Producers have promised to stamp out the bullying but the catfights have continued on the set of the next series of Australia's Next Top Model.
One contestant from the reality show's upcoming fifth series, Mikarla Hussey, told ninemsn things had gotten ugly in the model house.
PHOTOS: Meet the contestants
A nasty "shower incident", in which a sleeping beauty was woken up early and decided to take her revenge, was particularly brutal, Wollongong bartender Mikarla Hussey said.
"(She) walked into the shower while (the other girl) was butt naked, turned the water off and said, 'If you wake me up again I'll pull the hair out of your f***ing skull and walked out.'"
Hussey, who also had her own confrontations with other contestants, said her bed was filled with cigarette butts by some of her rivals.
The luxurious house, in Castlecove on Sydney's lower north, was the scene of high tension between the 13 wannabe models desperately fighting for the top prize, another contestant Eloise Hoile, 20, said.
"There were a ridiculous amount of fights. In the house I guess the best word for it was intense, just living on top of each other and with such early starts and really busy days all the time everyone was cranky and tired," she said.
Psychologists slammed the show last year after disturbing footage was shown of aspiring model Alamela Rowan being taunted and mentally abused by other contestants.
Leading the cruel attacks was the eventual winner of the competition, Demelza Reveley, who reduced Rowan to tears on a regular basis.
But the show's executive producer Lauren Rudd says there was a conscious effort to stamp out the bullying this time around.
"We made it clear to all the girls on their first night in the model house that certain types of behaviour were not going to be tolerated," she said.
"But, you put 13 girls in a house, and ask them to live and compete with each other 24/7 — you are going to get fireworks!"
Catfights aside, all eyes will be on former model Sarah Murdoch as she makes her debut as the show's new host next Tuesday.
The glamorous wife of Newscorp director Lachlan Murdoch follows on from series three and four host Jodhi Meares who sensationally quit the program just days before season finale because of a "live television" phobia.
Murdoch became a fast favourite and mother figure to many of the young girls on the show, contestant Laura Mitchell said.
"I was so star struck when I found out that Sarah was going to be the host of the show," she said.
"But she is so lovely, she's like our little mother … and she's definitely the nice one of the judges."
Alongside Murdoch, former model Charlotte Dawson and fashion designer Alex Perry will once again make up the show's judging panel, while marketing guru Jonathon Pease was asked back as the contestants' mentor.
Making her first appearance on the show this series will be edgy MTV host Ruby Rose, who stars as a guest judge for an episode.
Front page
RSS Feed