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transcription by Chris Williams Rosanna...I just couldn't have done it without Dad. Rosanna Davison is used to the spotlight. Growing up as the daughter of one of Ireland's biggest starts in the 80's and 90's, she learned a lot about celebrity. Her dad, Chris de Burgh, was one of the biggest acts on the planet when Rosanna was just a little girl. She's lived a privileged life in the family home in south Dublin's most exclusive suburb and travelled the world to exotic places that she can't even recall the names of now. But she also saw the downsides of fame. In 1994 her father's affair with Rosanna's nanny, teenage student Merissa Morgan, became front-page news. The image of the multi-millionaire Lady In Red singer was shattered, and his wife and family were devastated. However, they managed to pick up the pieces and Chris and wife Diane are still together almost 10 years later. The pain of the episode is still clear on Rosanna face as she speaks about the affair for the first time to SWM (Sunday World Magazine). Dressed in a stunning ball gown, the newly crowned Miss Ireland is sitting in the lounge of Dublin's Four Seasons Hotel talking about her famous family, her career and her hopes for the future. Elegant and strikingly beautiful, she appears modestly unaware of the admiring glances of every man in the room. Waiters' fuss around her as a couple of French male tourists stop and stare, one asking: "Who is that beautiful girl?" Even the women can't keep their eyes off the 19 year old as she flicks her long blonde hair from her face to reveal her big brown eyes. As shy as any normal teenager, she is natural, well mannered and a little reserved. "I've really enjoyed myself so far," she says. "Attending so many fashion shoots and being the centre of attention takes a bit of getting used to but I'm learning a more each day. " I'm quite a confident person. I've always enjoyed meeting new people and I'll always make an effort to talk to anyone. "I'm becoming more confident about modelling too. I had only ever modelled twice before I entered the Miss Ireland competition. Now every photo shoot I do I learn a bit more. In fact, I've realized that I love being in front of the camera." Rosanna had often considered modelling before she was approached last summer by a talent scout and asked to enter the Miss Ireland competition. "I was standing at an ATM machine in a shopping centre when a woman came up to me," she says. "She handed me a form to fill in. I brought it home and thought 'why not?' It all just snowballed from there. I have no regrets, it's been such a great experience." Now that the dust has settled Rosanna is able to set straight the rumours that her win was branded a "fix" by fellow contestants. Reports after she was crowned suggested some people felt her father's fame made her an attractive proposition for the Miss World organizers. "Somebody asked me recently if I had encountered any bitchiness from the other girls in the competition. I have to say that all the contestants were lovely," she says. "So far there have been no down-sides to being Miss Ireland. Even if I'm having a bad day I'm aware that I only have the title for one year, so I make the most of the occasion. I am determined to have a wonderful year. Anyway, it is all still a novelty to me at the moment." Rosanna says that her extraordinary upbringing is now standing to her. She has met many famous people and also come through the trauma of her father's much-publicized affair. Now she believes that her background has helped get her to where she is today, and her respect for both her father and her mother is clear when she talks about them. "I've had the privilege of meeting high profile people from an early age," she says. "That has stood to me. I don't find it daunting now. At the same time, my parents have kept me and my two brothers grounded. "Chris has been very helpful and supportive. I really couldn't have done all this without his advice and encouragement. "He has always been a wonderful father. When I was growing up, whenever he was away for long periods of time, he was conscious of making up the time to us. Despite all that happened in the past I have a lot of respect for him now. Even at the time of the controversy over his affair I knew he loved us all. "Things happen and you just have to move on. I really believe my father does not deserve to hear anything more about it." Rosanna equally respects her mother who had fully recovered from a broken neck she suffered in 1994 after falling from her horse. "My mother has had a hard time recovering from her accident. She too has been very encouraging to me," says Rosanna. "They are great parents. In the long run anything we have been through as a family has made us stronger. We are all very close now." When not modelling and attending social functions, Rosanna is a full-time arts student in UCD. She has just completed her first year of college and, like many girls her age, is unsure what she wants to do when she finishes. "I study archaeology, sociology and history of art," she says. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I will do after college. I definitely want to take a year off and travel. I'd like to see Australia and New Zealand." "When I was at school I considered studying graphic design because I'm quite artistic. I also thought about doing sports science and nutrition. I played hockey in school and also did athletics." "In the end of that day, however, I opted for an arts degree because I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. It seemed like the best option at the time." "I'm still quite sporty. I play netball in UCD and I find Pilates is a great way to keep fit." Rosanna is stunning, but she also has a figure to die for. And women readers will be delighted to hear, she doesn't have to work hard to keep it. "I watch what I eat. I don't eat chips or junk food and I drink plenty of water. I have always been drawn to healthy food so it's not really a big deal," she says. "I'm happy with the way I am. I don't want to be too skinny. I think some models are too thin but I don't think it would suit me to be like that. I believe the best advice is 'everything in moderation'." When she's not being Ireland's top beauty queen, Rosanna enjoys hanging out with pals. "Being Miss Ireland has not altered my relationship with any of my friends," she says. "I am still part of the gang. I enjoy going out with them at the weekend. In fact they were very encouraging throughout the competition. I think they are getting used to the fact that I am Miss Ireland now." It is widely believed that Rosanna has a better chance of bringing home the Miss World title in December than any Miss Ireland before her. "I can't wait for the Miss World competition. It takes place on a small tropical island off the coast of China. Just to visit the country will be an amazing experience". "Although I got to travel all over the world as a child with my father, I have never been to China and I have always wanted to go. I can't remember a lot of countries I have been to because I was so young at the time," she says. Rosanna has two younger brothers, Hubie (15) and Michael (12). "They are more like dad in that they are more musical than I am," she says. "Hubie plays the guitar and Michael's great on the piano." Despite coming from a musical background, Rosanna does not want to follow in her father's footsteps. "I have always been interested in music. I played the recorder in school and I took piano lessons as a child. I can sing but I'm not as good as my dad," she says. "I've learnt from him that the music industry is a difficult one to succeed in. I admire him for his success, but at the moment music is not something I want to pursue." So, is the South Dublin beauty single, or has she already been snatched up? "I've been dating James Montgomery, a 19 year old student, for the past year. I have had boyfriends in the past but this is the longest relationship I've had so far," she says smiling. "James was there with me on the night I won the Miss Ireland title. He was so proud of me and he was very encouraging throughout the contest. He knows what I hope to achieve by being Miss Ireland. If I'm happy then he's happy and, right now, I'm very happy". "I try not too worry too much about things. If you really want to do something, then I believe you should just do it. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, then it wasn't meant to be. And at least you have had the experience of trying it." "That is my attitude to the Miss World competition, but I could safely say that is my philosophy in general." |
File last modified on August 26, 2006