Model in the media spotlight

Christobelle's win was a badly kept secret. Photo / Herald on Sunday

NZ's Next Top Model winner Christobelle Grierson-Ryrie had a practice run at the media game when she was interviewed by a former women's mag editor on the television show, but yesterday was the real deal.

Giving her first real interview to the Herald on Sunday, the 16-year-old appeared nervous sitting on the couch at her Devonport home - still shaken by former Woman's Weekly editor Wendyl Nissen's feedback that she came across as a "spoilt brat" in her mock interview.

"I felt pretty angry about it because I don't think I'm a spoilt brat," she said.

The final episode of the TV3 show aired on Friday night, revealing what everyone had already suspected - that Christobelle would beat fellow finalist Laura Scaife, 20.

Christobelle is modest about her win, but said she was happy second runner-up Hosanna Horsfall didn't make it into the top two.

"It's sad when anyone gets kicked out but by the end of it we all got kind of annoyed with her. We needed an outlet and I think we took it out on her," she said. "It was pretty obvious that she wasn't in it to make friends but she worked her way up to the top and I think she deserved to be in the top three," she said.

The Top Model home, which housed all 13 finalists until they were whittled down to the winner, was their prison and their sanctuary during filming. Christobelle said they were allowed just one phone call to family for 15 minutes each week, but at the end of a long day the North Shore mansion was a welcome sight.

The home is owned by Orcon founder Seeby Woodhouse, who bought it after his friend, party-pill millionaire Logan Millar, committed suicide there in 2007.

"I'd heard it was haunted and that someone had killed themselves there, but I didn't see anything spooky," Christobelle said.

The whirlwind trip to LA - where Nigel Barker from the American series photographed the contestants - was the highlight of the show, she said.

But a confidentiality contract with a $1 million penalty clause prevented her from sharing her excitement with friends at Diocesan School, where she returned after filming ended a month ago.

But she has been keeping in touch with her fellow models Lucy Murphy, Rebecca Rose Harvey, Teryl-Leigh Williams-Bourke and "mother hen" model Ngahuia Williams.

"It's nice, everyone's been really happy for me, but I haven't had a proper celebration yet."

She has won an eight-page editorial spread in Cleo magazine, a one-year contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, a trip to New York to meet Next Model Management and a trip to Sydney to meet Chic Model Management.

She also receives a contract with 62 Models & Talent, the agency run by the show's host Sara Tetro.

Despite the win, Christobelle said she plans to stay at school - for now.

"I'm young, but you never know long you'll last in this industry so if there are (international) offers, I'll think about it then."

"It's been really, really cool and so amazing to be a part of."