Last week’s episode of Australia’s Next Top Model had tongues wagging after Taylah was disqualified from the show for behaviour that Jennifer Hawkins and the esteemed judging panel deemed decidedly less than model. However, as they say in the movies, the fashion industry and when it rains at weddings: the show must go on, so without further ado uncork that green juice, slather your face in mud and let’s live blog the sixth episode of Australia’s Next Top Model. Tune in from 7.30pm AEST on Fox8.
7:31pm: Taking up where we left off last week, the girls sag listlessly back into the Model Mansion, left empty from the intense dismissal of Taylah. OMG Taylah has left a note addressed to “The Best People You Will Ever Meet” – a reference to Mean Girls which is a little bit yikes, really girl? “To Abbie, I love you with all my heart; you have to win this for me” Stone Cold Shannon reads aloud from the note, and “Ash, this is in no way your fault so don’t feel guilty at all and continue to do your best”. Tears flow like waterfalls.
7:33pm: Onward and upward, a new day finds the models at the Sydney studio of Manning Cartell where they will attempt to rectify their runway walks. 16-year-old Shenali reveals her secret past as a long-time sewer (since Year Five at school!) so she’s just stoked to be in the presence of a real life designer. I love how genuinely sweet and non-jaded Shenali is. I think it’s called being young.
7:36pm: One by one the girls showcase their best ‘catwalk’ before J-Hawk and Manning Cartell designer Gabby Manning. Abbie has the height but is swinging her hips too much. “Her butt is very distracting,” agree the experts. Jade needs to improve her posture if garments are to sit well on those shoulders. Dajana smizes while clomping noisily along the timber floorboards, her “presence” is undeniable. “Shit” mutters Shannon as she snags a heel.
7:38pm: The next part of Catwalk Cram Class 101 is getting dressed in actual Manning
Cartell fashions and walking to Gabby’s brief: tough strong girls
walking with confidence at a fast pace – a recipe for face planting if
ever I’ve heard one!
7:38pm: The next part of Catwalk Cram Class 101 is getting dressed in actual Manning
Cartell fashions and walking to Gabby’s brief: tough strong girls
walking with confidence at a fast pace – a recipe for face planting if
ever I’ve heard one!
7:40pm: “It’s like… fierce,” Dajana throws humility to the wind as she describes her own walk. Hawko and Gabby Manning agree that it’s “very confident”. High fash/forehead Melissa is pulled up for nodding as she walks, while Ashley is stricken by a temporary hand-only stroke that renders her right hand splayed awkwardly like a petrified starfish. “I wouldn’t book her for one of our shows,” Gabby tells Jen. Like Dajana before her, Abbie smacks of affirmative self-possession (“I’m just so tall and gangly it just works,” she LOLs to the camera) impressing J-Hawk and Ms Manning. Shenali is “working it”, and despite clipping her heel again, Shannon“held it together”. Ultimately Abbie and Shenali are dubbed the best walkers of the day.
7:42pm: Back at Model Manse the girls practice their runway walks, “helping” each other out with constructive criticism. It’s only a matter of time before Ashley cracks the shits after excessive bum-swinging is identified as a weakness in her walk. She bails to the bedroom for some tearful words on camera while sorrowfully clutching a photo of her boyfriend. Oh Ash.
7:45pm: An afternoon flopping around the Model Mansion pool is interrupted by “JEN MAIL!!!” Based on the obvious clues, the girls deduce a casting session is their next challenge and they slather on red lipstick (brand shout out to M.A.C. costmetics!) and meet Sunglass Head under a tree. “Today you’ll all by vying for a massive national advertising campaign,” Sunglass Head announces. “One girl will become the face of Colgate Optic White.”
7:50pm: Sunglass Head reveals that the casting set up is actually going to be a Candid Camera scenario where each girl will be persistently trolled from the minute they walk into the building in an attempt to throw them off their game. They will be judged on their composure during the casting call, but also for general grace under pressure. Dajana is asked by the chap at reception if she has a lazy eye which is quite marvellous. She overcomes that obstacle with nary an eyeroll and crushes the audition, impressing with her “energy”. Madeline is up next and has a vase of flowers thrust upon her by a lady who abuses the visibly rattled Madeline for placing the vase on the coffee table instead of holding it in her hands. Her audition suffers as a result. Jade passes the hidden camera test with flying colours and then aces the audition with her natural grins and slightly-stoned levels of chill.
