The Melbourne woman who famously stole a New Yorker’s heart on a subway two years ago has returned to Australia, loveless, but set for more fleeting fame with a part on Neighbours.
Camille Hayton found herself at the centre of an international media circus in 2007 when she was revealed as the "dream girl" one man went to extreme lengths to track down after spotting her on a train in New York.
Web designer Patrick Moberg's website "nygirlofmydreams.com" featured hand-drawn sketches of Ms Hayton and rapidly charmed its way into the headlines.
But the hoo-ha fizzled out as quickly as the romance and now Ms Hayton is back in Melbourne to pursue other things, including a two-line acting part in soap Neighbours.
"I play 'Hot Chick No.3' — I don't have a name," she joked.
"I originally auditioned for Hot Chick No. 1 but when the script came I was hot chick No.3 … I don't know what that means — not quite hot enough?"
But the 24-year-old said filming the episode — set to air later this month — was a lot of fun and fuelled her desire to do more acting.
She looked back on the New York experience as "bizarre and mind-boggling", recalling suddenly being thrust into interviews for media outlets all over the world and having her phone ringing off the hook.
Ms Hayton revealed she and Mr Moberg fielded offers of interest for movie and book deals, even a reality television series — leaving little time for conventional courtship.
But the pair did briefly fall into "something" as they spent so many hours together in surreal circumstances.
"The experience bonded us unnaturally quickly," she said.
"When I look back on it the closeness that we had in just a week, it was very intense … but it certainly ended quickly.
"I don't think we were meant to get married or anything."
She remains in regular email contact with Mr Moberg, 23, and knew he would be the ideal person to turn to when she recently decided to set up her own blog.
"I've been asking him for website advice — he's my guru," she said.
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