Sophie Sumner (left) and Laura LaFrate
Walter Sassard/The CW (2)
America’s Next Top Model’s clash of nations wrapped up Wednesday night, with Britain’s Sophie Sumner and America’s Laura LaFrate squaring off in the finale.
So, who did their country most proud? Read on to find out the winner.
After a dramatic finale that saw LaFrate rushed to the hospital early on with an apparent panic attack, it was Sumner who walked away with the title. The judges heaped praise on the British contestant, with host Tyra Banks even using the word “genius” to describe her work in one contest.
The show’s 18th cycle, themed “British Invasion,” featured American and British models competing. The challenges in the finale included doing TV ads for Covergirl and a runway show with holograms.
The prize was a spread in Italian Vogue, a Covergirl cosmetics contract and a modeling contract.
In an interview after the finale, LaFrate, 20, a native of upstate New York, told the Albany Times Union that she was relieved not to have to keep the outcome a secret any longer. “I felt like I was lying to people,” she said.
Meanwhile, the second time was the charm for Sumner, 22, who competed, but didn’t win, on Britain’s Next Top Model’s fifth cycle.
