It's been the only thing the people of Liverpool have talked about ever since it's debut episode aired on E4 last month.  Desperate Scousewives has become the city’s hot topic – wooden, scripted and unlikeable have been the main words doing the rounds in taxis, bars and Twitter, yet more than 600,000 people tuned in to see E4’s representation of this famous city.

The cast are well aware of the criticism (and the lack of Liverpool locals) so I’m a little apprehensive of what mood gorgeous girls Elissa Corrigan, Sam Woolley and Jodie Lundstram will be in when we all meet at the quirky Hotel Indigo in Chapel Street. 

It’s 3pm, raining and the girls rush into the colourful hotel lobby. They’re cold and they're wet (good start).  After the introductions the four of us finally settle down for a glass of champagne.  The girls are letting their hair down this evening (the first episode has just been aired) and Gossip popped in to chat to them whilst they were being preened to perfection for a night on the town.

As the trio begin to put in their rollers I nervously fire my first question; ‘It’s meant to be a show on Liverpool, so where are the locals?”

Jodie is the first to answer.  After a stint in London working for MAC, the blonde beauty introduced herself to the nation by stepping of the train at Lime Street and screaming “Liverpool, I’m Back!”  Loud and proud she certainly is.

“I understand why some people aren’t happy with the show being called Desperate Scousewives considering a lot of the cast aren’t from Liverpool.” Says the 24-year-old.

“If I am honest I would have preferred a few more Scousers on the show.  The problem was that there wasn’t a load of great Scousers auditioning. Liverpool lads automatically think “Oh, I’m not doing that” because it isn’t manly enough and then they moan about there being no Scousers on the show.  If you think you could have represented the city better then apply!

“I think people have got to remember that Liverpool is not just full of people from the city.  It’s a great compliment that people have moved here to go to university and have stayed after they have finished.”

This is clearly a point the girls feel strongly about.  “Liverpool has developed so much as a city,” adds Elissa (originally from Blackburn).  “It’s a huge compliment to how welcoming the people are that girls like me want to stick around.  I might not be a Scouser but I have lived here for the best part of eight years.  I have been accepted by the city and I’d like to think of myself as an honorary Scouser.  But it shows how the city has evolved."

Sam Woolley is the youngest of the girls.  At 20-year-old and living a stone-throw away from the city, the Kate Middleton look-a-like has found the criticism particularly hard to deal with, especially with taunts that she is playing up to stereotypes.

“When the first episode aired and we were getting panned I did think to myself ‘is it worth it’?” Confided the brunette.

“I just wanted to do something fun and have a laugh with my mates.  It annoys me when people say that the show doesn’t represent Liverpool.  We can’t represent every single person in the city but I’d say we represent a vast majority.

“The show is all about fashion and glamour.  Every weekend there is a fashion event or party in Liverpool and it is packed with a bunch of girls just like us.  There are people slagging the show of who dress exactly like us, go to these parties and probably stand next to us at the bar!

“We’re not going to represent everyone but at the end of the day the show is a bit of fun.  Scousers are known for not taking themselves too seriously and if they took the show with a pinch of salt they might actually enjoy it.”

One of the fiercest critics of the show has been QPR footballer and Liverpool-born Joey Barton.  The 29-year-old labeled the cast “materialistic, fame-hungry cretins” – something that did not go down well with our ladies.

“I read an interview with him the other day,” says Sam.  “He was saying that all he does is put himself out there to do his job on the football pitch and shouldn’t be judged – all the cast on Scousewives are doing exactly the same thing, putting ourselves out there.

“It’s not easy when you put everything into something and then get the criticism from people like him.  He knows what it is like to be judged and so he shouldn’t be passing judgement so easily on other people.

Knowing Elissa personally for many years, I dread her response, especially considering she is now on her second glass of champagne! 

“He is hardly an up-standing man of the community,” she rages.  “I mean come on, this is hardly the mayor of Liverpool talking and I really don't know why anybody takes any notice of him. He's an ex-con with a twitter account. Who is to judge? I with thank him for one thing though, all the publicity."

