Anorexic girl fights illness to reach beauty final

An anorexic Leicestershire teenager who once weighed less than six stone today told how she has battled the illness to reach the final of a national beauty contest.

Bianca Greenfield, 17, started to suffer from the illness around two-and-a-half years ago.

But the teen, whose weight dropped to just 5st 10lb at one point, is now in recovery at a stable weight 8st 8lb.

A friend entered her into the Teen Queen UK beauty competition, and the 17-year-old has battled opposition from thousands of hopefuls across the country to make it to the final on August 19.

Bianca, from Walton, said although it would be great to win the contest, her main aim is for her story to help other people battle their own problems.

"The main thing I really want out of everything is to show anyone who has negative views of themselves that you really can do it," she said.

"Even if I could help one person it would make everything worth it."

Bianca, a student at Lutterworth College in Leicestershire, wants to go on to be a drama therapist or teacher.

Her mother Jackie Lilley, 44, described her as a "lovely, kind" person, saying: "She is such a sensitive, lovely girl, I'm so proud of her."

She said Bianca's weight plummeted to 5st 10lb at one point but she is now managing to keep a healthy, stable weight.