own DWTS journey.
One aspect that Banks was adamant about when signing on was to up the ante when it came to the fashion game. This meant trying for at least one to two costume changes per episode. Sometimes, that's been harder to pull off than she anticipated.
"I think it was the third or fourth episode, I walk out and my hand is on my back and I was holding my dress together," Banks to ET's Lauren Zima during a recent interview following Monday's "Use Your Vote" Night. "It was not zipped up! And I did not have on any of my jewelry."
"Then, you'll notice, a couple of acts later my hand is down, I'm zipped up and I have on jewelry," Banks added with a laugh.
When your swinging for the fence, sometimes you're gonna strike out -- but for Banks, showing off her sense of style and fashion has been a key element to being comfortable leading the star-studded show.
This is why she's got a few rules or guidelines when it comes to the elaborate gowns she's worn throughout the season.
"There's certain rules that I have. You have to play to your strengths, so I play to making sure that the waist is snatched -- because, if it's not, I'm well-endowed naturally and it can look a little bit like a mumu," Banks explained. "I have very broad shoulders and sometimes the dress doesn't really cover the shoulder... so it's got to be wide enough up here."
Another rule? "Can't have satin on the boobies, on the tummy or on the booty," Banks explained.
"Satin on my booty, shows cellulite, satin on my boobies on TV makes the size they already are ten times bigger," Banks said. "So there's all these [things to remember], like a checklist."
Banks explained how she's had to deal with refits and redesigns frequently, both on this show and others, since there's an expectation regarding her shape and size given her fame as a former runway and fashion model.
"Sometimes I put something on and I'm like, 'Okay, they obviously don't know I got a booty,' cause it's something like off the runway," she shared. "Yes I used to model, I did fashion shows, fashion weeks, all across the globe -- but I don't have that body anymore. But for some reason designers just think, 'Oh she was a model, let's give her this size four.' Honey can you add a ten to that?"
"What happens is, when you have a really good stylist, they like know how to do all the tips and tricks and so do I. So you're like, 'Do I really need to lose weight? My waist in snatched right now, I think I'm fine!'"
Banks has never shied away from being open about her body, and she's always found the confidence to embrace her figure -- regardless of how much she weighs. For Banks, she credits her mom for bestowing the boldness on her.
"I think that has to do with my mom. Just growing up with her positivity. You know my mom doesn't even dye her hair, Just being raised with that has not made me not super concerned." Banks shared. "Also, for me, I just have gone up and down in weight my entire career... So I'm like, 'You just never know what Tyra you're going to get!'"
Fans can check out Banks' weekly Dancing With the Stars fashion choices every Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Check out the video below to hear more from the host about the challenges she's faced leading the popular franchise for the first time.
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