Model reveals the brutal Playboy Bunny audition process and 'very little' amount they got paid

A model has spoken out about the brutal audition process before landing a place in Hugh Hefner's Playboy Bunny mansion in the early 2000's.

Glamour model Jessica Barton claimed that while from the outside, people presumed the 'bunnies' were making 'life-changing money', the truth is a very different tale.

Shedding light on the disappointing reality of the Playboy Bunny world during the late 90s and early 2000s, she admitted that the girls 'worked insanely hard for very little'.

"If you were a blonde bombshell in the early 2000s, becoming a Playboy Bunny or Playmate was the dream," Barton claimed.

“All my friends were getting picked and I kept thinking, 'Choose me next'."

And though the model never quite made it to the mansion as a 'bunny', she was a regular guest at Playboy parties, landed appearances at clubs, and featured in smaller Playboy publications and special editions.

Opening up about the pay they received, Barton said: "People think we were making millions but honestly, most of us were broke.

"I was probably making around £15,000 to £20,000 a year modelling and travelling constantly."

Barton claimed that despite the perception, most models working for Hugh Hefner were 'broke'. (Jam Press/@jessbartontwin)

But despite pay being low, it didn't stop women lining up to audition.

"There were thousands of girls trying to become the next big thing," she added.

"You had to constantly look perfect because there was always another girl waiting behind you."

Barton said: "You’d stand in line for hours hoping someone from Hef’s team would notice you.

"They’d take your photos, talk to you for five minutes and then send you on your way."

The 42-year-old, who now lives in Orlando, noted that after working all day at shoots, she would bartend 'all night' just to get by.

But Barton, who now works as a content creator, noted that it wasn't all doom and gloom.

She has opened up about the 'brutal' audition process. (Jam Press/@jessbartontwin)

"The parties were honestly the fun part," she said.

"You’d get paid to show up, drink champagne and look pretty."

Speaking about the perception, Barton added: "Everybody saw the mansion and the parties.

"They didn’t see the rejection, the auditions or the girls crying because they weren’t chosen."

Despite repeatedly auditioning for Hefner's team, the 42-year-old said she was constantly overlooked, while watching her friends become Playmates and even Playmate of the Year.

But even such titles didn't land big pay checks, according to the model.

"If you became Playmate of the Month, you’d get paid once and then still be tied into contracts doing signings and appearances," she noted.