A UNIVERSITY of Hertfordshire student has won Miss Universe UK.

Radiography student Lisa Lazarus was chosen at a glittering ceremony in Café de Paris in Leicester Square from 38 other contestants.

The judging panel included Arsenal footballers Bacary Sagna and Justin Hoyte, Kemal Shahin of Big Brother fame and Sarah Cornelius from the event's chosen charity, the Joshua Foundation.

Lisa, 20, from Swansea, wowed the judges in three catwalk rounds with her selection of evening, beach and disco wear.

She said: "Winning the Miss Universe UK competition is a dream come true and I can't wait for the final in Vietnam this June.

LIKE Jennifer Hawkins, she's got the Miss Indy credentials - the only difference is Goldy gal Jana Peterson actually won the high-octane title.

And now the 21-year-old stunner has got a shot at the crown that launched Jen's high-flying international modelling and TV career.

Next week, Jana will line up against a couple of dozen other beauties in the Miss Universe Australia preliminary final in Melbourne.

Actress and entertainer Jenny McCarthy, who attended the Barnstable Brown party last year, hosted her own soiree Friday night at the Frazier International History Museum in downtown Louisville.

Our own Mark Schnyder was there along with another famous Kentucky native.

The event benefits the permanently disabled jockeys' fund. Money raised at Friday night's party will go to jockeys, their families and the racing industry.

THE CHEERLEADERS at Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, who had been facing criticism all these days, have got a respite. While many have already been questioning the authorities for using cheerleaders in the cricket field, it is the turn of beauty queens to join the debate on cheergirls and their brand of dancing.

Recently crowned Femina Miss India 2008, Tanvi Vyas, who was in Jammu recently, came out in support of the concept of cheerleaders and asked the audience to try not to see the act as vulgar but respect those girls, for they are only doing their job.

Interacting with media men on the sidelines of a function organised by Flying Cats to launch fresh courses inJammu, Tanvi gave a sound piece of advice to those who have raised ‘hullabaloo’ against the leg shaking cheer leaders – the most visible feature of the newly launched IPL T-20 cricket tournament.

The dancing cheerleaders are not promoting any kind of vulgarity but just entertaining audience gathered inside the cricket stadium to enjoy the game, she said. No one has asked the cheerleaders to promote vulgarity. Every individual has a choice and freedom to choose and watch programmes of his/her own interest, she added.