Oh man, I’m hooked already. Second week into this model talent show featuring eight (or this week seven) young women with disabilities, and the ante was most definitely upped, which forced the girls to examine their own self-consciousness and even their own ideas of what having a disability means (I’m guessing that sort of thing happens in every episode of this series). This week’s big shoot was lingerie based, and to get them in the mood the shows asked the girls to stand in the window of a high street shop and pose in their bra and pants. For anyone who was shy about their body, or attention drawn to their disability, this taskette was very definitely not for them.

Everyone did pretty well (and looked fantastic, I have to say) but for paraplegic Sophie it was tough to see the deaf girls like Lillie and Kellie and ME and nervous system disorder sufferer Jessica waltz up into the shop window and have no discernable physical disability. This difference was touched upon by judges in last week’s show – what exactly is the right kind of disability for modelling? – and now Sophie was not happy about it, believing that her wheelchair-bound status could seriously inhibit her chances of winning if she was up against girls without noticeable physical disabilities.

Jonathan, the girls’ minder and guru, was featured quite heavily in this week’s show because there was a bit of tension flying about. He staged an evening meal in with the girls… without a signer for the deaf girls. While Lilli and Kellie, naturally, felt a bit lost, Jonathan wanted to replicate the tough conditions that these two girls would endure on some shoots.

Next morning and Jonathan called the girls. Debbie picked up and he told her to get the girls ready – they had to be at a ‘go-see’ (job casting) for 10.30am. Debbie did a rubbish job and half the girls turned up on time, the other half 10 minutes later by the skin of their teeth. The tension had just been turned up a few more notches, and this resentful and generally pissed off attitude was immediately picked up by the casting expert. She was not happy.

The girls then had to model for the strangest looking man I think I’ve ever seen (myself excluded). He was so very camp and made fancy hats for posh people, and he sort of reminded me of a (much) thinner version of Hervé Villechaize from Fantasy Island. Anyway, after modelling these ludicrous creations (some of them were actually pretty cool) Kellie was given the job. You should have seen Sophie’s face. Face like thunder.

But the big shoot on which they were to be judged was approaching. Some of the girls decided to say sod it and go out for an evening on the lash. Kelly got off with one bloke in the club in extraordinary fashion - she was chewing on a guy’s bottom lip as if it was a Haribo. Anyway they rolled in at about 4.30am and looked not their best by the time of the shoot. Jonathan wasn’t impressed.

Anyway, the shoot was a 1950s style pin-up thing and some of pics were lovely (1950s style pin-up being a particular favourite style of mine). Sophie was photographed in her wheelchair (looked good), and normally invincible Kelly was nervous. Jess looked a million dollars, while Jenny was suffering a little bit. Thanks to an horrific car accident her body doesn’t quite do what her brain tells it to do, which means direction from a photographer could be a problem in the future. She looks awesome in the photographs though.

The night before the judging, Lilli and Kellie decided to surprise the rest of the girls by asking them to wear ear plugs all evening in a bid to show how frustrating it can be not to hear people talk and what effect being deaf has on communication. That really rammed the point home to the group.

When it came to the judging, there no major disagreements but one thing really struck me - it really does depend on the photograph itself and the photographer. While some of the girls had been a bit tricky and nervous and hadn’t performed that well, they looked great on celluloid (or Photoshop as it is these days).

In the end Lilli and Debbie said goodbye. Lilli, who looked really amazing in her shot, was told that her pose was not the best and it made her look as though she was carrying a few extra pounds. She was a bit angry at this comment. While Debbie was disappointed to be leaving the show, Lilli explained in the cab home that she was well shot of it and was glad that the show had convinced her modelling was rubbish.

Still enjoying it, although this week’s episode slipped a wee bit into the usual, bitchy talent show groove. Next week, judging by the trailer, looks even tastier.

Episode one review here.