An unconventional beauty looks set to win Next's "Make Me the Next Model 2011" competition. He is the very chubby Roland Bunce, 24, from Belfast, a partying, drinking and wrestling enthusiast, and was in the top spot this afternoon, having been "liked" by 34,000 people on Next's Facebook button, miles ahead of the number two favourite, who had a measly 97 likes. It's John Sergeant and Strictly Come Dancing all over again but better, because this seems to be the public having a pop at the ghastly fashion world, with its blemish-free, pouty, stick models poncing about in odd garments that most of the rest of us wouldn't dare, or want, to wear. And even if we wanted to, many of us couldn't, because they wouldn't be in our size.

Perhaps I'm particularly embittered about the fashion world because I have size 9 and a half feet, buy size 14 clothes and have long arms and legs. And a long nose. So I prefer to stay in, barefoot and covered in a shroud. But that's a cowardly attitude. Bunce, on the other hand, is cheery and brave. He goes barrelling out, unselfconsciously, the absolute wrong shape for a model, and the country takes him to their hearts. This ought to encourage all the other people cowering at home to follow his example and stop being so wet. We can all be beautiful, inside. Only greedy, cruel people are ugly, through and through.

Top of my ugly list I place bankers, wealthy tax evaders, corrupt politicians, thugs and bullies, mass murderers, management consultants and anyone who taunts another person who looks vaguely unusual. I could go on, but it's just the usual crew. You're not on that list just because you have a few spots or look out of the ordinary.

So I can only applaud Bunce, but I am a bit worried about his weight. Perhaps he ought to watch it a bit and not let things get out of hand. We don't want him needle thin, but we want him fit and healthy and able to carry on his modelling career and inspirational behaviour well into old age, to prove that the elderly are also beautiful and ought to be out there on the catwalks. Why not? We all wear clothes. We don't stay in bed in our nighties. We want to be out there modelling the Next collection, or seeing our contemporaries doing it.

Hopefully this is a sign that the worm is turning. The people no longer wish to look like our present "models". They want to stop feeling inadequate and obliged to live up to an impossible ideal. Then they can all stop Botoxing, chopping, lipo-sucking, stretching and remoulding themselves and the cosmetic-surgery industry – together with the madder reaches of the fashion industry – can leave us to be any shape, size, colour or texture we want. That is my dream.

But it's still only a dream, because however many votes Buncy gets, the final selection – a shortlist of 50 candidates – will be made by "industry experts". Hopefully they'll be slightly put out by this public rebellion, which I hope is a sign of things to come.