Runway coach Alexander's coaching career began with helping models backstage; he eventually became recognized for his skills. He has been coaching and casting since 1991. He rose to prominence in this field when he coached
supermodel Naomi Campbell and model
Kimora Lee Simmons. He has also worked with models
Nadja Auermann,
Meghan Douglas,
Susan Holmes,
Claudia Mason,
Karen Mulder,
Tatjana Patitz, and
Julia Stegner. Since 1991, he has helped cast and coach models for designers such as Hervé Léger,
Lars Nilsson,
Bill Blass,
Valentino,
John Galliano,
Chanel,
Alexander McQueen, and
Nina Ricci. Alexander stayed on as the show's runway coach until 2012 when he and co-stars
Nigel Barker and
Jay Manuel were let go as part of a major show renovation. Alexander's
nickname "Miss J" came from
Cycle 1 contestant Robin Manning, who often confused Alexander and Manuel. On several occasions she referred to Alexander as "Miss J" by accident because of his flamboyant clothing and personality. Accordingly, Jay Manuel is referred to as "Mr. Jay", and
ANTM contestants often call them "The Jays", "The Two Jays" or "Mr. and Miss. Jay" when they appear together. He has also appeared on international versions of
Top Model, such as ''
Canada's Next Top Model, Holland's Next Top Model, Korea's Next Top Model, Estonia's Next Top Model, Scandinavia's Next Top Model and Vietnam's Next Top Model''. Alexander appeared on the 4 May 2008 episode of
Finland's version of
ANTM Suomen huippumalli haussa. In 2009 and the 2011 finale, Alexander appeared on ''
Britain's Next Top Model''. In May 2020, Alexander and Manuel began a weekly
Instagram Live series, later syndicated to
Facebook and
YouTube, based on their experiences working on the show. In 2026, he appeared in the
Netflix documentary series ''
Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model''. The documentary focused on the series' numerous controversies surrounding the ethics of the competitions. During the interview, Alexander revealed that he had suffered a stroke in 2022, leaving him unable to walk.
Other work Alexander is interested in design and has handmade all his clothes on ''America's Next Top Model'' except for the nurse's outfit: "I did make the hat and the bag." In 2010, Alexander wrote ''Follow the Model: Miss J's Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power'', which "shares his story and offers tips on how to be more confident". Alexander was featured in the track "Jay Walk (feat. Miss Jay Alexander)" on
Leikeli47's album
Shape Up (2022). ==Personal life==