It’s hard to remember with all the negative press but the whole point of the programme is to follow the trials and tribulations of some of the city’s residents.  From friendships, feuds and romances – Desperate Scousewives doesn’t hold back.

One of the most intriguing storylines is the love triangle between Joe McMahon (Liverpool’s answer to Mark Wright), his current fling Layla and his ex-girlfriend Elissa.

The relationship between Elissa and Joe is very real.  After renting a house and preparing to build a life together, the pair split after revelations that Joe had embarked on a holiday fling.

“I will always have strong feelings for Joe.  There are plenty of unresolved issues between us.

“I hate always been compared to Lauren and Mark (TOWIE) or Caggie and Spencer (MIC ) as we are completely different. Every relationship is different, so how could I possibly compare mine to theirs?

“I’d find it really hard to trust Joe again because of everything that has happened between us.

“All the emotions on screen with us are real.  Joe was my first love, we met at Uni and we were together for years.  We moved in and were in the process of setting up a life together.

“When I found out he had cheated on holiday I was stunned. I saw emails between him and another woman and it broke my heart.  I was so angry and upset and I vowed I would never ever get back with him.

“He kept trying to justify it by saying it was the last ever lads holiday he was ever going to go on before he settled down and he wanted to have fun.

“I think it’s disgusting the way he treats women, especially Layla.  The problem is she puts up with it which makes her just as bad.

“I think I am the only girl who Joe knows he can’t f**k about.  He wouldn’t even try and get back with me unless he knew he could trust himself 100 per cent.  If he came to me and said; ‘Elissa, I want you back’ and he was 100 per cent committed then who knows.

“I would have to get to know him all over again.  It has been a long time since we were together and we are different people than we were two years ago.  It would be a long process but you can never say never."

In episode two, Sam has her own problems when it comes to blokes.  Sharing what can only be described as a “full-on” kiss with on/off boyfriend Danny Latimer it’s the classic are they/aren’t they scenario– so what IS going on with them?

“Danny is so confusing.  One minute he’s really into me and the next he goes cold.  I couldn’t believe it when he was pining after Debbie on the first episode.  He was telling me how much he liked me and then next thing he is confessing his love for Debbie, it’s so confusing.”

But Danny might have some competition for Sam’s affections from another reality TV Star.

“I love Joey Essex from TOWIE.  He is beautiful but so sweet as well.  Mark is the womaniser and has got around a bit too much for me but Joey is so innocent.

“He doesn’t seem to have much luck with the girls and I don’t know why, he makes me laugh so much.  He is a bit dozy but then so am I!  His Smart Car is awesome!  I’ve always wanted one.

“Would I date Joey?  Most definitely, he can pick me up in his car anytime he wants!”

Jodie is less bothered about male drama than the other two girls and is looking forward to entertaining people throughout the series.

“I am really happy being single.” She giggles.

“With the show and everything that is going on in my life I can’t have a boyfriend at the moment.  I’d always be thinking ‘will they be happy if I do this’ and to be honest I haven’t got time for that.”

In fact Jodie is far too busy with work for a man, especially after revealing the “Scouse Brow”.

“The Scouse Brow has been absolutely mental." Jodie screams after checking her own brows in the mirror.

“Every day I get hundreds of people sending me pictures of them getting a Scouse Brow, it’s amazing!

“It’s all a bit of fun.  I didn’t think that it would catch on like it has but it’s went global – Scouse brows are taking over the world."

The interview is drawing to a close and the girls have just ordered a range of cocktails from the bar.  Within minutes there are guests asking for pictures, guys offering to buy them drinks whilst the three giggle playfully between themselves.

It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if people followed the example of these ladies and stopped taking things so seriously, maybe, just maybe, you might actually enjoy the show for what it is – a bit of fun!

The latest edition of Gossip is out now!

*Desperate Scousewives is on E4 Mondays at 10pm.