Kayleigh’s an Uber Girl

Dec 31 2008 by Richard Mooney, Hamilton Advertiser

A BLANTYRE girl had her dreams come true when she beat 250 contestants to become the face of a national modelling competition.

Kayleigh Houston (18), a former pupil of Calderside Academy, took part in a online competition ran by Uber Girl on Bebo.

They were looking for five girls with no modelling experience and who fitted the description: "the girl desired by all guys and every girl wants to be her”.

Describing Kayleigh as one of Scotland’s “true hidden gems”, Uber Girl selected her along with four other girls to become the Uber Babes, the promotional team for the Uber Girl 2009 competition.

Kayleigh, a customer service associate for HSBC in Hamilton, was blown away by the news that she had gained a place in the top five.

She said: “To get into the top 10 was amazing, but to make it into the final five was just unbelievable.”

Like her favourite models, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, Kayleigh hopes to one day to make an appearance on the catwalk.

She said: “To me, this opportunity is huge. Modelling would be a dream career for me.

“I’m going to take it very seriously and go as far as I can with it.”

Kayleigh is hopeful that touring with the Uber Girls will provide her with an appearance at nearby nightspots.

She said: “I’d love to appear at some of the local clubs like Hamilton Palace and Megabar, but I love places like Common and Firewater in Glasgow as well.”

Kayleigh lives with mum Joanne Houston, her 19-year-old sister Roxanne, and her four-year-old Lhasa Apso dog Charlie.

Speaking about her daughter’s success, Joanne (41), said:“We’re all very proud of her. Her granny, Elizabeth, was over the moon.

“I always expected that she would go places because she’s really confident and outgoing.

“Her grandad passed away a few years ago and he’d be really proud of her right now.”

A spokesperson for Uber Girl said: “This really is an excellent break for non-professional models plucked from obscurity to have a chance at a career in modelling.”