Naomi Campbell: 'I'll never shake off phone-throwing incident'

Naomi Campbell is convinced she will always be remembered for her highly-publicised phone-throwing tantrum, but hopes to repair her reputation with new reality TV show The Face.

In 2007, the fashion icon pleaded guilty to assaulting her housekeeper with a BlackBerry device, and was subsequently sentenced to five days of community service with New York's sanitation department.

Campbell became known for her fiery temper as a result of the scandal, and she predicts her reputation will continue to haunt her throughout her career.

She tells Elle magazine, "I'm never gonna get away from it. It's part of my history... (But) I was remorseful and regretful. I've served (my sentence). I did that time. And I never want to be in that position again."

The 42-year-old beauty is now showing off her sensitive side as a mentor to aspiring catwalk stars on her new TV modelling competition The Face, due to air next month (12Feb13).

She adds, "I care for my girls (on the show). Every single one of them."

Rod Aissa, senior vice president of TV network Oxygen, adds, "The public will see the Naomi that her friends know. That doesn't come across in a picture, but it does come across on television."