7:55pm: Reception bro tries to trip up Duckie by making her ‘quack’ but she handles it like someone who is asked to ‘quack’ at least three times a day. Melissa is “mistaken” for the office intern and yelled at. Shenali is forced to converse with a garden gnome, and Abbie becomes the target of an upturned glass of water. They all seem to perform decently in the audition.
7:58pm: Look out, Ashley is up next and Sunglass Head can “really vibe an attitude coming off her”. Once in the audition the Colgate brand manager is stoked on her saying “she really did light up her five frames and that’s really important”. Shannon is possibly the biggest liability of the bunch, shooting reception dude a full on shit stare after he makes a crack about her dirty blouse on the intercom. She definitely failed the grace under fire part. The poor girl seems to have broken out in a stress rash by the time she gets in front of the camera, however she takes some great pics and the client thinks “she really shone”. Time for Captain Colgate and Sunglass Head to talk through the options.
8:00pm: Mr Colgate feels that Jade, Dajana, Abbie and Shannon performed the best on-camera, however the winner of the challenge is JADE! MAJOR! “That’s real cool” says Jade in her sleepy surfer bro way. “Friggin awesome.” I think she just became my favourite contestant.
8:04pm: Onto the photo shoot where Cha Cha Dawes introduces this week’s photographer, her dear friend Simon Upton. The shoot will focus on smiling because that is the theme of the week. Shannon does a “beautiful” job, says Simon. Bless little Melissa who clearly can’t summon a natural grin at the whim of a photographer and grimaces awkwardly in frozen faux-happy terror. Simon is “just enthralled with Duckie” explains Cha Cha as she dangles sensually from a tree on the Hilton balcony. Abbie struggles a little to find her angles. Jade gets a hang of banging and popping Tyra Banks-style after a few frames, and Shenali looks banging in her long white gown. Ashley who, to be honest, is starting to become a bit of a needy pest, sulks about her dress and the feeling “pudgy” until Cha Cha intervenes. Simon Upton thinks Madeline‘s smile seems a little forced, but digs Dajana.
8:17pm: To panel we go, and it’s time to gawk at the photos. Jade tells J-Hawk she feels “frigging amazing!” about being the new face of Colgate Optic White lol. Her shot is slamming, and the toothpaste ad is gorgeous. Nailed it.
8: 19pm: Dajana‘s photo is also great and was Simon’s favourite of the day. Madeline turned out a good picture in the end, but the judges are worried she’s too hit and miss. Duckie‘s pic is pure joy. “Wow, you look really beautiful here!” says a shocked Jennifer Hawkins of Ashley‘s photo. When Ashley’s forever young appearance comes up in coversation, Cha Cha starts wildly gesturing at the photo, hooting “I WANT TO LOOK AS YOUNG AS YOU!” to which Sunglass Head says “well that’s never going to happen is it”, because he is cruel but fabulous.
8:22pm: They don’t adore Abbie‘s photo because she doesn’t give good top lip. Melissa‘s photo leaves the judging panel completely mute. Didier Cohen (hey Didi!) probably says it best: “It’s just an awkward photo for me.”
8:24pm: After deliberating, the judges announce that Duckie took the Photo Of The Week. Jade, Dajana, Shenali and Shannon all go through, then Ashley is called, leaving Melissa, Abbie and Madeline in the bottom three. I’d wager that forgettable Maddie is going home.
Duckie’s incredible Photo Of The Week:
8:26pm: Abbie scrapes through, leaving the two Big Ms – and early favourites! – on the precipice of elimination. Ultimately the judges feel that Melissa has more potential, and Madeline is sent home in the back seat of a red hatchback. Oh the humanity!
Farewell Maddie. Tune in tomorrow for our post-elimination interview.
