Tonight will see Sarah Kennedy, Emma Ward and Lauren Lambert battle it out to be the winner of this year’s series of Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model. But while everyone will have their favourite we are firmly backing Sarah, the last Irish contestant left in the competition.

Speaking about her fellow finalists, the Donegal lass told us: “Emma and Lauren are two of my best friends now. I classify them as my best friends and, especially being in that situation together, we have that bond that nobody else will ever know about or nobody else will ever have those feelings that we had.

“I couldn’t have been standing there with two nicer people and it’s such a hard feeling because I wanted them to win and I wanted to win. I didn’t know what to do or how to feel but it definitely was easier standing in that position with two people you thought the world of.”

 

Although, fans of the show will know that Sarah didn’t bond with absolutely everyone. She and Holly Carpenter had a few spats although the redhead says that it was all part of the experience and something she doesn’t regret.

“I’m glad looking back on it we did leave civil,” she explained. “I’m glad it was all sorted out and put behind us because I had to direct my focus back on where I was. Stuff like that can start to steer you off track and I didn’t want to go home for something so silly so looking back on it now, it’s only positive thoughts I take out of the whole thing.”

As for the judges, Sarah says they are all lovely although one in particular holds a special place in her heat: “There was none of them I disliked but I loved Dannii (Minogue) simply because I had such a good relationship with her.

“In the beginning she was the one to give me a kick and say ‘Right, you need to get yourself together.’ Since I got that I found myself so determined to do better every time so when I was on set with her after that I had such a great relationships with her. She’s such a lovely person and very down to earth.”

 

Another person the former Miss Donegal looks up to is Nicola Roberts who she says is one of her style icons. “I love Nicola Roberts simply because she’s a redhead too. I have to back my own! I love her stuff and I can relate to it and I can wear it. I know it would match my skin tone and everything,” she revealed.

If she wins Sarah could end up joining the style icon ranks herself however she didn’t give any hints (we did try to get it out of her) as to whether she won or not. She said of the moment before the winner was announced: “You have to mentally prepare yourself to go both ways.

“If you prepare yourself to win and you don’t, gutted and if you prepare yourself to not win and you do... (she pulls a shocked face). The only way I can describe it is one of the most intense feelings I’ve felt in my entire life.”

 

While the next thing on our list is to tune in this evening, Sarah has her heart set on Paris and Milan: “I always said, if I won or I didn’t, that I would move to London and I was going to pursue it and that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to move and I’ve got such big expectations, such a high bar, set for myself now.”

She added: “I want to grace all the biggest catwalks. I want to go to Paris and Milan. Before, that was so far away and it’s still probably quite far away but I’m one step closer now so that’s a good thing. At least I’m going in the right direction, not backwards.”

Talking about looking back, she said she has no regrets: “I wouldn’t change a thing. From start to finish, I wouldn’t change a thing. I have absolutely no regrets and if they said, ‘Do you want to do it again tomorrow?’ ‘Yea, we’ll do it again bigger and bolder.’ I had the best time of my life.”

Tune in to Sky Living tonight at 9.00pm for the final of this year's Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model.