Dublin hopeful Amber Jean Rowan was devastated when she narrowly missed out on becoming the winner of The Model Agent to pregnant Carrie Anne Burton. But the 16 year old schoolgirl from Clontarf is still determined to follow her modelling dream…
Georgina Heffernan: Were you very disappointed when you didn’t win The Model Agent - especially when you’d been tipped to win?
Amber Jean Rowan: I guess at the start I was really disappointed but I’m also really happy for Carrie Anne. Coming second place out of the entire competition has been amazing, so, I was very happy to have gone that far. I have not let that stop me, I’m doing lots of work through the Morgan model agency; I’m pleased that I’m still working and busy.
GH: Were you embarrassed to reveal fact that you suffer from the hair loss condition alopecia?
AJR: At the start, I was very reluctant to tell people about my alopecia but then once I spoke to Ellis and Erin and they didn’t have a problem with it - I started to see it as less of a problem too. They were incredibly encouraging and supportive about the whole thing and the whole show helped me to deal with my alopecia as well. The show has been amazing for me and I’ve started to view it more as a positive than a negative.
GH: When did you first start to lose your hair?
AJR: I was just 15 and going into to second year at school. I’d be the first to admit that it was incredibly traumatic but I’m very lucky because I’ve had the support of my family friends and they’ve really helped me to deal with it.
GH: What was the highlight of your time on The Model Agent?
AJR: I really enjoyed the shoots that we did for Image magazine and Eileen Sheilds. The best part though, was probably the experience in London because there were so many girls together and we were having great fun. I also made some wonderful friends throughout the show and every single one of the people on the show was just amazing!
GH: Did you feel that you learnt a lot from the show?
AJR: I feel that I really learnt how to model when I was on the show - not only that - I travelled and had a great life experience. My modelling has improved a lot since being involved in the programme.
GH: What are your plans for the future- are your going to continue modelling?
AJR: I have a few catwalk shows lined up in June and I’m going over to London in October to see what’s on offer work-wise. I have kept in contact with Ellis and we formed such a great bond. I see her as a friend and she has offered to mentor me throughout my career. My ultimate goal is to be a really, really successful model and to do really good high fashion editorial work.
