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What made you want to be a judge on Britain's Next Top Model?
Huggy: "My daughter, actually. She said, 'Mum, you should do it because you were a model and you've been in the industry since you were 16, so you could give great information'. Besides, she thought it would be great to take the mickey out of me on TV!"
Gerry: "They asked me, and they asked me a lot."
Have you watched the show in the past?
Huggy: "I have actually. I think being in the industry I watched it with different eyes - I was always thinking what I'd be doing differently - but I was always a fan."
Gerry: "No. I liked the American one, but I didn't watch the British one because, I'm gonna be really honest with you, I didn't like the British one. Of course I like it a lot more now because I'm on it."
Why didn't you like it?
Gerry: "I didn't like the judging table. It's crap."
Have you tried to get rid of it?
Gerry: "Well, I'm gonna tell you that I've fought enough to try to change it. To me, if you're going to make a show about style, you can't have a table without any style. It goes against every fibre in my being, that table."
What do you think of the calibre of contestants?
Gerry: "They're fabulous - they definitely made up for the lack of design in the table."
Huggy: "When you see the girls come out, they are so sweet! They're all so nervous because some of them have never even stood in front of the camera, but the calibre of the girls is extraordinary and what they've achieved is tremendous."
What's the atmosphere like on the new judging panel?
Gerry: "I get on well with Huggy and Lisa. I think they're fabulous, but I'll tell you that we don't always agree. We all have strong opinions so there are days when we do agree and days when we absolutely don't agree. I think that's what makes the show interesting."
Huggy: "We're all strong personalities, but all we love and respect each other, so we're comfortable enough to agree to disagree."
What's the biggest misconception about being a model?
Huggy: "That it's easy. It's difficult to be judged on your physical appearance and not take it personally, because there's nothing you can do to change your product other than surgery or reincarnation I guess! Rejection's hard for anybody, let alone a young person trying to get out there in the world."
Gerry: "People probably think it's a really easy job. Even the girls who come into the competition don't realise how much work is required. They think it's just a matter of walking in high heels and posing for a picture, but if that were true, anybody could do it. Why do you think there are so few top models? I think the girls realise this from the very first photo shoot: 'Uh oh! This is gonna be harder than we thought'."
Finally, is the modelling industry as bitchy as it can seem?
Gerry: "Well, girls will be girls. That's all that I'm gonna say!"
Huggy: "You know, it can be. I guess it depends on how much of a threat you are. I did a fashion show once and a girl actually took my shoes. I was like, 'What the heck?' We weren't there for ourselves, we were there because we were employed by the designer to be there. There are some bitches out there, but sometimes it's true that the bigger the bitch, the bigger the threat you are."
Britain's Next Top Model begins Monday at 9pm on Living.
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