Rachael Finch has the whole world at her feet
By Holly Byrnes and Rachel Toune
August 25, 2009 05:59pm
IT'S the pageant which made Jennifer Hawkins our multi-million dollar babe but even without bringing home the crown, Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch stands to follow in her financial footsteps.
The 21-year-old, who placed among the top five most glamorous women in the world, has cemented her potential as a model earner, with six-figure contracts awaiting her return.
Gallery: The rise and rise of beautiful Rachael Finch
While the Townsville beauty said she felt "rich" just from the experience, fashion labels and TV were preparing to line her pockets.
The crown, televised to millions from the Bahamas, was won by Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez, who made history for the Central American country with back-to-back titles.
Finch, who told The Daily Telegraph she was "excited just to reach the top five," was named third runner-up.
"I'm feeling excellent, really relieved and it's a very rewarding feeling to know three months of hard work have paid off," she said.
Finch's biggest supporter, mother Colleen Zablocki, was forced to watch from her Townsville home after having a tumour removed from her shoulder.
"I always said her turn to shine would come," Ms Zablocki said yesterday.
But Finch's real pay day is ahead of her, with Channel 10 rumoured to have signed the model sensation to its upcoming series of Celebrity MasterChef.
Already cashing in on Finch's high-profile and down-to-earth charm, swimwear label Jets has confirmed it is looking to extend its 12-month contract with her, after "discovering" the bikini babe before she made her first moves on to the beauty pageant scene.
Her win in the swimsuit competition of the Miss Universe contest - with a score of 9.264 - assures she'll be hot property with the fashion industry back home.
"We'd love to think she'd want to work with us again," Jets spokeswoman Jo Butler said yesterday.
"It's something we are exploring at the moment."
As they did with Kerr, US lingerie giant Victoria's Secret has also shown interest.
"I heard some Victoria's Secret talk which would be exciting. I'd love to do something like that," Finch said yesterday.
Just like Hawko, Finch is keen to use the pageant as a platform to launch a TV or film career.
"I would love to work as a television presenter or even take acting lessons and eventually work in film," she said from the Bahamas.
While comparisons to Hawkins are inevitable, Finch is determined to make her own mark.
