Sky Living’s new competitive modelling show The Face emerges as the answer to the world’s apparent demand for a terrifying TV hybrid; think America’s Next Top Model cross pollinated with The Voice.
The show’s premise is groundbreaking, obviously. The Face employs three super stars from the modelling industry; Naomi Campbell, Caroline Winberg and Erin O’Connor, who act as mentors to their team of four girls. So we see not just the models going head to head, but also the mentors. Naturally this leads to more drama than the average Made in Chelsea episode, from fainting models to full on war over who looks the best in a Chanel dress.
The Face really is a bitchier version of Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model (BINTM), and fights break out all over the place between both judges and contestants.What was most probably pitched by the producers as ‘healthy competition’, just translates as powerhouse Naomi Campbell versus EVERYONE ELSE. So far no episode has passed without her throwing a full on ‘Naomi’, minus only the launching of a mobile phone. In the first episode she is not afraid to tell the wannabe models that they “wouldn’t make anyone buy anything”, and every challenge she berates her own team for just not being good enough.
The contestants too are pretty unlikeable, apart from Erin’s ‘edgy’ team who genuinely seem like the only ones not just there to claim their five minutes of modelling fame. There are however a few more interesting characters than in BINTM, like self-proclaimed theatrical Chloe. Yet there is actually only a couple who could really be models, like the stunning but again bitchy Emma. Contestants aside, The Face seems a more professional model scout show from their first real shoot being with i-D magazine and then throwing them in the deep end with a catwalk show in front of top model Jourdan Dunn almost straight away.
The main draw back of the show is that the mentor aspect means it becomes so much more tactical and therefore the best model may not win. Despite this The Face does make for a killer combination; big names, big egos and some beautiful girls and no matter how many ‘Naomi’s’ occur in the series I’ll probably still be watching.
Tiffany Amuah & Caitlin Williams
Photo: Property of sky.com