A BEAUTY contest star and single mum has spoken of her whirlwind year after she entered a global pageant and was signed up to a modelling agency at the age of 48.

Shany Hagan, from Rawcliffe, broke into the modelling scene for the first time earlier this year when she represented the UK in the Face of the World competition.

The mum-of-one entered the international modelling competition on a whim and managed to beat off competition from 3,000 applicants to become a finalist. She finished as a runner up in the Birmingham event.

Places in other competitions have started to flood in and the Emmerdale extra is now taking part in Miss Galaxy, Miss Inspiration, Miss Crown and Glory and Top Model 2018.

She said: “I really want to win the Miss Galaxy one because the final is in America and I’m going to the gym twice a day and doing what I can to get in shape.

“You never know what will happen if you win something in America.

“It’s just starting to calm down now, but I’ve managed to get sponsorship together and I’m sure I’ll start to get busy again this month.

“The first few months of the year were horrendous and totally different to the last few.

“I had a really bad accident and had 30 stitches in my foot after I stood on a glass tumbler and it went through the arch of my foot.”

Miss Hagan was plucked from obscurity to represent the UK at the Face of the World competition in Birmingham ahead of 3,000 other applicants.

After applying “for a laugh”, she was quickly signed up to a modelling agency and was told her appearance at Face of the World would open a lot of doors.

She is now looking forward to an exciting 2018 pursuing her new career after previously telling The Press: “It started off by sending in a photograph to a model agency and I was given a place in Face of the World after 3,000 people applied.

“It’s one thing after another and I can’t keep up with it. It’s crazy.

“My whole body is tingling every day and I can’t think straight.”