The BBC, ever innovative with their factual and reality based programming, has an amazing show Missing Top Model.
The concept: eight young disabled women discover what it takes to be a model - but which of them will win a photo shoot and appear in a top fashion magazine.
Just like traditional models, the models on MTM are total backstabbing bitches! Thank god! In the following clip you see the models refusing to wake up the narcoleptic for a photo shoot + the deaf model acting as a SPOKESperson (the host tells her not to worry since models get dubbed over anyway in commercials)
Some may call MTM exploitative but many many more find the show inspirational, just check out what Disability Bitch has to say about it!
Let’s meet a few of the contestants!
Kelly Knox
Limousines, nights out at top London clubs and even a little celeb-spotting - this is a girl who definitely likes to party! It sounds like she’s already enjoying the high life of a famous model, so could she turn fantasy into reality?
Age:23
From:Enfield
Height:5′8″
Occupation:Credit controller
Disability: No left forearm
Kelly lives with her mum in her hometown of Enfield. She’s very family-oriented, and particularly dotes on her niece and two young nephews.Kelly was born without a left forearm, a fact that only ever bothers her when trying to cut an especially tough bit of meat during dinner. When she was eight years old, she made a conscious decision not to wear a prosthetic arm, as she doesn’t like them.Kelly is the quintessential party girl. Favourite entertainment for a wild Friday night is usually a warehouse rave, where she loves to rave to drum ‘n’ bass with her DJ and MC friends. But for an extra special night out, it’s the West End and a limo …
When she’s not partying, Kelly likes to take time out to write poetry, as it allows her to express herself more deeply. Not something you’d imagine your average credit controller in an accounts department doing! However, she’s more than ready to give up her post for a career in modelling.
The skills
Kelly is new to this modeling lark, but she’s got the looks and she loves being in front of the camera.
She’s a tough nut too, thanks to growing up in a household with two older brothers and her dad. So she’s more than ready for the challenges that await her.
The attitude
• Cheerful - Kelly describes herself as a happy-go-lucky kind of girl, and her mates all agree.
• Self-confident - Kelly is entirely comfortable in her own skin. Having one arm is normal for her, so she neither notices or cares about any funny looks she might receive.
• Quirky - Kelly is into psychology, astrology and spirituality. She’s also fascinated by the idea of aliens in outer space.
Sophie Morgan
She’s travelled to many different corners of the world, some of them very inhospitable. So you can’t blame a girl for wanting a taste of the high life that comes with a modelling career, can you?Age:23
From:Sussex
Height:5′9″
Occupation:Art student
Disability:Paraplegic
Sophie lived with her parents and brother in Sussex until recently, but a craving for more independence led her to move into her own flat in the heart of London’s Covent Garden.When she was eighteen years old, Sophie was in a car accident the day after receiving her A-level results. She broke her back, which means that she’s paralyzed from the chest down and will always use a wheelchair.Sophie loves travelling. Less than a year after her accident, she trekked across Nicaragua with the BBC’s Beyond Boundaries series. She’s also been to the States and Canada, and recently spent a month in Thailand with her younger brother.Sophie completed an art foundation course at the University of Brighton, and is now continuing her studies at Goldsmiths College in London. She feels that her disability gave her a good attitude adjustment, because before her accident she was planning to study law instead of art, which has always been her true love.
The skills
Sophie has done a bit of modelling for various art projects. She believes that being a good model is all about personality, and her personality shines through any camera lens.
The attitude
• Carefree - Sophie loves the beach and BBQs, and spends time driving around the country in her Volkswagen camper van.
• Plucky - Having been chucked out of school in England, Sophie was sent to Gordonstoun boarding school in Scotland, where she took full advantage of all the travel opportunities as well as pursuing her love of sports.
• Creative - Sophie has a showcase for her art in Notting Hill, London, where she has sold some of her paintings. She finds painting to be great therapy and often uses disability as a focus for her work. You can see more of her art online at sophiemorgan.com.
Kellie Moody
She’s knows more about make-up than anyone, and has been a beauty queen in the UK as well as on the world stage. So she’s surely the perfect candidate to achieve modeling fame, isn’t she?Age:24
From:Leicester
Height:5′7″
Occupation:Make-up artist
Disability:Deaf
As a nine-week old baby, a loud bang could not wake Kellie from her sleep. It was then that her mum knew Kellie was deaf. Being deaf was especially rough at school, where the other children bullied her for it. Luckily, she had a supportive and loving family behind her.Kellie’s life turned around in college, when her tutor said, ‘you can do this’. After a lifetime of being told about everything she couldn’t do, those were the words Kellie needed to hear.Today, Kellie doesn’t hold back. She can feel music vibrations and loves to dance, so one of her favourite things to do is getting dressed up and hitting the clubs. She has loads of mates, both hearing and deaf, and she loves to spend time with her mum, dad, sisters and ‘nannie’.Kellie works as a part-time make-up artist and does freelance work for weddings, television and fashion, where clients ask for her by name.
The skills
Kellie won Miss Deaf UK in 2007 and represented the UK at Miss Deaf World in Prague. She’s also modelled for a designer photo shoot and a few college fashion shows.
The attitude
• Fiery - Kellie knows she’s curvaceous and she likes it. She doesn’t think all models should be super thin, and she’ll stand up for this belief.
• Competitive - Besides being Miss Deaf UK 2007, Kellie routinely wins sales target competitions at work. She was also awarded a ‘top student’ prize four times at Leicester College for dedication to her art and make-up course.
• Lovable - Looks don’t mean much to Kellie; she truly believes it’s what’s inside that counts.
This is my fav description:
She may have given up breakdancing when she became disabled, but her extrovert character means that she’s still first on the dancefloor at any club. So taking to the catwalk should be a breeze, shouldn’t it?
July 24, 2008 at 2:17 pm