Ireland's first Miss World, 19-year-old Rosanna Davison, and her father Chris de Burgh emerged from their hotel rooms at noon yesterday after a late night celebrating at the 2003 Miss World coronation ball in tropical Hainan Island, China.
Just minutes after winning the crown on Saturday night, Ms Davison took a call from her 77-year-old grandmother.
"I can't believe it, Granny. I can't wait to see you ... love you. Bye," said the new Miss World.
The bookies' favourite to win the competition, Ms Davison took the announcement of her victory calmly, without the usual gasps and tears of joy common in pageants.
Neither did she seem fazed at being introduced as "Miss North Ireland" by one of the evening's hosts.
After pipping four other finalists to win the turquoise-and-silver crown, she kissed and hugged her boyfriend, James Montgomery, backstage. Ms Davison, a sociology and art history student at UCD, then spent most of the coronation ball chatting with him while her delighted parents looked on.
"I'm absolutely thrilled at having the Miss World crown ... I need to sleep for a week after the past month," said Ms Davison, who wore a silver-panelled evening gown, flared from the knee, in her favourite pink.
Meanwhile, a homecoming party is being organised in Dún Laoghaire for Wednesday night. Ms Davison began her journey to her current Miss World status in the Dublin suburb when she won Miss Nemo nightclub-Dún Laoghaire in June.
She went on to win the national title and "the rest is history", said Mr Pat Prendergast, owner of Nemo last night.
"We'll be having an enormous party for her. We haven't stopped partying since she won. On Saturday night all her college pals were down here, watching on a big screen and we drank I don't know how many bottle of champagne and cocktails."
Describing Ms Davison as "just a really lovely girl - no airs and graces at all", he said she was asked to enter Miss Dún Laoghaire and did so "because she thought it would be a bit of fun.
"And that's how she's gone through the whole thing. I think that's probably why she did so well."
The Miss World bandwagon has toured five Chinese cities in three weeks, with a packed schedule of charity dinners, sightseeing and photo opportunities.
Her father, hovering near his daughter after she won, said: "Congratulations, Rosie, you're more famous than I am now."
Earlier, on stage, given 30 seconds to describe her life and character to the judges, Ms Davison said:
"I would like to describe myself as a fun-loving yet humble person and hopefully a great ambassador for my country and for women all around the world." Runner-up was Miss Canada, Nazanin Afshin-Jam (24).
