As promised, the Models Direct team is here with our review of Dirty Sexy Thing’s first episode, which aired this Monday. In the first show we saw Perou hold an open casting where he met the models who are busy working at the forefront of the fashion industry. He chose eight who would not necessarily work together normally, based on their different looks and characters.

The episode then moves on to explore each of the models’ experiences to date. Due to the fact that BB is busy dancing on tour with Alexandra Burke, he is continually struggling with the fact he is missing out on opportunities. However, at the opposite end of the scale, Charlotte doubts whether fashion shows are worth it and is up front about the fact she would simply rather be earning money. This is proved by her decision to model her sister’s high-end lingerie line instead.

Ariella, Ocean, Jesse and Jay are busy competing for the same shows during London Fashion Week, but as the places are limited competition is very fierce and, as is the norm in the modelling industry, everybody is brutally honest.

Fitness model Rob indicates an interest in taking part in fashion modelling, but also notes that his build is too large. Shortly afterwards, Rob reveals a somewhat daunting collection of underwear, many of which have him posing on the front of the packaging. The underwear obsession costs him £200 per month but, as Rob explains, he likes to look good in all of them in order to please his glamour model girlfriend Anastasia.

Episode 1 shows Perou shooting the group in lingerie – with a difference. Known for his edgy and iconic images, Perou decides to shake the shoot up at the very last minute when revealing that the models will be posing on the streets of central London. This controversial decision of course sparks off a mixture of opinions, particularly from Jay who is recovering from an eating disorder and as a consequence has some serious body concerns.

The show closes with another wave of tension when Perou chooses only four of the group to feature in his final shoot.

The show’s unique appeal is that it enables viewers to actually find out about the models including their personal lives and dreams for the future. Whereas other modelling shows simply feature the models as the pretty accessories, Dirty Sexy Things shows these people working and living in their every-day environments – and unabashedly shows their ups and downs. This seems to be the show’s message: who are these people who willingly put themselves forward for extreme criticism on a daily basis?