'I despise Naomi'

For catwalk, read catfight. Supermodel Tyra Banks has revealed she has been in a long feud with Naomi Campbell, and describes her rival as 'hateful'.

The 30-year-old claimed Campbell treated her so badly she almost gave up modelling just to avoid meeting her.

'She did so many hateful things, like getting me thrown off shows because she was more famous,' she said.

Banks, from Los Angeles, despises the Streatham-born Campbell so much she cannot even bring herself to speak her name. 'It got so bad I called my mother and told her I wanted to just give up,' she told Newsweek magazine. Campbell, 33, is known for making demands such as wanting to be the first and last to appear on the catwalk at fashion shows.

She once grabbed an assistant by the throat and assaulted her with a phone. She has also admitted using drugs.

By contrast, Banks is a Catholic high school graduate who has been the goodygoody of the fashion world.

She said she would not let Campbell deter her. 'I want to be successful across the board,' said the supermodel, whose new TV reality show about models is proving a hit in the US.