NZ's Top Model: Our Jamie has the look, says Tiffany | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Former Rotorua New Zealand's Next Top Model contestant Tiffany Butler reckons local girl Jamie Himiona has what it takes to be among the finalists.

"She is so beautiful, she doesn't realise how beautiful she is," Miss Butler, from Rotorua, said. "She has got untapped potential.

"I'd pick Jamie [to do well] if she was a bit more confident and knew how beautiful she was."

Miss Butler, a former Rotorua Lakes High School student, is now studying at Massey University. She was the first to be eliminated from the Top Model house in last year's series. The 19-year-old said she was enjoying this series a lot more than the first, which had been more like a "trial run".

Although she didn't have a television, she was making every effort to watch the show "on demand" on her computer.

Miss Butler described Kawerau model Danielle Hayes as down to earth.

"She doesn't seem like the sort of person who would travel all the way to Tauranga to audition. She needs to find her place. She doesn't know the industry."

Miss Butler said Danielle had a "different beautiful look about her" but she thought she would only make the top six but not the top three.

"I think what will happen is that the judges will give her the upper hand."

Miss Butler said she thought Amelia Gough was also beautiful but what would keep her on the show was her behaviour.

"She is stirring some emotion in the house."

As for who Miss Butler thinks will win - it's Christchurch 16-year-old Michaela Steenkamp.

"She has got quite a different look. Her eyes say it all, even when she is just talking to the cameras. She is probably the most beautiful, for me. I really like Holly [Potton] but more for her personality."

The former finalist also thinks the judges will keep the Dunedin twins, Elza and Nellie Rose Jenkins, 17, on the show for a while yet "like they did with the sisters in the last series".

"It makes good television when they split them up."

She said the biggest "cringe moment" for her so far was seeing the contestants try to do a catwalk when they were in Wellington.

"It was bit cruel on the girls. I knew how it felt and it's not a good feeling."

One aspect of the show she had noticed was that many of the top 13 finalists were dark-skinned.

Before the auditions, producers of the second show told The Daily Post they were on the look-out for a stunning Maori face, saying a Maori model would have better overseas opportunities than others because "it's a special New Zealand look".