Mediacorp's beauty pageant for mothers - "Super Mummy" - has barely entered the semi-final rounds, but there is already a wave of raging cattiness befitting any good drama series.

Previously, the contest's production team was accused of favouring two contestants - Tan Kai Ling  and Noriko Kong - above the rest.

But at the end of last week's episode, Kai Ling was given the boot, giving rise to speculation that there had been internal arrangements for Noriko to win the crown. Noriko also happens to be Hong Kong  actress Deborah Lee's stepdaughter.

Online netizens alleged in a MediaCorp forum that the production team had chosen to fix the winner because they were afraid of offending  Deborah, who is the ex-wife of Hong Kong's infamous ageing playboy Patrick Tse Yin.

But recently, matters took a further turn when an irate reader called Shin Min Daily News to share her own views on the contest.

The caller had told the Chinese evening daily that while contestants looked friendly onscreen, a number of them were in serious rivalry with each other once the cameras stopped rolling

Nariko Kong	Jan Liow

The caller also revealed that one contestant, Jan Liow, was prejudiced against Noriko from the beginning, and Jan's negativity towards the latter could have influenced how the other contestants viewed Noriko.

The caller told Shin Min Daily News: "The other contestants are jealous because Noriko has a husband who is a plastic surgeon and  also because she comes from a well-off family."

After listening to what the caller had to say, a reporter with the paper felt that the caller knew Noriko well and was trying to seek redress for her.

Backstage crew: Cattiness abounds among contestants

A backstage crew member confirmed the rumours when questioned by the Chinese daily. The crew  member listed several such 'catty' scenarios as examples:

- The 'Super Mummies' would call the organisers to try and and wean "secret information".

- Once they have gotten their hands on insider information, they would then file complaints alleging that their rivals received privileged treatment and also gather other contestants to protest against perceived unfairness.

However, a backstage crew member told Shin Min that such scenarios were not out of the blue,  especially during the past few weeks of the contest as communication problems could have arose due to the tightness of the contest schedule.

As such, some 'Super Mummies' may have felt that certain contestants were favoured over others,  the crew member continued.