AceShowbiz -

"Australia's Next Top Model" host Sarah Murdoch embarrassed herself and jeopardized the show's credibility when she announced the wrong winner in a live finale. Sarah announced in front of 2,000 audience gathering at Luna Park that Kelsey Martinovich was the winner before stripping her off the crown and said Amanda Ware is the right one.

Kelsey was already giving her family and friends a thank-you speech when Sarah suddenly looked like she was in the verge of tears. "I don't know what to say right now. I'm feeling a bit sick about this," Sarah said. "I'm so sorry. Oh my God, I don't know what to say. This is what happens when you have live TV folks, this is insane, insane, insane." Fortunately Kelsey took the news with a big heart, saying that it was "okay" and "an honest mistake".

Words are rive since the telecast that the mistake was done for publicity stunt. But judge Alex Perry had come in Sarah's and the show's defense, saying in a local radio interview, "I would stake my life on it. There's no way that she would do that. I think you saw that the instant that she knew something was wrong; you could see it in her eyes. That wasn't lying, that wasn't acting."

Foxtel's publicity director Jamie Campbell has explained that the blunder was purely Sarah's mistake. He told Sky News, "She was given information that was written on a card in front of her off the stage and at the time she'd previously been given the name Kelsey because earlier on in the night Kelsey was the first person to be put through after Sophie was eliminated."

Despite the mess, all ended well with Amanda admitting "I think I got my moment. I said the same speech I would have said anyway. It was so close." Kelsey in addition is given $25,000 cash prize, a trip to New York as compensation and her Harper's Bazaar cover will also be featured in the same edition as Amanda's.