8 February 2010, 16:29

AFTER RECORD-BREAKING 4.5 MILLION VOTES, TOP 10 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED IN THE FHM MODELS 2010 SEARCH

South Africa’s leading men’s magazine FHM recently announced the top 10 finalists in the prestigious FHM Models 2010 after more than 4.5 million votes from admirers across the country revealed their top choices. Voting for an overall winner ends on 28 February 2010, and to date a record-breaking 9.8 million votes have already been cast – no doubt making the FHM Models 2010 the most popular model search in the history of South Africa.

In the battle of the blondes vs. brunettes, FHM guys (surprisingly) seem to prefer a darker hairdo with only three in the top 10 sporting fair-haired styles. Men also seem to prefer longer hair on women, as all of the finalists have at least shoulder-length hair.

Gauteng is the province with the hottest girls in the country with half of the top 10 hailing from Johannesburg (four) and Boksburg (one). The Western Cape boasts with three finalists (two from Cape Town and one from the West Coast town of Langebaan), and the Eastern Cape with one (from East London). Also making it onto the top 10 list is an 18-year-old hottie from Henties Bay in Namibia.
Finalist Tanique Echardt (26, East London) says that she held ‘vote for me’ parties and even had a vest made with details on it in order to get votes. She believes that her back is her sexiest body part. Linda Botha (25, Cape Town) believes that her hips are her biggest drawcard, as they “like guys, have arrows leading to one spot”. Boksburg’s Nikita de Faria (23) held campaign parties, printed shirts and flyers, and also started a Facebook group in order to promote herself. Her wildest fantasy would be to be invisible so that she can be as naughty as she wants.

Jozi’s Naomi Das (25) says that she is already feeling like a celebrity as one of her fans wanted an autographed FHM from her. Clarise de Villiers (18), all the way from Henties Bay in Namibia, says that her favourite fan comment to date has been a statement that read “one of the most natural and fresh beauties”. Landie Brandt (20, Langebaan) even danced in a suspended cage at a local club in order to get votes (apart from distributing flyers and posters). In turn, Jozi’s Raquel O’Donoghue (21), gave out free shooters to her fans at wicked parties she hosted.

The oldest finalist, 28-year-old Celeste Stanley from Johannesburg, even managed to make it onto the front page of a local paper, sharing that spotlight with the infamous Joostgate scandal. She also went on stage at Parker’s Comedy Club and took most of her kit off. Displaying yet another creative way in order to win votes, Cape Town’s Philippa Muller (19) held a competition where the winner won a sandboarding trip with her. She stated that if she won the FHM Models 2010 competition, she would supply FHM with a cover “the likes of which has never been seen”. Finalist number 10, Charné Jade Slee (22, Johannesburg), even received proposals from fans. If she wins the competition, she promises to paraglide off any high point of FHM’s choosing with a big FHM flag behind her. And she’ll do it in her underwear!

Fans of the FHM Models 2010 finalists can vote for their top choices (by 28 February 2010) at fhm.co.za or via SMS to 36975 (by texting the model number).
•    Clarise de Villiers – 41
•    Charné Jade Slee – 37
•    Raquel O’Donoghue – 72
•    Naomi Das – 80
•    Celeste Stanley – 94
•    Nikita de Faria -76
•    Philippa Muller – 74
•    Leandie Brandt – 61
•    Linda Botha – 63
•    Tanique Echardt - 26

For more information, get the March issue of FHM (on sale now) and visit fhm.co.za or m.fhm.co.za via your mobile phone’s internet browser. The winner of FHM Models 2010 will be announced online at fhm.co.za on 1 March 2010, and will feature in the May 2010 issue of FHM - on sale 31 March 2010.