TWO close pals from Selby have made it to the final of a national competition to find the UK’s best friends.

Rachel Richardson, 32, and Lauren Adams, 29, will be whisked off to London on June 8 - National Best Friend Day - on an all-expenses paid trip to watch the live filming of ITV’s Loose Women.

After the show, the finalists will enjoy afternoon tea with the Loose Women presenters and the overall winner will receive an experience day worth £500, to share with his or her best friend.

Rachel said she and Lauren first met as children when they were neighbours living in the Bainbridge Drive area.

She said she developed serious kidney problems from the age of six and, after it was diagnosed when she was 19, she underwent a kidney transplant.

She went on to have children but the transplant later failed and she needed a new donor, at which point Lauren offered her one of her kidneys to help her lead a normal life.

Lauren underwent testing but found out after eight months that unfortunately, she wasn't a suitable match.

After a gruelling period, a match was found, allowing the transplant to take place last year.

Rachel said Lauren had kept her morale up throughout and been the best emotional support and she had nominated Lauren for the title best friend, while Lauren had independently nominated her for the same award.

The pair's children are best friends and following in their mother's footsteps by attending Selby Abbey Primary School.

The Best Friend of the Year UK competition is organised by tombola, the sponsor of Loose Women, which recently launched the campaign to find the country’s Best Friend of the Year.

Recent findings in a survey conducted by tombola revealed that people in the Yorkshire region value generosity more in a friend than any other region but that the Yorkshire region ranks the lowest for seeing their friends everyday.