A RADIO presenter from Southampton represented Great Britain at the finals of an international beauty pageant in America.

Aryana Vashisht, from Bassett, just missed out on taking home the crown at the Regency International Pageant, held at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where she competed against women from around the world.

The former St Anne’s school pupil, who lives in Chandler’s Ford, is a regular presenter on Southampton based community radio station Unity 101.

Aryana qualified for the prestigious competition after being crowned Miss Diamond UK at a competition held at the Royal Bath hotel, Bournemouth, in May.

She has launched the Asian Women Business Network (AWBN), a network which celebrates success within the Asian community of women in business.

There were four days of tough competition, which included an interview, rehearsals, fashion and eveningwear round.

This was followed by an awards dinner, where Aryana won gold for community service, and a silver for title visibility, coming third in the competition overall.

The 30-year-old said: “Winning the UK title was an amazing and unforgettable moment, knowing my years of hard work has paid off.

“I also finally reached my goal of winning a trip to the internationals.

“It was a hard and tiring week, but the most amazing experience I could have asked for, with an amazing group of women.”

“It was a dream come true to win and represent United Kingdom at the Internationals, and to place secnd runner-up against some incredible women from across the world.

“I would really recommend the Miss Diamond UK pageant to anyone looking to have a fun and fulfilling pageant experience.”

Two years ago Aryana made it through to the finals of the National Diversity Awards.

A former Solent university student with degrees in criminology, and music, Aryana was previously voted Best Smile 2015 at the finals of Miss Grand UK.