Paula Hamilton

Infobox Model
name=Paula Hamilton

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caption=
location= England
birthdate= Birth date and age|1961|1|23|df=y
haircolor=Brunette
eyecolor=Blue
measurements=34B-24-34
height= 5'ft 8½"inches ( 1.74 m )
weight=
dress size=
homepage=

Paula Hamilton (born 23 January 1961) is an English supermodel, most famous for her appearance in the classic 1987 Mk II Volkswagen Golf TV advert "Changes". In 2006, she returned to public recognition as a judge on Living TV's "Britain's Next Top Model", for two cycles.

Early life and career

Hamilton was brought up in South Africa by her mother and stepfather. At age 11, her grandmother told her that her real father was actually a family friend in County Durham. She met him once, but her mother later insisted he was not her father. It wasn't until Hamilton was 27, that her mother admitted she had lied. By then, however, the man had been dead for 13 years, having been murdered with a pickaxe handle.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=NTZD4SOZQXOYNQFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/arts/2006/05/19/fthamilton19.xml&page=2]

She is dyslexic and left school at 15. Paula’s success didn’t come without a fight. At the age of 17, after several rejections as a model, she moved to Tokyo and worked non stop for 18 months. She then established herself in Australia and Germany before moving to Italy. [http://www.livingtv.co.uk/bntm3/paula.] After being discovered by photographer David Bailey, she became the main model of the Queen's couturier Sir Hardy Amies. Her successful modelling career was, however, hampered by her battles against alcohol, cocaine and depression. During a tough interview with top Italian photographer Fabrizio Ferrei, Paula was told her hair was too long for the job. She promptly cut her hair, got the job, and went on to learn the tricks of the trade at Ferrei’s side. It was at this point she realised a successful modelling career has more to do with ‘your energy and spirit within’ than any outside appearance. [http://www.livingtv.co.uk/bntm3/paula.html]

Hamilton reached the zenith of her modelling career at the age of 27, when she became a household name as the star of one of the most iconic television adverts of the 1980s, for the Volkswagen Golf - the popularity in the UK of the Mk II drew from the 1987 advert. "Changes" starred Hamilton, made up to resemble Diana, Princess of Wales. She is seen leaving her husband, posting her wedding ring back through the letterbox and ditching her mink coat, chucking the house keys at the cat, rejecting the fur coat and pearl necklace - but keeping the car keys. "If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen" ran the tagline. The advert began a new era in car advertising (Armstrong 1998 p15) [ [http://www.matey-matey.com/dis_6.shtml Golf GTi Development - Part Six ] ]

In 1996 Hamilton featured in the music video accompanying hugely successful British boyband Take That's last single "How Deep Is Your Love" in the 90s. The single reached number one on the UK singles chart.

In 2006, it was announced that Hamilton, at the age of 45, has been re-signed by the leading agency Models 1, who hope to capitalise on the popularity of more mature models led by Twiggy and her successful advertising campaign for Marks & Spencer [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/15/nmodel15.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/15/ixhome.html 20 years on from the VW advert, Paula Hamilton joins the ranks of the older models - Telegraph ] ] . She was also a mentor and judge on the second and third series of "Britain's Next Top Model" on Living TV, presented by supermodel Lisa Snowdon. It was revealed in late December 2007 that Paula was to be replaced by Icelandic Supermodel Huggy Ragnarsson, for cycle 4. Fellow colleague and judge, Jonathan Phang, was also replaced by stylist, photographer and designer, Gerry Deveaux. [ [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=380407&in_page_id=1773&ito=1490 Snowdon is face of Britain's Next Top Model | the Daily Mail ] ] In addition to modelling, Paula turned her hand to presenting and acting, appearing in feature films ‘Mad Dogs & Englishmen’ and the ‘Life of a Serial Killer’. Having overcome a number of obstacles in her personal life, Paula released her autobiography, entitled ‘Instructions Not Included’, in 1996. [http://www.livingtv.co.uk/bntm3/paula.html]

Hamilton is no longer with Models 1. She is now signed to Mandpmodels, also in London.

Personal life

In her personal life, Hamilton had problems with drug addiction and alcoholism. These problems began to affect her career, and by 1988 she had quit modelling. Following a brief marriage in 1987 to cameraman Danny Mindel, her turbulent love life included an affair with former Tory party Treasurer Lord Ashcroft, who was (and remains) married to his second wife, Susie. Their romance began when the wealthy tycoon offered a $200 donation to Hamilton's elephant charity "Tusk Force", if she agreed to dance with him. Lord Ashcroft paid for her to attend an alcoholic rehabilitation centre in Florida after she was arrested for cracking a taxi windscreen, but their romance ended soon afterwards.

A former Life Guards captain, Sebastian Rhodes Stampa, proposed to Hamilton, but abandoned her two days later. She tried to hang herself from a chandelier but the chain broke - a later attempt involved trying to drown herself. Attempts to overcome her alcoholism floundered and Hamilton moved to New Zealand, only to notch up a couple of drunk driving convictions, one of which involved her lying in the road in protest after three terrified hitchhikers snatched her car keys after she started to swig from a bottle of vodka while driving.

In 2004, then living with her elderly mother in Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, said: "My mother has sorted me out. She's put the brakes on the madness and I think I have got my drinking under control. It's a constant battle but I am determined to succeed."

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358098/ Paula Hamilton] at the Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2006/05/19/fthamilton19.xml&page=1 Telegraph interview - March 2006]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=gKQIUJOr1GA VW Advert]