Tyra Banks Explains Why She Quit US for Australia After ‘DWTS’ Exit
Tyra Banks has been quietly living in Australia for the past 18 months and she described her new life in Sydney as a “dream come true” as she shared the reasons behind her family’s move Down Under.
Appearing as a guest co-host on Monday’s (April 14) episode of Today with Jenna & Friends, the former Dancing With the Stars host revealed why she and her partner Louis Bélanger-Martin and son York Banks Asla (9) moved to Australia.
“So I have this ice cream company, SMiZE and Dream,” she told co-host Jenna Bush Hager. “I’ve been going to Australia a lot because we were making a lot of our ice cream there in this big facility, doing our recipes.”
After a lot of traveling back and forth from Los Angeles to Sydney, Banks and Bélanger-Martin decided to make a permanent move, bringing along Banks’ son York, whom she shares with ex, Erik Asla.
“I just fell in love with it. Every time I went back, and went back … and the three countries that eat the most ice cream: America, New Zealand and Australia. So I was like, ‘I’m happy here and they love to eat some ice cream, so, are we going to do this family?’ And we did.”
Banks, who rose to fame as a supermodel, has long been a staple on US television. She created and presented the hit reality series America’s Next Top Model and her own TV talk show, The Tyra Banks Show. Banks also hosted America’s Got Talent for its 12th season before joining DWTS as host in 2020.
She left DWTS after three seasons in March 2023, stating that she wanted to focus on business commitments. In addition to her ice cream company, Banks also runs her own cosmetics brand and has written several books, including the 2011 novel Modelland.
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During the Today with Jenna & Friends segment, Banks took viewers inside a day in her life in Sydney. This included her making coffee at home before visiting Tumbalong Park, where “People come from all over Sydney to enjoy this park.”
She then took a walk along Darling Harbour, pointing out, “Over there is where my future ice cream dream is going to come true,” referring to the “3,000-square-foot flagship store” for SMiZE and Dream she plans to open in the area next month.
“Making ice cream has been a lifelong dream of mine and it’s all happening right here in Australia. This idea is a tribute to my mama Carolyn,” Banks added.
She also posed in front of the iconic Sydney Opera House, noting, “I just saw a show there. Do you know that being in Australia, I actually go see live shows at the Opera House? It’s just like a normal thing for us to do.”
After showing off more waterfront sights, Banks concluded, “Now the best parts of Sydney are the views, and we get to commute by ferry. This is beautiful Sydney Harbour at night… Australia has been a dream come true for me and my family.”
Today, Weekdays, 7 a.m. ET, NBC