Category — Australia’s Next Top Model

Australia’s Next Top Model runner-up Cassi Van Den Dungen would be eligible to star in Teen Mums with news she gave birth to a baby boy.

Cassi who is 19 years old has had a boy with her boyfriend Saul who is 27.

She posted on Facebook:

“YAY my lil man is now in the world so happy to be able to hold him and kiss him and give him cuddles. he’s so strong already trying to lift his head … god i love him”.

I hope Cassi has a lot of support around her as caring for newborn is a tough gig, and as seen on the show she did get cranky alot.

Expect the baby photos to be in OK Magazine as they managed to get the pregnancy story.

Source: Herald Sun

The publicity team at Fox 8 need a payrise how they manage to get a story in each Monday in the News Limited press is amazing. Well timed to ensure we all tune into that nights episode.

Today’s one is courtesy of PETA who is outraged at the use of fur at the shoot that is on tonight’s episode.

News.com.au say PETA are saying to boycott the episode, and ANTM producers are saying it is vintage fur.

If you are watching the episode be prepared to have naked PETA protesters knock on your door.

Australia’s Next Top Model is on Fox 8 Monday night’s at 7.30pm.

If you watch the ep

Due to time constraints I have not been recapping Australia’s Next Top Model however if you want a good recap check out Bland Canyon and Jo Blogs. 

 TV Tonight also has an interesting article where he asks where host Sarah Murdoch is? He says we are getting more Charlotte Dawson than Sarah.

The article states:

Is it just me?

I watched last night’s episode of Australia’s Next Top Model and I kept waiting for Sarah Murdoch to appear.

She didn’t turn up until 40 minutes into the episode and yet she is the show’s host.

Charlotte Dawson accompanied the girls through another challenge and Josh Flynn mentored at a photo shoot.

David Knox then goes on to talk about the role of a host:

Surely the role of a good host is to be there to observe, comment, question and experience what the contestants and viewers are seeing?

Foxtel told me there was nothing unusual from previous seasons, although they did acknowledge Charlotte Dawson has an increased presence this year. They assured me Sarah Murdoch was still actively involved behind the scenes, including in the editing studio. Or is that just for voice-overs?

In other news of ANTM is the shock of Neo going home according to the Daily Telegraph. Apparently real model agencies thinks she has potential. I thought she was stunning however she was a bit one dimensional in her facial expressions.

It is amazing how every Monday without fail there is a yarn about Australia’s Next Top Model in the papers. Normally involving something judge Alex Perry said or did not say. Always handy when the episode is going to air tonight….

This time it comes from Project Runway Australia finalist Craig Braybrook who said to the Herald Sun that Alex Perry and the Project Runway contestants used to make negative comments about fat people.

The article states:

Known for his catty comments, the Melbourne designer couldn’t resist letting slip that contestants and mentor Alex Perry would often make swipes about curvy people on the set of the Foxtel reality series.

“On the show he was always like ‘I hate fat people’,” Braybrook said.

“He used to say it all the time.”

Last week Perry denied he was a “fattist” after copping a barrage of criticism for describing a size 8 Australia’s Next Top Model contestant, Alissandra Moone , as “overstuffed luggage”.

Perry was slammed in the media and on social networking sites after he led the charge to send Moone, 18, packing when she could not fit into a size 10 designer dress.

The Perrygate saga followed an angry war of words with former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester, who claims Perry hates fat women and had openly mocked her body.

Perry described Rochester’s claims as reprehensible and said there was no way Moone was a size 8 when she was on the show.

“Somehow everyone thinks I hate fat people … I have somehow become the new skinny ambassador,” Perry said at the time.

“I can dress a big girl better than anybody.”

The Project Runway Australia finale just happens to be on Arena TV tonight as well at 8.30pm, and the Australia’s Next Top Model episode  is on Fox 8 at 7.30pm.

If you want to see the previous Alex Perry’s stories click here, here, and here.

Another day, another Australia’s Next Top Model weight scandal again the salvo is being fired by the Daily Telegraph. This time it is about Amelia Coutts being too thin. The model is allegedly 54 kilos, however she is very bony.

The Daily Telegraph says:

Amelia Coutts, 18, has again escaped eviction from the reality runway series despite her worryingly thin 54kg (so it’s alleged) frame, while fellow contender Alissandra Moone was told by judge Alex Perry that her lithe body looked like “overstuffed luggage”.

During a recent swimsuit shoot challenge Coutts, 18, from Mosman, was not once criticised on-camera for her angular arms and torso, with the judging panel – including Perry, host Sarah Murdoch and Charlotte Dawson – telling her: “We don’t need to teach you much more – you are already a great model.”

Edwina McCann, the editor of fashion bible Harpers Bazaar (which will feature the ANTM winner on its cover), agreed Coutts was underweight and “unsuitable” for her magazine.

However, she conceded being thin was a harsh but honest reality of professional modelling.

“The fact is (2009 winner) Tahnee (Atkinson) did not get any work because she was a slightly bigger girl,” McCann told Confidential.

“I think the show is a lot more responsible than what actually happens in the real industry.

“It’s very tough for models out there.

“I also think the public expect models to be exceptional … They’re genetically-blessed freaks. Personally the way I’ve stayed sane in this job is by understanding that.”

Respected fashion journalist Patty Huntington said Coutts did not belong in the competition.

“If (ANTM) were dead serious about making a statement about the body image debate, they probably would eliminate her for being too thin,” she said.

Amelia does look like she could do with a good feed, it also might improve her demeanour.

Every year this issue comes up on Australia’s Next Top Model when one of the models is told they are too fat.

