BLONDE beauty queen Bonnie Hiller’s stunning looks helped her to waltz her way to winning the Miss Colchester and Miss East Anglia titles.

Then she revealed to a stunned audience she couldn’t keep the Miss East Anglia crown – as she wasn’t really a “miss” at all.

Bonnie, 22, has been married for four years. She wowed judges to win town and regional titles at the Candi bar in Colchester, modelling clubwear, swimwear, and evening wear and demonstrating her dancing skills.

Then the aspiring Tiptree model took the microphone to reveal she couldn’t go on to next month’s national final, because she was married.

Instead, she selflessly handed her crown and sash to second-placed Lucinda Story.

Bonnie said: “This was my first competition. I just wanted to see if I was good enough. I’ve always wanted to be a model. I never had the confidence, but my dad said I should try to get into this.”

She entered the contest before she realised she was ineligible, but organiser Pam Boon still praised Bonnie for stepping aside.

She added: “Everyone said how gracious she was. Other girls wouldn’t have done that.”

Now Bonnie is looking for other contests which are open to married women – with Mrs Boon’s full endorsement.

She said: “Bonnie was outstanding. If the roof could have lifted up, it would have done. I think she’s got a successful career ahead of her.”