Christina is new Face of NI

The 20-year-old was crowned overall winner of the beauty pageant which was the first event of its kind that she’d entered.

The final took place on Thursday, August 23 in Canal Court in Newry.

Christina said: “I was backed by a good group of friends and family. They were very supportive noise-wise.

“There were 48 finalists. We had three rounds and in each round you had to wear a different dress.

“They asked me about my hobbies and asked me why I would be a good representative for Northern Ireland.

“I told them I have a very positive outlook on life. I try to live my life by the expression ‘the glass is always half full’. I talked for so long about that answer that I didn’t get round to telling them about my hobbies.

“They whittled it down to the top 14, then top 10, then crowned all the winners. I couldn’t believe it when as I was crowned the overall winner.”

The 20-year-old former St Brendan’s and Lismore student lives at Lakelands in Craigavon with her mum Mary and sister Jessica (18).

Christina is a student at Queen’s University in her final year of Drama and Film Studies.

She lists her favourite actresses as Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman and her favourite films as Hugo and Fantasia. Christina starred in ‘Low In The Dark’ which won the Best Short Film award at the Queen’s Student Theatre Awards this year.

“I just love acting. It’s the only subject I ever really enjoyed at school. I get a real adrenaline rush when I’m on stage.”

As well as pursuing her dreams on stage Christina would be equally happy with a career in modelling.

“I would love to go into modelling,” she said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.” Among the prizes which Christina won for Face of NI were: a trip to Disneyland Paris to compete in Face of Europe, a photo shoot with Image 31 photography, a necklace and earrings from Stella & Dot, a charm bracelet, a Winnie the Pooh teddy bear, a voucher for Mystic Tan, Megan Donaldson hair and makeup voucher and a Pro personal training voucher.

Looking forward to the European final she said: “It isn’t really as catty as it is on TV. The girls are really nice and we all get on well. I would love to win, though I’m perfectly happy with the title I have at the minute. Face of NI is the first beauty pageant I’ve ever been in so I didn’t expect anything like this. Come the time I’ll be more nervous.”

Christina thanked everyone who donated money to her charity fundraising for ‘Rainbow Child Foundation’ and ‘Headway East Kent’ (the Face of Europe’s chosen charities), her sponsors Allure House of Beauty and H Samuel in Rushmere Shopping Centre, and also to Taylor Rae-Hamilton and the Face of NI team for making such an “amazing experience possible and so enjoyable”.