Housing officer Eleasha Newberry was insecure about her looks, worried about her crooked, darkened teeth and heavy glasses.

The 25-year-old, from Walderslade, was reluctant to smile and hid her mouth when she laughed, something that affected her relationships and how she felt about herself.

Now she feels like a different person and her appearance has been transformed after winning a £25,000 makeover.

Eleasha found the competition on the internet when she was searching for ways to fix her teeth. Ever since damaging the nerves in her two front teeth in a fairground accident when she was young, Eleasha has shied away from smiling

chart.She also suffered from poor vision since infant school, unable to read even the top line on the optician’s

But thanks to the top-to-toe Dream Makeover Essex, Eleasha has a gleaming set of white molars and done away with her thick rimmed glasses forever.

Her prize included cosmetic dentistry, laser eye surgery, facial aesthetics, hair styling, fashion advice and personal fitness training.

After being filmed over several weeks the stunning end result was unveiled at a gala evening hosted by television presenter, Jeff Brazier.

Eleasha, who lives with her family in Oaklands Close, was one of three to be picked from the 2,000 who entered the contest, described as the biggest beauty campaign to hit the county, which has become famous for TV programme The Only Way Is Essex.

Eleasha said: "The fact that I can now smile without hiding my teeth and laugh with my friends is life-changing in itself.

"Since the makeover I do not have to avoid photos on nights out. This may sound like a small thing to some people, but it has made me feel like the biggest weight has now been removed.

"My relationship with my current boyfriend is definitely better. Just the fact that I am laughing and smiling now, seems to have taken a massive strain off our relationship.

"I’ve been turned into a new woman and the future looks great."

Eleasha, who works for a housing charity in Gravesend helping people with mental health issues, now plans to take an open university degree in English literature.