NEW PICS: A.N.T.M. CYCLE 9 WINNER, SALEISHA DEFENDS HER WIN: 'MY PRIOR CONNECTIONS TO TYRA HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY WIN.'

Tyra Banks and company tend to make irrational decisions on America’s Next Top Model: “So who goes home? The girl who takes flawless pictures and walks the runway better than anyone we’ve ever seen? Or the girl who has such low self-esteem and such an ugly face that she’ll forever credit me with giving her a chance when no one else would?” But was their decision to award Saleisha the show’s ninth title fair?

After the 21-year-old former receptionist from Los Angeles was named the winner on Wednesday's ninth-cycle finale, the blogosphere was buzzing with reasons why she may have been undeserving of the victory and soon after, sharp-eyed fans dug up footage Saleisha's prior work. One of the apparent conflicts of interest—the fact that Saleisha Stowers participated in one of Tyra’s camps for teenage girls—was disclosed at the beginning of the season. But the rest were not, and E! News reports that those included “footage showing Saleisha walking the catwalk in an ANTM cycle-six fashion show, as well as appearing on the runway in an episode of The Tyra Banks Show (watch it here.).

AFTER THE JUMP, READ SALEISHA'S STATEMENT REGARDING WHY SHE WON FAIR AND SQUARE + PEEP CANDID PICS OF HER LEAVING THE 'LIVE WITH REGIS & KELLY SHOW' IN NYC.

Perhaps more significantly, “Saleisha had appeared in a nationwide Wendy’s commercial (watch it here), that aired in 2006, seemingly in violation of an America’s Next Top Model eligibility rule that states would-be contestants ‘must not have previous experience as a model in a national campaign within the last five years (including, but not limited to, appearances on television and print advertisements).’” The CW said in a statement that Saleisha did disclose her participation in the Wendy's spot, "after reviewing the commercial, it was determined that her appearance did not amount to 'modeling' experience, and therefore did not exclude her from participating in the show."

"Honestly, I feel that everything is done fair and square," Stowers told reporters during a Thursday conference call. "There's more than one judge, and I really think that every judge has their own opinion on the show. If they didn't feel like I deserved to be America's Next Top Model, then I wouldn't. I do feel like maybe [the judges] were a little harder on me. But I do feel I was judged equally and fairly, like every other girl. I did work hard to earn this, and I feel like I deserve it...I think I was chosen fairly like every other girl to be on the show. I really don't think that any connection from T-Zone or the Tyra Show had anything to do with my critiques or judging."

"I fought for this so hard, and I'm so determined, and I have it now, and I'm not letting it slip out," Saleisha proclaimed after learning of her victory. "I wanted it so bad, and I got it, and I'm never letting it go!"

The catwalk-focused series has been renewed through the 2009-10 season.