16 year old Durbanite, Priyeshka Lutchman, was crowned Miss FTV Africa 2009 in the Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace on Saturday. Eighteen finalists took to the stage in designs created by well-known designers such as David Tlale, Abigail Keats, Earth Child and Heni.The finale boasted the who’s who of the fashion and entertainment industry, with the likes of Jennifer Su, Tansey Coetzee, Ryan Botha, Big Brother’s Irvan attending. Jan Malan Umzingeli, South Africa’s best known show production company, entertained audiences with an electrifying fashion extravaganza.
One winner, with no runners-up, was selected by an independent group of judges that worked with the finalists during the finale week. A sneak peek at the winners from other national preliminaries has revealed that Miss FTV is a beauty pageant masquerading as a model search, and is not just a model search. Apparently the organisers and panel of judges never received the memo.