Who is your role model?

As teenagers from the UK mourn the first week without The Only Way Is Essex on ITV2 and wondering how they will get by without their oompa-loompa Amy Child's fix, or the reemness of Joey, it got myself thinking of my own role models.

Any young adults (say aged 14-20) love The Only Way Is Essex for the superficial look of the girls and guys who feature on the show. Don't get me wrong, I love the show and even more so to have a look at Essex fashion but to say I look up to them or admire them in any other way would be a no go.

This got me thinking about who my own role models in life are and how they differ completely in comparisson to young adults of today even though I am only just out of that age bracket myself the difference is still outstanding. Before the Amy Childs, Katie Prices and Heidi Montags of the world, before the fake tanning and false lashes became popular, my role models were feisty, natural and independent women...

My first role model is Mary Portas; a flame haired fiery business woman with a strong sense of style and presence within the retail industry. Her passion for her career and her confidence in speaking her mind are what I admire most about her. She inspired me to pursue a career in Visual Merchandising after I saw her final commissioned window display for Harvey Nichols - truly magical.

Next, Grace Coddington Creative Director for American Vogue. A previous model untila freak-accident led to permanent scarring on her face. Her strength and power are unbelievable and that uncontrollable red hair iconic (I must have a thing for redheads!!) But the way she stood up to Anna Wintour in the September Issue truly made her loyal to what she believed in and its that confidence that probably got her to where she is today...

Lastly, Kelly Cutrone. She first came to my attention after watching superficial reality tv show The Hills. I know, I know, I practically just condemmed The Only Way Is Essex earlier on, but atleast with these types of shows the maturer of the younger generation can pick out the brainiest, ballsiest character whereas the others can't or don't seem to want to admire a strong-willed business minded woman. Not necessarily because they don't look up to them, but because it is portrayed as 'uncool' by magazines and social media.

These three women taught me to be career minded, not to take bullshit from anyone and to be true to yourself and what is best for you. I am not saying its wrong to like TOWIE characters or to stop watching The Hills altogether. The key is to be able t differentiate the types of characters who are looks-obsessed from those who are achievement-obsessed. Which category do your role models fall under?