A mother-of-four says that she has been given a new lease of life since winning a beauty pageant for plus-size women.

Last month, Lady Amarise, from Chigwell, was crowned Miss British Beauty Curve after going up against shapely ladies from all over Britain.

Tired of feeling low and depressed about the way she looked the 36-year-old was encouraged to enter pictures into an online competition, to prove that she had nothing to worry about.

Now, only a few months later, her picture is being used all over the country.

She said: “I had really low confidence. I entered the Miss Essex Curve competition online but I really didn’t expect to hear anything.

“I couldn’t believe it when I won. That gave me the confidence that I needed when I was put forward for the next competition. I had to talk about myself, there were swimwear rounds and it was quite scary.

“Now that I have won the national title I feel like a new person. I have a new walk, a new talk. I never thought that bigger girls were better, but now I feel great.

“I have slimmed down from a size 22.”

Since winning the competition life has changed for the single mother from Tomswood Road.

She said: “Now I am working on opening a salon but I have been asked to go to pageants in Miami, all over the place.

“I have had people contact me from Japan. At the moment I am focusing on attending all of the pageants that I am asked to go to.

“I am so proud of myself for entering. There are so many women who feel low about the way that they look and there is really no need to. I hope that seeing what I have done can convince others to give it a go and get their confidence back, too.”