In the line of beauty

From: ic Teesside.co.uk - Middlesbrough,England,UK - Apr 22, 2007

By Sarah Robertson, The Sunday Sun

He's more used to dressing stunning women, but now North fashion designer Scott Henshall has signed up to scrutinise them.

The feisty catwalk king, who starred in reality show I'm a Celebrity . . Get Me Out of Here, is back on our TV screens shortly as a judge on a beauty pageant.

But this time, only deaf women can enter.

The competition sees 15 young hopefuls competing for the title of Miss Deaf UK 2007 in front of a judging panel led by Northumbria University graduate Scott, comic Bobby Davro, violinist and actress Linzi Stoppard, model Catherine McQueen, and celebrity couture hatter Louis Mariette.

Scott, who was second to be voted out of the Australian jungle after swimming in crocodile-infested waters, said he much preferred judging a beauty contest.

He said: "I feel passionately about helping deaf people. Beauty shouldn't be judged on shape or size, it comes from within."

The event, hosted by model Corin Greenhow and the first of its kind in Britain, was designed to showcase the beauty, talents and intelligence of deaf women aged 16 to 30 and the winner will go on to represent the UK at Miss Deaf World, which will be held in Prague, in the Czech Republic, in July.

Scott, whose parents live in Hartlepool, became the toast of the catwalk with his fashion creations after dressing supermodel Josie Kidd in a web of lace for the Spider-Man premiere in June 2002.

He also boasts Kylie and Victoria Beckham among his celebrity clients.

But now the 31-year-old has a new interest outside of fashion . . . learning how to do sign language.

He said: "I'm learning sign language and for the competition I learned how to sign `Hi!' and `I'm sorry I don't know more sign language'."

* Profits from the event will be split between the Royal National Institute for the Deaf and the National Deaf Children Society. The event, screened yesterday, will be broadcast again on See Hear, BBC2, 2.15am, April 25.

© NCJ Media Limited 2007