CRUNCHING grubs, nestling with spiders and bathing with reptiles might sound like a daunting bush-tucker trial fit for a TV game show.

But it will be a crowd of brave beauty queens taking on the tasks to raise money to fight a disease which threatens the life of a former Miss York finalist.

Six hopefuls vying for this year’s crown will be at the Leaping Lizards Reptile shop, Acomb, on Sunday, to take part in the charity challenges.

The girls, all finalists in this year’s Miss York competition, have been so touched by the plight of former contestant Emma Young that they have decided to raise money to fight the disease cystic fibrosis which has left her needing a double lung transplant.

Emma, 22, from Pickering, has been in hospital for more than three months. She is on an oxygen supply 24 hours a day and needs a wheelchair to get around. As previously reported, she hopes the life-saving transplant will transform her life and allow her to go back to working as a beauty therapist.

Karen Holmes, 22, of York, who will be taking part in the last hurdle of Miss York 2009 on April 5, talked about the creepy-crawly challenge.

“I, along with five other Miss York finalists, will be dreading the event and at the same time loving it for what our cash-raising efforts might achieve for people such as Emma, who would have been in this year’s competition had her condition allowed.”

Karen and other Miss York beauties will be taking part in the Beauty And The Bugs ordeal – based on ITV reality TV programme I’m a Celebrity? Get Me Out Of Here! – at the shop throughout the day.

It will included sitting in a bath of bugs, snakes and lizards, dunking heads into a tub of bugs, snakes and lizards, holding snakes and spiders and, of course, eating bugs.

Emma says: “It’s great the Miss York girls are doing this for cystic fibrosis. I wish I could be there. It will be a hoot. I hope it gets tremendous support.”

Money from on-day collections and any donations will be given to ward 34 at York Hospital, where Emma is staying.

To sponsor the girls phone Miss York organiser Vivienne Lee on 07904376629.

* On Saturday, the girls will put on their shorts and T-shirts and hold a charity car wash from 1pm at the Big Chef on the A19 at Crockey Hill.