Former ballet dancer reaches new heights as Miss Great Britain

A BALLET dancer from North Cray was crowned Miss Great Britain 2002, after beating off stiff competition from 44 other hopefuls.

Yana Booth, 21, of Honeyden Road, swept to victory in the final of the contest, held at a top London club on Saturday.

Last year, in December, she was selected as Miss Kent.

She beat contestants from throughout the country, with Miss Bedfordshire, Nicky Theobald, coming second, and Miss Lancashire, Lisa-Marie Ousby, taking third place.

Yana, who attended Bedonwell Primary School, Bedonwell Road, was sponsored through five years training at the Bolshoi Ballet by movie star Sharon Stone.

The actress spotted her performing on CNN.

But her promising ballet career was cut short when she grew to be 6ft too tall to dance with most companies.

The News Shopper was the first newspaper to interview Yana, back in December, when she was exploring other artistic interests with Biggin Hill artist Demetrios Economou, and modelled for a sculpture he was creating.

Now she has appeared on scores of TV channels and her 37-inch legs are set to front a new Pretty Polly advertising campaign.

Prizes for winning the contest include £1,000 of evening wear, and entry to the Miss Tourism World 2002 contest to be held in Columbia in September.

Yana's 36-26-36 figure impressed a panel of judges including casting agents, beauty queens and Keith Duffy from teen-band Boyzone.

Two days after her victory, Yana appeared on GMTV and the Lorraine Kelly show.

She is also discussing proposals to appear on Italian television.

Sculptor Demetrios Economou, who is currently working on the statue Yana modelled for, said: "In my mind Yana has the perfect body, perfectly proportioned.

"I congratulate the judges of the Miss Great Britain contest.

"Often in this type of affair they go for the wrong type of girl, but they got it right this time."