Hawera designer on Sky TV

RISING STAR: Sean Kelly with a model wearing his winning design on latest episode of Project Runway.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Hawera designer Sean Kelly's successful run on Project Runway will be shown on New Zealand TV after all.

Season 13 of the American reality show has been picked up by Sky Television for its VIBE channel.

TV3, which has run the series before, declined to pick up the series and it looked as though New Zealanders would only get to watch the programme by downloading until the announcement on Friday.

Sean, a 23-year-old former Hawera High School student, has won three challenges to date. He is the first New Zealander to appear in the programme.

His sister, Hannah Kelly, has said it was disappointing that no NZ channels are willing to buy and screen the show, "as it is an extremely rare case where a Kiwi is on a popular American reality television show."

Sean's father, John Kelly, says he is delighted that the show will now screen here.

"Hats off to Sky TV for picking up the show. It is very exciting for the less technologically inclined members of our family who haven't been able to watch the show," he said, adding the show is attracting record viewer numbers in the US and friends and family have been expressing disappointment that it hasn't been available locally.

"Sean is really hitting his stride now, he stumbled a bit at first and didn't do so well on the first three episodes, then he designed the dress that Heidi Klum wore to the Emmys and he just won best design again for his rain effects dress on episode eight."

Sky TV manager of General Entertainment Channels Rachel Thomson says VIBE is delighted to bring the programme to New Zealand viewers.

"When we saw how popular this show was with Kiwis and that other networks had walked away, we knew this was an opportunity we couldn't pass on it.

"Project Runway has always been an absolute favourite of VIBE programmers and never in our wildest dreams did we imagine we'd be able to premiere it for Kiwi viewers.

"We are thrilled we've got it, and it's all the more fantastic that we have been able to acquire the only season ever to have a Kiwi on it."

Season 13 of Project Runway will begin screening on VIBE from Thursday, October 2 at 9.30pm and will screen in the same time slot each week.