Teen model Kirsty Thatcher has reignited debate on age-appropriate modelling this week with her Dolly magazine model search win. Talent Management can reveal that she was the youngest of six who made it to the finals out of thousands of applicants. This would not be the first time that a star was born through the competition – Miranda Kerr was the winner back in 1997, and it is said to have launched her career.

This year’s contest is the first for 10 years, after former Dolly editor Mia Freeman put a stop to the teen model search due to concerns that it was aimed at girls who were too young to cope with the competitive nature of modelling.

She is quoted by online news source The Age today as saying: “It was a bad commercial decision for me but I was compelled to make it because, ultimately, you are putting a child into an industry that’s all about rejection. Even Miranda Kerr gets rejected, and I don’t think winning the competition at 14 was a great thing for Kate Fischer either. Let’s not dress it up, modelling is all about being told you are too fat, too short, have the wrong teeth. I’m very disappointed to see the competition has been resurrected. It sends the wrong message.”

But current Dolly editor Tiffany Dunk, disagrees. In conjunction with The Butterfly Foundation, she organised workshops on issues such as eating disorders and positive body image with the finalists, in an effort to prepare them for potential careers in modelling and its associated pressures.

Highlighting ways in which this year’s competition has a different approach to that taken when it was previously run, she told reporters yesterday: “We intentionally didn’t ask the girls what their dress size was or how much they weighed. We asked them to tell us something about themselves. We are not just looking for a fashion model but also a role model who can be a positive ambassador for Dolly.”

Former model Martin Walsh also showed support for the contest, arguing: “If a kid shows a great talent as a sportsman, you don’t ignore it, you recognise it and you guide it properly. There isn’t much she [Kirsty] can really do until she reaches about 15 or 16. If nurtured properly, these girls can go on to not just be ordinary models but good businesswomen, too.”

What do you think? Is a modelling competition aimed at 13-year-olds inappropriate? Kirsty clearly has the backing of her mother who confirmed: “It really has been her dream for a long time, so I’m happy to support her.”