Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: VH1 has picked up Model Employee, a new reality competition series featuring eight models vying for the chance of becoming the face of the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. American model Chrissy Teigen will host of the series from Undercover Boss producer Studio Lambert, which has received an eight-episode order for a premiere in early 2013.

The contestants — Alexis Farmer, Aspen Widowson, Britany Trankino, Jassmine Amos, Johanna Daru, Shannone Holt, Sonja Ewy and Shah Granville — will be put through a series of challenges designed to test not only their modeling abilities, but also their working knowledge of the hotel. That will involve them performing some of the dirtiest and most physically exhausting jobs that make the hotel function, including cleaning Mandalay Bay’s signature shark tank or sifting through all of the resort’s trash for recyclable items. The contestants will also put their modeling skills to work in front of a panel of judges that includes Vanessa Branch, former Orbit Gum spokes model, Patrick Miller, VP of Marketing at Mandalay Bay, and Jimmy Smith, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Amusement Park Entertainment. The winner will get to represent Mandalay Bay with a $100,000 year- long spokes -model contract. “Watching really pretty people do some not so pretty work in hopes of truly understanding the brand they hope to represent is an eye-opening experience, and lots of fun to watch,” said Jeff Olde, EVP of Original Programming & Production at VH1.

Model Employee is executive produced by Eli Holzman and Stephen Lambert for Studio Lambert. Troy Searer is the showrunner and executive producer. The series was created by veteran Model Agent Michael Flutie who also serves as executive producer.

VH1 is coming off a strong summer, with new series Love And Hip Hop: Atlanta ranking as the top cable reality series in adults 18-49 and women 18-49 and Single Ladies finishing its second season as the #1 ad-supported regularly scheduled scripted series of the summer among women 18-49.

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