However this year it appears a girl who is size 8 has been deemed as being to large for the industry.

News.com.au reports Alex Perry tells 18 year old Alissandra Moone likens her to “overstuffed baggage”.

The article states:

Alissandra Moone, 18, who at 57kg is considered underweight on the Australian body mass index, was “stunned” when her size became an issue on Foxtel’s top-rating show.

Judge Alex Perry has openly criticised Moone’s body, likening it to “overstuffed luggage”, and the clash is set to reach a head on tonight’s episode.

“It’s a very bad message to be sending to young girls who watch the show,” Moone said yesterday.

“It’s harsh. It’s stupid. And it’s out of touch. I understand it’s a reality of the (modelling) industry but this is a TV show and they should have a responsibility to censor that kind of thing.

“I know this has happened to other girls in the past but I was shocked when he (Perry) said I was too fat.

“I’m only a size eight. There’s going to be a lot of young girls watching this who are bigger than me, and how’s this going to make them feel?”

Perry was unavailable for comment.

This story has probably been put out there to attract viewers to tonights episode on the show.

So if you want to watch it Australia’s Next Top Model (ANTM) is on Fox 8 tonight at 7.30pm.

 UPDATE: Alex Perry has come out on twitter (no not in THAT way) and said he was misquoted. His quote was to do with her pose in photo shoot apparently.

In the most unsurprising news of 2011, controversial Australia’s Next Top Model contestant, Cassi Van Den Dungen is pregnant with her fiance Brad Saul’s child.

Fabulous fashion blog Frockwriter writes Cassi sold the story to OK Mag photos and all.

Frockwriter writes:

One face that we won’t be seeing at next week’s Rosemount Australian Fashion Week is 18 year-old Cassi van den Dungen. That’s because van den Dungen is four months pregnant and is taking a year off from modelling. Although suspicions first arose that something was up several days ago, yesterday’s publication of an interview with van den Dungen and her fiancé Brad Saul in the Australian edition ofOK magazine, announcing the pregnancy, appears to have completely flown under the radar – no doubt due to the Royal wedding media frenzy. Van den Dungen managed to keep her pregnancy a secret at last month’s Melbourne Fashion Festival, where these photos (photos on Frockwriter) were taken. No mean feat, considering how body-hugging some of the garments were.

Season 7 of Australia’s Next Top Model is about to begin.

So if you fit the requirements, that is over 172 cms tall, and are over 16 years of age go to the www.fox8.tv  and download the application and then turn up at one of the audition locations.

These are:

BRISBANE

Saturday, January 22 from 11.00am – 3.00pm

Queen St Mall 15 Adelaide Street, Brisbane QLD

DARWIN

Sunday, January 23 from 11.00am – 2.00pm

Casuarina Square 247 Trower Road, Casuarina NT

MELBOURNE

Thursday, January 27 from 11.00am to 3.00pm

Chadstone: The Fashion Capital (outside esprit) 1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone VIC

ADELAIDE

Friday, January 28 from 3.00pm – 7.00pm

Rundle Mall Adelaide SA

PERTH

Sunday, January 30 from 11.00am – 3.00pm

Forrest Place Perth WA

SYDNEY

Thursday, February 3 from 3.00pm – 7.00pm

Pitt St Mall Sydney NSW

AND

Saturday, February 5 from 11.00am – 3.00pm

Westfield Parramatta, Centre Court 159-175 Church Street, Parramatta NSW

Australia’s Next Top Model will be produced for the first time by Shine Australia this year.

After Granada was dumped by Foxtel to produce  Australia’s Next Top Model because of what is now known as the finale fuck up, Shine Australia has now been given the gig.

This will keep the show in the family as Sarah Murdoch is Executive Producer of the show and Shine is owned by her sister-in-law.

Having said that I am not going to call nepotism on this one, as Shine Australia has shown to be producing some quality TV shows since they started in Australia.

Auditions for the new season are expected to start next month, there has been no news on if there will be any cast changes. (Source: Sunday Telegraph)

Sarah Murdoch has taken some lessons with that other billionaire Donald Trump and said “You’re fired” to Granada productions.

Clearly Sarah Murdoch and Foxtel are still smarting from the debacle of the Australia’s Next Top Model final where the wrong name of the winner was called out as now the production company Granada has been dumped.

The SMH reports Granada who has produced the show for the last seven seasons will be replaced by Shine productions a company owned by Elisabeth Murdoch.

After the final many press releases were sent out saying it was not Sarah’s fault. In fact I never thought it was. And the positive side of things was it gave the local production, international publicity which could only assist with increasing the two finalists profile.

The article states:

Yesterday The Diary heard that Foxtel, which is partially owned by the Murdoch family, had, at her insistence, dumped Granada Media Australia, the production company behind the past six series of Australia’s Next Top Model - which Murdoch presents and executive-produces – to elope with a new production company for the show’s seventh series. Which new production company will get the gig wasn’t known, but the favourite, we were told, was Shine, which is owned by sister-in-law Elisabeth Murdoch. We called Granada, where a spokesperson couldn’t confirm that it had lost the show. We put in two calls to Foxtel, explaining what we were calling about, but no one called back. Then we got hold of Murdoch, who confirmed the change in production company and gave us this statement: ”Granada produced Australia’s Top Model for six years. I worked with them for two years. They are a very talented and hard working crew. But after what happened this year I thought very hard about it and decided it was probably time for a change.”

At least Sarah Murdoch will be still hosting the show, and she was a huge improvement on the previous incumbent, Jodhi Meares.