There was drama in the desert this week as the remaining five New Zealand's Next Top Model hopefuls were put through their paces during a second episode filmed in Abu Dhabi.
Tears, fainting spells and the verbalisation of some of the girls' insecurities made for a particularly emotional elimination, with Sara Tetro briefly casting aside her model management hat to take on the role of concerned mentor and mother figure at the show's conclusion.
Things had started promisingly enough, with the girls given the opportunity to meet with and impress Stephen Lee from Next Model Management in New York.
Some shone - he told Rosanagh she had "the most unforgettable face amongst the group" and assured Isabel that having a big personality could be an aid in getting her noticed in the industry - while others stumbled.
Bookish Bianca looked aghast when Stephen literally asked her to let her hair out and later complained that he had given her a "lecture", while Asher-Jayne's nerves got the better of her as she stumbled over her response to a question about whether she would like to be a commercial model.
Fashion is a tough business, Stephen told the girls. So tough, it seems, that while none of the girls provided the complete package in his eyes, a fictitious conglomeration would do just nicely: "If I had Rosanagh's face and Izzy's body," he commented, "we'd have a killer."
The first challenge saw the five tackle a casting call for local designer Aiisha Ramadan, whose high-fashion dresses immediately made Bianca and AJ feel uncomfortable.
AJ, who said she didn't like her thighs and bum admitted she felt "really, like, unconfident" squeezed into a figure-hugging feathered number.
Rosanagh though, nailed the challenge and chose Isabel and Brigette to share her prize - a glamorous fashion shoot showcasing more of Aiisha's creations.
But this week's main challenge proved so on more than one level. Transported to a Bedouin camp in the middle of the desert, the girls were taken, one by one, to a sandy ridgeline among the dunes where their brief was to deliver a bold, beautiful and strong editorial-style image.
Brigette and Isabel were the first two up, a potential advantage given the extreme temperatures the others faced as the day wore on.
Bianca got through her shoot but faded fast in the car on the way back to the camp. Rosanagh soldiered on in the 45C heat despite the hot sand melting the paint off her shoes and AJ - in what was by then a blistering 48C - said she persevered with the job at hand by whispering "you can do this, you can do this" to herself... before fainting as the shoot drew to a close.
Come elimination time, Brigette's shot was the judges' favourite - and indeed Sara's favourite in the competition so far.
Rosanagh and Isabel joined her in the safe zone but the judges had some serious questions for Bianca and AJ.
Sara looked shocked to hear AJ "felt fat" during the casting call and Chris Sisarich had a reality-check comment for Bianca after she admitted she didn't feel comfortable in "dresses or girly clothing".
"The whole thing about modelling is showcasing clothes and being a clothes hanger."
In the end, despite AJ's admirable determination in the desert, her insecurity proved her downfall, with Sara commenting it wasn't fair to keep her in a competition where she could second-guess herself.
What: New Zealand's Next Top Model
When and where: 7.30pm Friday, TV3
