| We asked you to
pick the winner of our once-in-a-lifetime competition
from seven hopefuls. NAOMI CANTON
reveals the result.
It has been one of the most hotly contested competitions
of the year, but now the Evening News can finally
reveal the Face of Norwich 2005.
 It
came down to seven people from more than 150 entries,
but Alex Dear, 24, fought them
all off to win the most readers’ votes and
take the title.
Miss Dear said: “I was really shocked. I
did not expect it. I just thought I wouldn’t
have any chance of getting it because the others
were all really good. I have never been selected
for anything like this before.”
Tim Blake, 24, a holiday rep from Caister was
the runner-up. The other finalists were Troy Garrod,
17, from Taverham; Louise Collins, 16, from Old
Catton; Sarah Louise Green, 22, from Colchester;
Kim Smith, 17, from Sprowston, and Diane Russen,
29, from Dussindale.
Miss Dear said her boyfriend, William, 24, and
her friends were equally stunned, and she had
only entered the contest by chance.
She said she was shopping for a wedding outfit
in the Castle Mall with her 21-year-old brother
in July when competition organisers, who had set
up a stand in the shopping centre, asked them
to have their pictures taken.
“We had booked the day off work and planned
to go to London, but the day before was the London
bombings and so at the last minute we decided
to go to Norwich.
“When they approached us my brother was
a lot keener than me, but then they persuaded
me to take part with a free Clarins product. I
did not know the stand was going to be there,
so everything just happened by chance.”
The next day they went on holiday to Italy and
while they were there their mum got the forms
they needed to fill in to enter and sent them
off.
When she got back she got a surprise phone call
saying she had been short-listed.
Miss Dear, who lives locally and has a degree
in textiles, said: “I would like to be a
model if the opportunity arose, but I never thought
it was possible. I really loved doing the photo
shoot. I would love to do it again.”
The Evening News teamed up with Ekiko Model Management,
which finds models for catwalks and promotions,
to run the competition. A panel of 10 judges,
ranging from professional models and photographers
to choreographers and stylists, then chose the
lucky seven to go through to the finals.
All those short-listed were invited for a fashion
shoot and the photographs were pictured in the
Evening News last Thursday. Readers were then
asked to phone or text to vote for their choice.
Nick Clarke, owner of Ekiko Model Management,
said: “All the finalists were very good
and of a high standard. They performed very well
at the shoot. Alex was a very worthy and deserving
winner, and I am looking forward to producing
her portfolio. She is a positive role model for
women.”
Miss Dear, who works as a jewellery supplier for
fashion stores, is walking away with a professional
portfolio taken over six months, up to £350
of clothes, make-up and skincare from John Lewis,
fitness passes from Greens Health & Fitness,
a hair consultation and restyling by Max Giammello,
and a colour consultation from Elle Catchpole.
And keep an eye on the Evening News in the coming
weeks – we will be running a fashion special
starring our Face of Norwich 2005.
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