Perry lays down his model rules
He may be without his feisty sidekick Charlotte Dawson but don’t expect acid-tongued judge Alex Perry to go easy on the fresh-faced girls on the new season of Australia’s Next Top Model.
As the show heads into its ninth season — it went on hiatus last year after Dawson’s death — the Aussie designer’s approach is as forthright as ever.
Speaking by phone from Sydney, it’s not long before Perry launches into one of his pet hates — girls with too much confidence. “I don’t want to hear the talk, I just want to see you do it,” he says matter-of- factly. “When people are overly confident and they talk themselves up so much, it makes me expect 200 per cent. If you keep telling me you’re so amazing, then you better be because you’ve talked it up.”
That said, it seems Perry’s patience is also wearing thin for the “shy girls” of the group.
“I get that you’re shy but you do also have a certain level of confidence because A, you got up and auditioned, and B, you thought you could have a shot at it,” he says.
This year there are three WA girls in the running for the prestigious modelling title — Sudan-born Ayieda Malou, Mandurah girl Kaitlyn Bennett and Jess Thomas, from Palmyra.
Kicking off the series, the girls are thrown straight into their first fashion challenge — walking in a catwalk show in front of a crowd. “I think they know something like that is going to happen so you think you’d prepare yourself just a little bit,” Perry says.
“You need to be able to go to any designer, any show, fit in any shoe, any dress and be able to wear anything. That’s how it works.”
Also returning to the show this season are host/judge Jennifer Hawkins and Didier Cohen, who will mentor the girls alongside new addition Cheyenne Tozzi.
Celebrity judges will also step in this season, with big names including Kelly Osbourne, Linda Evangelista, Megan Gale and Tyra Banks.
Speaking of Dawson’s absence, Perry admits it has been difficult filming the series without her.
“I miss her so much,” he says.
“It was weird not having her there. It just made us all remember her, we would tell funny stories about her and we pretend that she’s there.”
Australia’s Next Top Model airs next Thursday at 5.30pm on pay-TV channel FOX8.
