LIGHTS, CAMERA ... NAPPY CHANGE!

Model Frankie Johnson checks out his reflection in the mirror, as a make-up artist dabs anti-shine powder on his forehead and brushes his hair. Kitted out in a designer outfit, he smiles while the camera flashes, capturing the images to be used in a top advertising campaign.

Suddenly, Frankie's smile disappears and his lower lip quivers. As tears roll down his cheeks, the call goes out to end the shoot. His mother rushes on set, gathering him up before giving him a bottle of baby milk.

Frankie modelling Boden

Frankie is just 15 months old - but he's already one of the country's most sought-after baby models, with a magazine cover and high-profile TV campaign under his belt, albeit one for ages 12-24 months.

Baby models advertise over £3billion worth of products every year. And behind every sweet smile is a lengthy audition process filled with ruthless advertisers, besotted mums and babies who are completely oblivious to it all.

One such besotted parent is Jamie Johnson, 39, from Kent. Jamie and her partner Kellie, 30, are parents to baby model Frankie, but it's Jamie who's the driving force behind his career. "As soon as you open a camera case, he stops and sits up in a pose. He's a natural," gushes Jamie, a boxing coach. "I knew from an early age he had potential."

It was constant comments about Frankie's good looks from birth that prompted Jamie to look into modelling. "He was born with a shock of dark hair and big brown eyes, and everyone from the midwives to people in the street would comment on how beautiful he was," says Jamie. "I'd never thought about child modelling, but when I started to notice all the images of babies on the products we were using, I thought he definitely had a shot."

Kellie, who gave birth to Frankie on July 4, 2008 following donor insemination at a private clinic in London, was less keen on the idea of her newborn's face being emblazoned across nappy packets. "Like every new mum I thought Frankie was the most beautiful baby in the world," she says. "But I wasn't convinced that anyone else would agree! When he started getting the work, I felt bad that I hadn't had the faith in him from the start like Jamie did."

Jamie persevered and signed Frankie up to an online modelling agency at just four weeks, after paying a fee of £150. For eight months she waited for the phone to ring, but no bookings came. "I did some research and discovered that the agency didn't have a great reputation in the industry. I was so disappointed that we had wasted time and money," says Jamie.

However, she wasn't about to give up and began sending Frankie's photo to other agencies. "Some said they weren't signing up new children at that time, others simply declined him," says Jamie. "I took the rejections personally, and was pretty devastated. I thought: 'He's lovely, what's wrong with him?' I felt bitter because I was so convinced of his potential."

Fortunately - for Jamie at least - Frankie was signed by the Norrie Carr Agency in April this year when he was nine months old. Since then, his career has rocketed.

Cover star Frankie

"His first casting was for the June cover of Mother & Baby magazine, and he got it!" squeals Jamie. "We bought 50 copies of the magazine at our local Sainsbury's, and are planning on having the cover framed."

Baby modelling is big business. A shoot for a magazine cover pays around £150, and for a TV commercial around £1,000. The most successful baby models can earn tens of thousands in their careers. But Jamie says money has never been a motivation. "We never even ask how much he'll get paid for a job, and often we're out of pocket paying to travel to castings. For

the magazine cover he got several hundred pounds for just a couple of hours work, which we put in an account for when he's older. The reward for me is getting to show the world how gorgeous he is."

Parents are normally given 24 hours notice of castings, where they wait with their babies before photos or a short video is taken. The waiting times are tense, and there are often call-backs for several babies before a decision is made. Usually, one baby is chosen along with several reserves.

"On the surface, the atmosphere is quite amicable, but underneath you known everyone is sizing each other up," says Jamie.

In August, Frankie was cast as the number one baby for the SMA formula milk TV advert - the baby modelling equivalent of becoming the face of L'Oréal. "We got the news on holiday, and Kellie and I were jumping for joy in the street!" says Jamie. "As well as Frankie, there are a couple of substitutes. If your baby's not well or not on form that day, that's it. They won't wait. That's how tough a business it is."

Jamie admits to feeling competitive about Frankie's career. "If I see a good-looking baby in the street, I think: 'I hope I don't see them at a casting.' But it's not just me. Sometimes when I walk into a casting with Frankie, I see people look round and I know they're thinking: 'Oh no!' because he is so lovely. Anyone who says it's not competitive is a complete liar."

Cover star Hadley

Kellie is less, shall we say, spirited about Frankie's career than Jamie. "It was exciting when he got picked as the SMA baby, but I wouldn't mind if it all ended tomorrow, whereas Jamie would take him to Hollywood," she says.

As well as his magazine cover and TV ad, Frankie has also modelled for upmarket children's clothing range Mini Boden, and Jamie has high hopes for his future. "If, in a few years time, there's still work for him and he's enjoying it, I'd be happy for him to keep doing it."

One of Frankie's main modelling rivals is Hadley Corbett, aged one, from Cockfosters, north London. He was the reserve baby for the SMA advert and, like Frankie, has a career in front of the camera that's going from strength to strength.

Hadley's mum Ester, 40, has another child model in her brood of five - Jessica, aged six - and sees big things on the horizon for them both. "Jessica is a stunner. One day she could be a supermodel," she boasts. "And Hadley's taken off in such a big way."

Ester with her model children, Jessica and Hadley

Ester insists her ambition for them isn't motivated by money. "Seeing my child in that catalogue or magazine, captured at that beautiful age, and seeing how gorgeous they look, is why I do it," she says.

Hadley has been modelling since he was five months old, after Ester approached the Truly Scrumptious Agency. "All my children have always been complimented on their looks. I've had people stop me in the street offering me TV work for them and details of modelling agencies handed to me. But I'd always ignored it because it didn't really interest me and I didn't have the confidence to pursue it with my first four children," says Ester. "However, just after Hadley's birth I thought there had to be something in it, so I showed an agency some photos of him and Jessica and they signed them both."

For Ester, modelling is something that has to fit around her hectic family life. Her husband Paul, 40, works full time as an IT consultant, so Ester is responsible for Hadley's modelling diary. "Fortunately I have built up an army of other mums who help out," she says.

Ester with the rest of her brood

Hadley has appeared in a high-street clothing catalogue, on the cover of Practical Parenting magazine and is lined up to model for Mothercare.

The novelty has yet to wear off for Ester. "I get such a buzz seeing my child's face on the shelf or in a catalogue. And the fact that Hadley is earning money for his future is a bonus."

And woe betide anyone who dares label Ester a pushy mother. "Tell me what mother wouldn't want their child to be on the cover of a magazine?" she demands. "Anyone who slags it off is just jealous."

• Ester and Hadley, Jamie, Kellie and Frankie all appear in My Supermodel Baby, October 20, 10.35pm, BBC1.

PHOTOGRAPHY: AMIT LENNON STYLING: LUCIE CLIFFORD HAIR & MAKE-UP: CAROLINE PIASECKI JAMIE WEARS: BLAZER, EVANS; T-SHIRT, MARKS & SPENCER; JEANS, EVANS KELLIE WEARS: TUNIC AND TROUSERS, EVANS FRANKIE WEARS: JACKET AND SHIRT, BABY K AT MOTHERCARE; JEANS, GEORGE AT ASDA HADLEY WEARS: SHIRT, MONSOON; JEANS, NEXT ESTER WEARS: DRESS, WALLIS. JESSICA WEARS: DRESS AND SHOES, MONSOON

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