Despite our excitement about Elle's The CW reality show Stylista, and fashion news director Anne Slowey playing the evil villainess, our behind-the-scenes spies are painting a less entertaining picture. At least for those working on the show.

As Jossip was the first to tell you last month, staffers have been roped into participating in the series unwillingly, being forced to ditch weekend plans to attend tapings at the show's faux office.

Now we're hearing two senior editors, Joann Pailey and Kate Lanphear, were blatantly lied to about their involvement on the show, originally being told they'd be extras, which they begrudgingly allowed, and then bait-and-switched into prominent roles as judges. "Both were completely humiliated and wanted nothing to do with it but were basically lied to by the powers that be," says an insider.

As for the overdramatic Slowey? "Where do you start," says our source.

Among her faults: She can't walk in heels, and her supposed inclination for fermented beverages is "apparent to everyone."

"It's got to be so embarrassing for Robbie [Myers, EIC] and Joe [Zee, creative director]," although they were the ones diligently shopping it around to the TV networks. "Guess they got what they wished for."

And one last bit for good measure: We're told there was a Stylista subplot that producers, from The Tyra Banks Show, were hoping to execute, and it had to do with one of the magazine's lesbian editors and a closeted assistant. And while producers weren't able to pull it off, both of these folks do appear on the show, so you can start those blind items now.