CARLOINE Loveday and James Webb are over the moon to have been voted the Next Top Model competition winners.

And both are now hoping for a career in the fashion industry.

The Swindon Advertiser teamed up with clothes store Nine in Old Town to launch the competition in May.

The aim was to find a new male and female model for the shop to use next year.

Caroline, a customer adviser at Nationwide, said she was ecstatic to have won.

"I'm still a bit in shock to be honest," she said. "It really was quite a surprise.

"To think people have picked up a phone and voted for me is very humbling and I really appreciate what everyone has done."

The 22-year-old, who says her idol is Nadine Coyle from Girls Aloud, added: "I don't have a lot of confidence and my friends and family really pushed me towards going for this competition.

"Modelling is something I have always wanted to do so I hope this will develop into a career for me in the next few years."

The glamorous prize will see the winners model clothes at the shop, receive a 50 per cent discount and attend modelling functions throughout the year.

They will be treated to a professional photo shoot with Smile Photography worth £500, get to attend glamorous fashion shows and have a screen test filmed by AVP Studios.

James, 25, who works in customer service, was equally delighted to have won.

He said: "It's a brilliant feeling and I can't thank those who voted for me enough.

"I think I did well as I have a natural everyday look. This could mean a career for me now in modelling.

"I am contracted to a year with Nine and it would be silly not to follow it up after that. It's a chance of a new life and I'm really looking forward to it."

The competition was open to anyone aged between 21 and 35 who fancied a shot at the big time.

The duo were selected ahead of more than 60 applicants and went before a panel of judges comprising representatives from the Swindon Advertiser and Nine, who then whittled applicants down to 10, with five males and five females.

A semi-final evening was held at the Old Bank in Wood Street at the end of May when the 10 semi-finalists strutted their stuff in front of the judges.

They had a go at practising their catwalk poses and talked to judges about why they should win.

Three men and three women were chosen as finalists and faced the public vote to see who would become the faces of Nine for the next 12 months.

After a week of frantic voting James and Caroline were the outright winners.

Darren Edwards, events and promotions co-ordinator at the Advertiser, said: "The two winners were telephoned and whenLaura Hunt is the owner of Nine and was delighted with the chosen models.

She said: "They look fantastic and are obviously really photogenic judging by the pictures I have seen of them.

"I think they will do really well not only with us but also modelling in years to come."

She said the competition had been a hit with everyone who had applied and the general interest surrounding it.

"We could make the competition into a yearly fixture as it has been hugely successful," she added.

told they had won - they were both ecstatic and really surprised.

"All our entrants were of a really high standard so they both did really well and should be proud to be our winners.

"I am sure they are going to get a lot of exposure in the next 12 months."