Next Top Model

Student Alex Evans, 19, who has just taken her A-levels and is waiting on the results, has been crowned ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ on the Living TV show.

Ali – as she prefers to be known – beat fellow student Catherine Thomas, 18, in the final, which took place in South Africa. The final decision was made by the judging panel, made up of British model Snowdon, Icelandic model-turned photographer Huggy Ragnarsson and stylist to the stars, Gerry DeVeaux.

Ali wins a contract with renowned model agency Models 1 – who also represent Twiggy, Linda Evangelista and Amber Valletta – a Max Factor cosmetics campaign and a six-page cover spread in Company magazine that comes out in August, where she wears black-leather and lace outfits. Nice.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could achieve anything like this but now I have proved myself wrong,” Ali said. The final featured a final photo shoot with the three girls posing for a fake tan advertisement with added accessories of the wild animal variety. Ali had to lie next to an iguana, while other finalists had to contend with a three-metre long snake and a tarantula. Not so nice.

The two student finalists, who became close friends on the programme, were adorned in gold face paint and showcased clothes by different designers while stomping it out on the catwalk. However, Catherine still couldn’t resist a little dig after the event: “I think the judges made the wrong decision,” she said in her interview after the show.

After Ali’s win, iconic British designer Zandra Rhodes said: “She has lovely bone structure, a very nice look indeed.” Lisa Snowdon, the presenter of the show, said: “This girl just blossomed before my eyes. She’s always been one of the most interesting girls – she’s very special looking and all her pictures are fierce. The fashion world is her oyster.”