Naomi Campbell has revealed she was shocked to find out she’d been appointed ambassador for the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Naomi was awarded the honour during a recent trip to Brazil to help organise the Fashion Rocks event to be held in Rio in April.

Naomi told the New York Daily News: “I didn’t know I was going to be made an ambassador for Rio at all. I was totally shocked when the mayor did offer that.

“I do have a charity there, ‘We Love Brazil.’ It’s to help people in the favelas (ghettos). The women make crocheted fabrics, and designers from Brazil use them.”

“It’s been raining in Brazil for 26 days and hundreds of people have lost their houses. The charity gives to people who don’t have anything.”

The city’s mayor Cesar Maia said of Naomi’s appointment: “She has an image that is the face of Rio de Janeiro, she could represent it abroad like nobody else.”