London, Nov. 21, 2006
Rupinder Singh

Now Preeti Desai, 25, is new Miss Great Britain , who landed the title after being chosen by Sun readers to replace sacked original winner Danielle Lloyd. ( See her photo at the end of this page)

Preeti, 5ft 8in, the first British Indian to take the crown, reveals her success has been even sweeter because her beloved mum is now recovering well after a serious illness. She is from Guisborough, North Yorks, has been catapulted on to the world stage, where she will represent the country.

Miss Cleveland Preeti, who took the 5th position in the first contest, was picked from the 11 finalists. "It's a dream come true," The Sun quoted the 24-year-old, as saying.

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• Preeti’s family — Hema, dad Jitu, and her sister Anjlee, 21 — are understandably ecstatic at her win.
• She describes her mum as her “rock” but for seven years Hema battled depression, attempting suicide twice. Preeti says: “It was awful seeing her in that state. We just wanted to help her.
• “When I was 18, I decided to leave work and stay home full time with her. We wanted to see her smile again. That’s why winning this contest means so much, because it makes her happy — and that is priceless.”
• Not surprisingly, 46-year-old Hema is Preeti’s biggest fan.
• The pin-up decided to work for her father, who runs a fireworks business. She said: “You should have seen me there with my baggy jumper, old jeans and my hair scraped back. I certainly didn’t look like Miss Great Britain then.”
• Preeti moved to London three months ago and is loving life in the big smoke. But, sorry lads, the beauty already has a special someone in her life, a boyfriend whom she has been seeing for two years.

  As Preeti says: “When you’ve seen tears of real sorrow, tears of joy are a blessing.”

BIO

Preeti Desai wrote:

My name is Preeti Desai a British Indian and I'm from Guisborough, North Yorkshire but now live in London and love it!
I am Miss Great Britain, i was crowned after the public voted for me to replace the previous Miss GB after she was stripped of her title. I am so delighted and its a great honor to bring home the crown. Thank you to everyone for your votes, nice messages and support. I look forward to working with the Miss Great Britain Team.

Well i was born in middlesbrough on 29 september 1981 to two proud parents my mum Hema and dad jItu, i have a younger sister Anjlee who is 21 who is a singer/Dancer. I went to St Augustins RC primary school in Coulby newham, then Nunthorpe School and then on to Middlesbrough collage where i did a course in Hair and Beauty, When i finished i was offered work to build up a new salon then went on to manage it in a department store in Middlesbrough i also worked in another sister salon in Stocksley for 3 years till i decided it was time to move on. I then started and am currently working for the family business G2 Fireworks full time and i was made Jr partner, witch i did build up after years of working for G2 Fireworks from being a child. As it is all year round work for my parents, me and my mum handle the retail side of things on Borough Road, Middlesbrough.

I went into beauty therapy and managed a salon for three years before deciding I needed a change.

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Hema:

Hema says cultural problems kick-started her descent into depression. After getting married, she arrived in England in 1980 and she and Jitu settled in Middlesbrough.

Preeti and Anjlee were amazing. Preeti sacrificed so much for me. She looked after me, fed me, clothed me. She looked after my younger daughter and the house.

“It was like she became the mother and I the child. If it hadn’t been for her I don’t know what I would have done.”

Hema described the heartbreak of hearing Preeti say when she was little: “Don’t worry, Mum, we’re not boys but we’ll make you proud.”

Wiping away tears, she adds: “Preeti lived up to her word. She has always done her best for me.

“When she was crowned Miss Great Britain she rang to tell me and said, ‘The crown is for you.’ I burst into tears. I feel as if I have won that crown. I feel as if I am Miss Great Britain. She only wants to see me happy — both my girls do. They want to see me smiling and it is thanks to them I was able to overcome that dreadful illness.”

She said, she belong to a small village, speak a little English l, and she had lot of problems within the family. I had two daughters but people in the family didn’t like this. In my culture, when a son is born there are celebrations, but for girls they say good luck next child.

Every year on my birthday, Preeti takes me abroad for an exotic holiday. Preeti and Anjlee were the only Asians at their school in Middlesbrough. Due to her raven hair and exotic skin tone, Preeti got lots of attention. People were always telling me that Preeti should go into modelling, even she was little.”

I sent Preeti to a Roman Catholic school and we celebrate every religious holiday such as Diwali, Eid, Christmas, and we respect everyone’s God.

Danielle Lloyd, 22, lost the Miss Great Britain title she won in February

after it was discovered she was sleeping with one of the competition judges at the time of the final last February Lloyd had claimed she met her now boyfriend and ex-England footballer Teddy Sheringham on the night of the competition, but in a new interview with Eve magazine she accidentally revealed that she spent last Christmas with Sheringham.