If there’s one takeaway viewers have had thus far on TODAY with Jenna & Friends this week, it’s that co-host Tyra Banks is thriving down under!
The former America’s Got Talent host shocked fans who didn’t realize she calls Australia her home, and in a delightful TODAY feature, Banks took viewers on a behind-the-scenes look at her day-to-day life halfway around the world. Fans will be happy to know that Banks prepares her morning coffee just like the rest of us, but these days, the star is focused on living out her dream of running her very own ice cream shop called SMiZE & DREAM.
“Making ice cream has been a lifelong dream of mine, and it’s all happening right here in Australia,” she confessed in the video. “This idea is a tribute to my Mama, Carolyn.”
Yes, the former Victoria’s Secret supermodel and fashion icon is in love with ice cream and doing all she can to ensure her business is a success!
Her flagship location — which is nearly finished being constructed — is located in the heart of Sydney and features delicious and innovative flavors like Vegan Chocolate Cookies & Cream and Tyra’s Favorite, which consists of salted caramel butter and butter-roasted pecans in salted sweet cream.
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In other words, yum.
Until the SMiZE & DREAM brick-and-mortar is complete, ice cream lovers in Sydney can indulge in Banks’ decadent delights courtesy of the company’s pop-up cart. From the looks of the video, her employees share the same passion for ice cream as the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model does!
The name SMiZE & DREAM is unabashedly Banks. It’s a reference to the word she invented to describe “smiling with your eyes,” a modeling and photography technique she taught while hosting America’s Next Top Model for so many seasons.
Tyra Banks learned everything she knows from her mother
When scrolling through her company’s website, it’s clear that SMiZE & DREAM is the result of Banks’ love for the treat itself and the love that her mother has showered her with since she was a child.
In a July 2021 conversation with TODAY’s Sheinelle Jones, Banks’ mother, Carolyn, spoke highly of her daughter — and revealed she always pushed her creatively.
“I raised both of my children with this saying… ‘Look to the other side,'” Carolyn said. “It’s not about where you are now, but where you want to go. Envision yourself there.”
While Banks was destined to be a supermodel, Carolyn focused on expanding her daughter’s mind in any way possible to prepare her for a career with limitless opportunities.
“I concentrated less on her appearance and more on her abilities and her character,” she continued. “We would take trips to the bookstore, art exhibits, the museum, because those are the things that she really loved doing. She became an inspiration to other girls at school.”
