Paul Sculfor reveals how 'tough' modelling REALLY is and heaps praise on 'brilliant' Abbey Clancy as they launch Britain's Next Top Model

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He's been one of the most in-demand models for the last two decades, fronting campaigns for the world's biggest designer brands. So it's fair to say that Paul Sculfor knows what it takes to make it in the notoriously cut-throat fashion industry. 

Which is why the criminally handsome Essex boy has been drafted in as a judge for the new series of Britain's Next Top Model, alongside new panellists Abbey Clancy, journalist Hilary Alexander and photographer Nicky Johnston. 

But before the 15 contestants start dreaming of Vogue covers and Chanel campaigns, Paul has some stern words of wisdom about how tough modelling for a living can be. 'A lot of people come into the business and think you just have to stand there, which isn’t true,' he told FEMAIL. 

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He's been one of the most in-demand models for the last two decades so it's fair to say that Paul Sculfor knows what it takes to make it in the notoriously cut-throat fashion industry

While Paul says the four judges have 'really gelled' and there's no squabbling yet, he can't help but gush about 30-year-old Abbey, who launched her career on the show in 2006

'You might have to stand in Jamaica. In the blazing sun. Blazing heat in whatever outfits you’re wearing - for a long period of time. You have to keep your energy up, be bubbly - if you’re not going to take it on you can’t do the job.'

As well being the 'right measurements and right height', he stresses how important it is to leave a lasting impression on the casting directors. 'You need to have a personality, you need to be fun and you have to take instruction,' he said. 

The show has being revived - moving from Sky Living to Lifetime - after a two-year hiatus. The new crop of judges replace Elle Macpherson, singer Dannii Minogue and model Tyson Beckford.  

'We’ve bought a new life to the show,' said Paul. 'Everyone is current and can bring a new experience to it. It’s more youthful and fun than the prior show. We’ve got some great girls this year so it’s going to be a really interesting competition.'

The criminally handsome Essex boy has been drafted in as a judge for the new series of Britain's Next Top Model, alongside new panellists Abbey Clancy, journalist Hilary Alexander and photographer Nicky Johnston

Paul has modelled for everyone from Valentino to Paul Smith, Giorgio Armani and Belstaff. However, he says the most glamorous shoots are the ones he did for Versace

Paul hit the big time around the same hedonistic era as Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. However, he never managed to bag an invite to one of Kate's parties as he was 'too naughty'

While Paul says the four judges have 'really gelled' and there's no squabbling yet, he can't help but gush about 30-year-old Abbey, who launched her career on the show in 2006. 

'Oh, she’s brilliant. She’s such a nice girl,' he said. 'It’s tough in the industry actually as a lot of people can be precious but she has her own career and has been doing it for a long time. Abbey’s experience is different to mine so she can give different pointers to the girls.'

Paul says the standard of competitors is 'really high' this year and the girls need to be prepared to battle it out.  'They need to actually take it seriously and be really good because the competition is good,' he said.

Is he going to go all Simon Cowell if they start messing about? 

'If you’re talking about his style I don’t wear high pants, no,' he joked. 'I don’t have a mid-parting either. If someone’s not performing as they should I’ll do a little Simon Cowell but if they are really good, genuinely, I’ll be really nice to them.'

He can't yet predict what sort of girl will win the show but wants them to make an impact on the modelling world. 'What I want personally is someone who can have a career after the show. Genuinely can be a model and have a long career,' he said. 

The hopefuls have been whisked away on exotic shoots in Croatia and Jamaica, however Paul is keen to stress that most of the time it's not all high-glamour.  

'I guess it’s like the movie industry, you see the red carpet and the films and don’t realise what goes in prior to it,' he said. 'The illusion is that you just rock up to an agency, they get you work - but that’s not what it’s about. It takes most people three or four years to build up a career. It’s pretty tough.'

Paul says the standard of competitors is 'really high' this year and the girls need to be prepared to battle it out. 'They need to actually take it seriously and be really good because the competition is good,' he said

Now 44 with his party days behind him, Paul, pictured with fellow model David Gandy, is keen to keep his body in shape

Paul said there's always people 'a lot more hungry than you' for jobs and young models have to be prepared to have 'no money and be on the bread line' for a bit.

Fortunately for him, his career has only headed up since he was named the Face Of 1992. He went on to sign with Select Models and his first shoot was with iconic Nineties magazine The Face, alongside Lisa Snowdon.  

'After that I was kind of hooked on modelling,' he said. 'I started getting a few jobs and I could see this was an opportunity for me to travel the world and meet people. It is a great industry, you meet the maddest and loveliest people.'

He dreamed of being a car racer as a kid ('I'm too tall') and would probably have moved into property had his runway career not taken off. 

Paul has modelled for everyone from Valentino to Paul Smith, Giorgio Armani and Belstaff. However, he says the most glamorous shoots are the ones he did for Versace. 

'They'd put us up in the Chateau Marmont and there would be 80 people on set,' he said. 'They'd have old fashioned cars, people just wandering about and hanging out. I love Bruce Weber shoots. The people in this business love style, love life, love architecture, love art and it is a big collection of that. When it works it is really glamorous.'

Paul hit the big time around the same hedonistic era as Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. However, he never managed to bag an invite to one of Kate's parties as he was 'too naughty'. 'I think the person that I see the most is Naomi,' he said. 'We tend to go to the same events and we do speak. I don’t see the other people. I think collectively everyone partied really hard. It was a lot different from now.'

Is Naomi as scary as everyone makes out? '[Laughs] I don’t think so. I think she’s lovely. You hear things but I’ve never experienced it.'

Paul, pictured centre, with fellow models from Select, including Donna Air, Poppy Delevingne, Lily Donaldson and Cara Delevingne 

Paul was once dubbed 'the face that's worth a million dollars' by a newspaper and has a strict skincare regime to ensure he still looks good

Now 44 with his party days behind him, Paul is keen to keep his body in shape. 'I’ve always been pretty athletic. I do a martial arts class a couple of times a week and generally go to the gym but I’ve always done that,' he said. 'I would die if I didn’t exercise. I would be hanging off the walls.'

He's also careful with his diet. 'I wouldn't say it’s super crazy vegan or I just drink soya milk. I eat pretty much everything but in moderation.'

Paul was once dubbed 'the face that's worth a million dollars' by a newspaper and has a strict skincare regime to ensure he still looks good. 'I try not to use things with parabens in. I do wash, tone and put a moisturiser on. I’d probably use an organic one,' he said. 

Is it ever difficult working in an industry that is known for being superficial and obsessed solely with looks?  'There’s definitely elements of that but I think that comes down to individual people. If it was just like that I wouldn’t have been in it for this long,' he said. 'I’ve found some wonderful people in the industry but there are vacuous people in it - but there is in a lot of places. I think what’s difficult is the business is fickle. It changes. One minute you’ll be in fashion and the next you won’t. That’s what is very difficult.'

He says staying in fashion is harder for women because the expectations for men and women are extremely different. 'I think there’s a really unhealthy pressure on women to look younger. I work in a women’s business and it is tough,' he said. 'There’s a lot of competition and a lot of pressure. I think it’s getting better. When I lived in LA about five years ago there were a lot of people stopping to have Botox. There’s a limit of when you start to look odd. I have nothing against it but there’s nothing better than natural beauty.'   

Britain’s Next Top Model starts on Thursday at 9pm on Lifetime  

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