A NORTH-EAST public relations consultancy has added a Blind Date contestant to its team.

Lynx PR has appointed 25-year-old Abigail Billi as an account manager at its office on Doxford International Business Park, near Sunderland.

Ms Billi appeared on the TV show hosted by Cilla Black last year.

She enjoyed a trip to Las Vegas, but failed to find romance with the contestant she chose.

She has now moved North from the London PR firm Fresh Communications, which has a client list including Umbro.com and Irish bookmakers Paddy Power.

In addition to her PR experience, Ms Billi is fluent in German and Italian, which will help strengthen the company's position in the European market.

Andy Barker, Lynx account director, said that the company was undergoing a major transformation.

"Aby is very much part of the re-profiling of the consultancy to one with a young, energetic, multi-talented and creative outlook," he said.

"Her languages and new media experience will be invaluable assets. It's also something of a novelty to have a star in the office."

Lynx, which was founded in 1987, is one of the longest established PR consultancies in the region with clients including Halifax and Miller Homes.

Project clients have included supermarket chain Asda and car manufacturers Nissan and Vauxhall.

The company also has an office in Leeds plus a network of PR partners throughout Europe and across the globe.