Amanda Ware has been crowned Australia's Next Top Model, but not before a major blunder on live TV which saw host Sarah Murdoch announce the wrong winner.
Model-turned-television host Murdoch originally named Kelsey Martinovich, 19, as the winner but minutes later she was told via her earpiece feed that the actual winner was 18-year-old Ware.
Martinovich had already made an acceptance speech before a close-to-tears Murdoch realised a mistake had been made.
"I don't know what to say right now. I'm feeling a bit sick about this," Murdoch told the live studio audience.
"I'm so sorry, oh my God, I don't know what to say.
"This is a complete accident. I'm so sorry ... It's Amanda. I'm so sorry."
Murdoch, holding her head in her hands, said the original name was fed to her wrongly.
"This is what happens when you have live TV folks. This is insane, insane, insane," she said.
Martinovich was gracious upon hearing the mistake and hugged and congratulated Queenslander Ware.
Ware said she was ecstatic about the win, but admitted the situation was "like a bizarre dream".
"I was like really gracious for Kelsey, I was so happy she'd won," Ware said.
"And then she's like, 'Actually, Amanda's won' and I was like, that's a bit weird but woo hoo.
"I'll just go with the flow.
"[I'm happy] as bad as that is. Live television's always got mistakes. That was a big one, but it's all right, we got through it."
Murdoch said the competition was so close and the final tally literally came down to just a few votes.
Foxtel has confirmed Martinovich will be given a $20,000 cash prize and a trip to New York as compensation for the bungle.
As the winner of the show, which is broadcast on FOX8, Ware receives a modelling contract, a $20,000 cash prize, a car and a trip to New York.
