Tyra Banks breaks down in tears

BY CLIO FRANCIS

Reality television mogul Tyra Banks broke down and shed tears in front of a star-studded crowd at an Auckland waterfront restaurant.

Banks, the host of hit reality show America's Next Top Model which has been filming several episodes in New Zealand over the past 10 days, started welling up when she took to the stage to launch a new beauty campaign.

Banks gave a speech about her stay in New Zealand and discussed the importance of embracing all kinds of beauty, encouraging young women to love themselves "inside and out".

The luncheon, billed as the "first ever Global Beauty Inside and Out summit," featured numerous media and Kiwi celebrities including Lucy Lawless, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Suzanne Paul and Robyn Malcolm.

Banks, clad in a bright purple wrap-around dress, became visibly emotional as she spoke of her passion for recognising all kinds of beauty.

"I apologise for the emotion but I am my mother's daughter and my mama cries at everything," she said.

The statuesque former model told the story of the day her mother was handed a list of prominent fashion designers who would no longer work with Banks because of her weight.

After handing the list to her daughter, Bank's mother said: "And now we're going to go get pizza".

That was a defining moment for the model who swore "to be for young woman what my mother was for me".

Banks said she had been struck by the beauty of New Zealand while flying into the country.

"I was like, 'Gosh there are so many golf courses in Auckland.' And (the flight attendant) was like, 'No ma'am, that's just our gorgeous terrain'.

"I have to admit this country is so absolutely gorgeous."

She had also been enjoying the local coffee.

"I've been having a good time with my flat whites and my trim flat whites and my long blacks with water on the side," Banks joked.

A local Kapa Haka group performed several songs at the luncheon and presented a greenstone necklace to Banks.

- © Fairfax NZ News