Our new Miss Ireland Laura Patterson has admitted she has been subjected to some snobbery after revealing she has kept her job in Tesco despite claiming the coveted crown.

But the down-to-earth Derry beauty (19), who turned on the smiles for her first photoshoot this week, has said she's determined not to let the critics bother her in the wake of her win.

"I told one girl about my job in Tesco's during an interview and she just kind of laughed at me," she said.

"I was pretty shocked at that but I decided to keep that job as I think it's important to keep my feet on the ground. I could easily leave and do modelling full-time but it does you no harm at all to work in a shop.

leggy

"I took the job because I took a year out from university, it doesn't bother me what people think."

She was thrown head-first into her new life this week after being picked for her first photocall with 3 mobile alongside curvy model Georgia Salpa, who was showing her the ropes as the pair posed for pictures on Grafton Street.

The leggy blonde, who's studying law and accountancy at Magee University, also revealed how she had no intentions of leaving her Derry base and moving down to Dublin as she would miss her friends and family too much.

"I don't really know anybody down here and I don't want to get sucked into a world where all the people you know are other models and photographers. It's just not me," she continued.

And she admits that her big win still hasn't sunk in, particularly given that she was given such unfavourable odds from the bookies. She beat off competition from 32 other beauties at the event in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire to take over the crown from last year's winner Sinead Noonan. "It was weird alright. It doesn't feel real as I was not expecting to win it at all. I started off at 14/1 and by the weekend, I was at about 22/1 but I put it down to there being no bookies near where I lived -- that was the story I told myself.

limelight

"None of my family put a bet on but my boyfriend Greg had £20 on me and he made himself a fortune," she said.

She added that what made her recent victory particularly surreal was that she normally shied away from the limelight- spending her weekends singing in the choir and giving Sunday school lessons.

"A whole new world has opened up for me, and now here I am with a crown on my head. I have done some modelling in Northern Ireland but this is a whole new level. It's such a great opportunity," she added.

She'll now be gearing up to travel to the Miss World final in South Africa next December 12, where she'll be vying for the international title with a bevy of other beauties.

mfinn@herald.ie

- Melanie Finn