SHE is getting ready to take on the globe in the finals of Miss World - but beauty queen Georgia Horsley fears a long-kept secret could get in her way.

The North Yorkshire model, who was propelled to fame after being crowned Miss England 2007, said the secret could have hampered her chances of conquering the world.

Georgia, 20, who lives in Norton, near Malton, told The Press she has been completely deaf in her right ear since she was rushed to hospital with suspected meningitis as a toddler.

She said: "I have kept it a secret for so long, but now I have decided I want people to know, because I don't want people to think I'm being rude if I don't answer them."

Georgia said she was finally persuaded to speak out about her deafness after an embarrassing moment during the Miss England finals.

She said: "When the final 15 contestants were being called out, I didn't hear my number being called. Everybody was clapping, including myself, but nobody moved.

"Eventually the girl next to me said it was my number and I went out on to the stage really embarrassed."

Georgia said at school she had sometimes been the target of bullies - who taunted her for being "thick" because she could not hear.

She said: "There was this one girl in my science class who used to make snide comments about me being thick because I always used to put my hand up to ask what had been said.

"It used to really get to me, but as I got older I realised that people like that weren't worth bothering about."

Georgia, who has had to give up her job as a part-time beauty therapist, said she was still adjusting to life as a celebrity, but was enjoying her new role as Miss England.

She said: "I went for some drinks with the girls from work the other day and somebody came up to ask me for my autograph.

"I thought he was joking because, to me, I'm just the same person as I always was. I don't feel like a celebrity."