Rachelle wants your votes!

Banbridge girl Rachelle is competing in the Commercial section of the competition which takes place on March 14 in the Hilton Metropole in London.

And she is looking for your votes to help her win the competition - plus you could be helping a very worthy cause at the same time.

Said Rachelle, “I need everyone in Banbridge to vote for me by texting MODEL 76 to 88010. Texts cost 1 plus your standard network rate and all proceeds go to the Children with Leukemia charity.”

The 20-year-old is in her second year of studying Communications and PR at Jordanstown. She works part-time at Playtex at the Outlet and the centre has agreed to help her with sponsorship towards the competition.

It’s the first time that the competition has come to Northern Ireland to pick local talent and Rachelle says she is delighted to be amongst the first from our shores to enter.

Before the final takes place she will head to London on February 20 for some training. The event has three categories - the Editorial and Runway section, the Classic section for over 30’s and the commercial section for magazine models which Rachelle will be entered in.

“There were auditions in Lurgan a while ago,” she said. “First we had to do the catwalk before we were measured and then there was a question round.

“The girls who were all auditioned were whittled down to just four so I’m pleased to have gotten this far and I can’t wait for the final to come.

“The final itself takes a similar format with a runway show before we are asked some questions.”

It’s not the first time Rachelle has been involved in modelling, indeed she has been doing it now for three years and was named Miss Coach in the past, allowing her to compete in Miss NI. She also took part in the Maid of the Mournes competition.

But she says that this competition is different. “The other competitions were beauty pagents but this is specifically for models.

“I thought it would be an experience to enter this competition and I was really surprised to get through. I’d love to do Miss World but at the minute I’m just taking one step at a time and seeing what happens.”