A NORTH-EAST beautician will be representing the region in the Miss Great Britain 2006 contest on Saturday.

Preeti Desai, 24, will be appearing as Miss Cleveland in front of a 1,000-strong audience, a panel of judges, and a host of celebrities, at The Grosvenor House Hotel, in London.

Miss Desai, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, will be one of 50 women from across the country - the only contestant from the North-East - fighting for the title.

Contestants will be asked to compete in several rounds and face questions from a judging panel including Jean-Christophe Novelli, Faria Alam, Shobna Gulati and Michael Ball.

The evening will be hosted by Noel Edmonds and Jenni Falconer.

Miss Desai, a former pupil of Nunthorpe School, in Middlesbrough, responded to an advertisement for the competition after recently starting a career in modelling.

She was asked to send in a photograph and quickly heard back to say she had made it to the final.

She said: "I sent in my photo and totally forgot about it. I didn't know what to think - people keep asking me if I'm nervous - I probably will be nearer to the time."

Miss Desai will be competing against Big Brother star Orlaith McAllister, who is representing Belfast.

To vote for Miss Desai, text MGB26 to 83070. The winner of the most text votes will make it into the top 12 before the judges make their final decision.