She's been labelled a bully and chastised about her weight, but Australia's Next Top Model finalist Demelza Reveley is confident of winning - because her competitor is too old.
The Illawarra's Demelza, 16, will fight it out against 21-year-old Alex Girdwood of Sydney in the reality TV show final on Tuesday and believes she's in the better position.
"I guess I'd be a little more concerned if I was her," Demelza said yesterday.
"I mean, she's 21 now, so she's kind of running out of time to do this and to make it in this industry.
"There is a short shelf-life being a model and that's just the way it is. I'd feel worried if I was in her shoes."
Demelza, a self-described "Bitch-keteer", has been one of the most controversial figures on the show.
She bullied a fellow contestant by water-bombing her and tipping water over her head.
Now apologetic for the incident, Demelza doesn't think it should affect her chances of winning.
"It's not the search to find the best person ever - it's the search to find Australia's next top model," she says.
"I'm hoping that it comes down to our ability to work in the industry rather than the way we've made mistakes and handled ourselves.
"I've proven on the show I can handle the situations that we're put under and I am quite mature."
Demelza has also received much publicity about her weight.
Industry experts told the Keiraville teenager she had to trim down her size 10 figure if she wanted to make it as a top model.
Since filming wrapped up two months ago she's lost almost 12cm off her hips, sparking a debate that it sends a bad message.
Demelza understands why people are upset about it, but adds it's only going to make her more competitive.
"It's the way this industry is and it's not going to change any time soon," she said. "So, I can't really do much about it and I really want to be part of the industry, so it's what I have to do."
She told the Mercury this week that she could never please everyone, whether she was fat or thin.
"It's a juggling act, it really is," Demelza said.
"There is always going to be somebody that thinks that you're imperfect, so it has not really bothered me in any way that people are having these sort of issues."
After criticism about being "bottom heavy", Demelza embarked on a one hour a day, seven days a week training session in which she shaved the centimetres off her hips.
Fellow finalist Alex also weighed into the debate about Demelza's figure.
"It's something she's going to have to work on continuously while she's wanting to be a model," Alex said.
"Unfortunately, for her she's not naturally svelte like the other girls.
"But that's her decision (to lose the weight) but congratulations to her for having the determination to lose the weight."
Alex says she handled the bitchiness on the show because she had the "brains to back myself up" and was also confident of winning.
The finale of Australia's Next Top Model airs on pay-TV's Fox8 on Tuesday.
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