Wendy Pepper

I’m still loving Project Runway Australia, although it’s gone a little bit flat without two of the most fascinating contestants, Mark and Helen.
I also caught up with season one of the US show, which I’ve never seen. Wow…
I mean, I know a lot of people look down on reality TV shows, but, and don’t laugh, I just find the psychology so interesting!
You see, there’s Wendy Pepper, a PR contestant. She’s 40, slightly overweight and awkward, but very confident. She’s a mum too - and - well this might be her main problem - she‘s not hugely talented. She starts off lovely, being mumsy to all the contestants and models - and all the forums say she’s pure evil. And it is actually so interesting to see her descent into evil! She just suddenly bursts into competitiveness, starts slagging off the other contestants first behind their backs of course, but then on the runway itself, in front of everyone, and then becomes this complete outcast, which is just painful to watch, because you’re actually not sure you love her or loathe her. At one point, she says to the camera how much she enjoys seeing her enemies squirm, which is so mean, and so stupid really if you consider that her enemies are all going to see it. By the final episodes, she’s not talking to anyone, except to lash out when someone defaces a photo of her daughter (which she may have defaced herself), and in the finale, no one minces words, especially in a huuuuge barney between the finalists. But she handles herself fairly well - in the reunion show, when accusations are flung around left, right and centre, about her, she just keeps fairly shtum and lets English soak Vanessa make an utter tit of herself instead.
Great, great show - I wish everyone would watch it!