Top Model turns out the hotties

NEW ZEALAND'S Next Top Model has finished casting, with Auckland winding it all up last weekend, and one happy 16-year-old, Christobelle, is already standing out.

Amusingly her dad, Bruce Ryrie, is on TV at the moment as a participant in another reality show TV One's School for Success. Mum is high-profile too. She's Josephine Grierson, the glamorous redhead who so memorably took Eric Watson to court and won (it was a business wrangle).

Diocesan schoolgirl Christobelle hears today if she is in the final 33 who go to Queenstown for the final selection of 13 these will be the girls who get to stay in the house in March. She will get through I know because I am psychic.

Meanwhile, there's strife even before the show begins. Another pretty hopeful who has made it through is not a newbie at all. She's the ripe old age of 17 an old-timer really. She's done two Fashion Weeks, has worked overseas and has already won a modelling show judged by Top Model host Colin Mathura-Jeffree. This is causing ripples.

There is a problem though, with casting for this show, because all the girls will have to be very young to be undiscovered. But if they are really young, the house will be too hard and invasive for them.

Any girl over, say, 17 who hasn't been discovered is likely to be second-rate or from a very small town. Bets are on that the winner will be from Eketahuna or something (but my bet is still on Christobelle).

The show, hosted by former model and now talent agent Sara Tetro, screens later this year.

 

Simply the best... and then the rest

LAD MAG (although I shouldn't call it that this publication is way too upmarket) M2 hired a luxury yacht, The Island Passage, to take their choice of the 197 most interesting Kiwis out on the Auckland harbour on Thursday evening, where they announced the M2 Best Awards. Around 1000 of the magazine's 12,000 readers voted in the awards, which were in 20 categories. Last year they chose Marc Ellis, right, as man of the year (it was his second year in a row). This year readers chose Indy car champion Scott Dixon, left.

Last year M2's woman of the year was Nicky Watson. This year it's TV One's Breakfast host Pippa Wetzell, which has me wondering is New Zealand getting more sophisticated? Perhaps so. Dixon's no rugby head. At age 13, instead of chasing balls, he climbed into a racing car and had to be granted a special licence to compete on the race circuit because he was a baby. Now he's famous as the first New Zealander to win the Indianapolis 500, which he achieved last year. According to M2 editor Andre Rowell, it's Dixon's grit, humility and dry sense of humour that appeals. "He's someone who kept battling through from a very young age, even in bad times. He never gave up. I think the voters recognise that."

As for the girls, well apparently it was Wetzell's brains, beauty and cheery personality that saw her claim the top spot from last year's winner, socialite and buxom former lingerie model Watson.

The Jervois Steak House in Auckland's Herne Bay was best restaurant, Outrageous Fortune took best TV show for the second year in a row, Huffer got best casual clothing brand and no one behaved very badly, which is a bit of a shame.

 

Hayley Holted in her tracks

THE DOWNSIDE of celebrity: What's a collective noun for celebrity? A clutch? A snatch? A mwah? Please email me with ideas!

Anyway, the latest, shall we say, "snatch" of celebrities in this fifth season of Dancing with the Stars met with their dance partners for the first time on Wednesday night. They have no choice in the matter it's like a big arranged marriage and it doesn't always pan out as they wish.

But sometimes it doesn't pan out at all. Hayley Holt (right) wanted to do DWTS this year but was knocked back. I guess she is too well known now. She is a way bigger celebrity than anyone she would be dancing with and would outshine them. In fact, I would argue Hayley is now our No1 A-list glamourpuss. She has the whole package.

 

Wedding belles

DIANE FOREMAN hosted the engagement party of Lockwood Smith and Alexandra Lang at her Remuera home yesterday. The big excitement called for a resurfaced tennis court as 60 guests converged for a well overdue knees-up. (Lockwood and Alexandra are an old established couple and live at his Ruawai farm.)

Lockwood, of course, is the new Speaker of the House. Alexandra is a school counsellor at Diane's son's school that's the connection that I think earned Diane the organiser's role and she has four children who absolutely love Lockwood.

Meanwhile Shane Cortese and Nerida Jantti's big day went off without a hitch last Saturday in Wellington. Nerida walked on to the sound stage where they met to the strains of Robbie Williams' "Angels", which is what they danced to in their Dancing with the Stars finale. The vows were very simple and the marriage celebrant, who was 96, spoke very movingly and with great mana. DJ Robert Scott's speech had everyone giggling before Candy Lane took over her speech had them in tears.

After the ceremony the happy crew of about 200 people Outrageous Fortune stars, DWTS people, friends, family and producers were seen downing cosmos at iconic local bar Dock St with Nerida in her wedding dress all night. The wedding, which began at 3pm, didn't wind up until 3am. Even Jason Gunn and his producer wife Janine stayed till the end, which is most unusual for them.

 

Did you hear about ...

* Battle for the Bands: Alt TV scooped MTV at Rhythm and Vines over New Year. Alt TV were making a documentary at the three-day music event in Gisborne but their interviews kept being cancelled. Was this because of heavy hitting competitors MTV? That's what Alt TV assumed. Then Public Enemy, right, played and Alt TV, hanging about at the back of the stage, intercepted the hip-hop legends and explained they were a little, independent, station. This appealed to the group so they gave them a full-blown interview. Must have annoyed MTV who had to wait in line to get their pre-arranged exclusive.

* Nina Simone's jazz singer daughter is coming to New Zealand. Lisa Simone Kelly, left, is Ghanaian royalty and also a philanthropist she set up a charity in her mother's name to help communities living in poverty. Now she has agreed to support a new one, Art For Love, and she will sing at the launch evening in April. One of China's Rich Listers, Dennis Yang, who is now a Kiwi, is behind the charity, which aims to sell the works of China's foremost contemporary artists to raise money for various charities around the world. Auckland is the first stop and from here Art For Love will go to Sydney, Monaco and San Francisco. Each event will be different but this inaugural gala night will see Simone singing her own music plus one or two Nina Simone songs that have never been released.

* KidsCan's first fundraiser of the year, the Stella Artois Long Lunch, is on February 26 at Puketutu Island from 2-8pm. It will be an indulgent afternoon affair of progressive dining with music from the Mojave Jazz Trio, the Jordan Luck Band and Auckland covers band, Tall Poppies. Tickets are $165. Email rsvp@invitationonlyevents.org.nz.

* Greens co-leader Dr Russel Norman is giving his party's annual state of the planet presentation today at the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson from 11am-2pm. Head along and rub shoulders with the likes of westies Robyn Malcolm, Francesca Price and Rawere Paratene. Mikey Havoc might make an appearance too.

* Amici singer Geoff Sewell, who has entertained Sir Elton John, The Beckhams, Nelson Mandela, the Queen and Princes Charles, William and Harry, is going to be in New Zealand in late February for a series of concerts. He has selected school choirs from throughout New Zealand to perform with him, which is pretty special. Even more so is that Elizabeth Marvelly, right, the 19-year-old popera sensation from Rotorua who is just back from a concert tour of Europe, will be singing too. All the main centres get to hear them.

- © Fairfax NZ News