Erin O'Connor admitted that being 6ft at 13 made her feel like a 'misfit'.
The stunning 35-year-old - who is one of the mentors on new modelling reality show 'The Face' with Naomi Campbell and Caroline Winberg - felt like a "misfit" because she was six-foot tall at the age of 13, but being scouted by model agents helped her find acceptance.
She said: "I didn't want to be six-foot with size seven feet at the age of 13. I felt like a misfit and inclusion was something I coveted fiercely. I couldn't walk into a room without being noticed. It used to crucify me.
"Then, when I was 17, I was scouted on a school trip to the Clothes Show Live. I felt self-conscious but elated that all my differences were suddenly being celebrated. ... I was known as the imperfect supermodel. I was fiercely angular and my features were uncompromising, but somehow I embodied the spirit and ethos of the designers' work."
The brunette star is now a source of support to young models joining the fashion industry and believes it's important to be honest with them.
She added to the new issue of Marie Claire UK magazine: "The models who go on to succeed have to recognise that modelling is a profession, not a lifestyle. Even if a girl is beautiful to look at, if she is lacking in charisma or has a negative attitude, then her appeal is instantly reduced."
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