'ANTM' name blunder 'not publicity stunt'

Alex Perry has hit back at accusations that the recent name blunder on the Australia's Next Top Model final was a publicity stunt.

The show caused controversy when host Sarah Murdoch announced that Kelsey Martinovich had won the modelling competition, only to admit a few minutes later that she had said the wrong name and the victor was in fact Amanda Ware.

Judge Perry told 2DayFM: "I would stake my life on it [not being deliberate]. There's no way that she would do that. I think you saw that the instant she knew something was wrong, you could see it in her eyes. That wasn't lying, that wasn't acting.

"Everybody wants to tag something sinister on it and say it was done for ratings [but] I know Sarah and I know the executive producer; it's just not their style. They have too much integrity."

> TV execs praise Murdoch for ANTM error