Tyra Banks considers return as runway model at age 50

Tyra Banks is considering a return to the runway at the age of 50.

“I’m thinking about really, really modeling, like, for real for real, like, fashion shows and, like, covers of magazines that are not Sports Illustrated,” the former “America’s Next Top Model” host told Extra at Thursday’s launch party for the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which she’s featured on a special “Legends” cover in honor of the issue’s 60th anniversary.

While many fashion models are half her age, Banks said society has changed with regard to “beauty empowerment and inclusivity,” which might help her chances of repeating her early days as one of the most recognizable models in the business.

That said, Banks — who became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue in 1996 — said she still expects to be mocked for having cellulite on her thighs if she returns to the profession she entered as a teenager.

But the California native welcomes her role as an elder statesman of models.

She said she feels she has a lot to teach the younger generation hoping for a career like hers, which has also included acting in major motion pictures, writing books, launching multiple businesses, guest lecturing at universities and engaging in philanthropy.

“I feel like the Oprah of modeling, you know what I mean?” she told Extra.

Banks retired from modeling in 2005, according to Vogue. Website Celebrity Net Worth puts her earnings at an estimated $90 million.