Madonna was more famous for her horrifying body odour than her singing prowess when she first started out, according to former model JANICE DICKINSON.

The RAY OF LIGHT pop queen used to hit the town with her pal Dickinson, who claims the stench was often too pungent to bear, and she frequently had to keep a safe distance from the MATERIAL GIRL.

She tells gossip site PageSix.Com, "In the 80s before she was famous, I used to go dancing with Madonna at Danceteria.

"Madonna had the most vicious body odour. It was like she had not showered in a week.

"She was a great dancer, but I tried not to get too close to her or I would literally pass out. It was that bad. It was total skank."

04/07/2005 05:19