A FARNHAM girl is leading the race to be named the youngest ever winner of Miss London 2022 after being backed by reality TV star Joey Essex.

Weydon schoolgirl Alanta Shattock, aged just 16, has already polled more than 5,000 votes to currently lead the rankings in the capital’s Miss England qualifying round – with the winner to be announced on Sunday, June 5.

Joey Essex, who shot to stardom on the ITV reality series The Only Way Is Essex and finished fourth in the 13th series of I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, is among those to give Alanta his vote.

One of 14 finalists in the Miss London contest, if Alanta finishes in the final three, she will be entered into the Miss England competition – the winner of which goes on to represent England in the Miss World contest.

Alanta is juggling the demands of the competition – which included an open-top bus tour of London and going backstage at last weekend’s celeb-studded boxing event at the O2 – with studying for her GCSEs this summer, and has a dream of becoming a top model and air stewardess on Dubai’s Emirates Airlines.

She lives with her mum and step-dad in Boundstone, is a big Tottenham Hotspur fan, and has a pony in Bentley which she rides on a daily basis.

The competition is not just about its contestants’ looks, however, and each hopeful is also raising money for charity Papyrus, campaigning to help prevent suicide in young people – the most common killer of people aged under 35 in the UK.

Alanta will hold a charity table outside The Hare and Hounds pub in Rowledge on Thursday, June 2, the day of the village’s Jubilee-themed fayre, to raise funds for the charity.

She is also is also sponsored by her step-dad’s business, Concept Design Solutions Ltd in Bordon, and this week raised funds at Kempton market, where her mum runs a market stall.

Download the ‘Miss England’ smart phone app to vote for Alanta, or visit www.missengland.info for more information.