She's been dubbed the country's brightest new club babe and goes to star-studded parties. Her jobs have included serving Chris Evans breakfast at a roadshow in the middle of Manchester wearing only a skimpy bikini and high heels. And now Janine Newberry is to front a late-night TV show. It's all a far cry from her Bradford schooldays and years as a receptionist at a car salesroom. She told Jan Winter about her glamorous lifestyle

AT 22, Janine Newberry has already fulfilled many of her ambitions.

Her modelling jobs have included featuring nude on thousands of posters for Manchester's trendy Devotion nightclub, appearing in Loaded and FHM magazines, modelling for catalogues and appearing in fashion shows.

And now she is set to move to London to work on an ITV late-night show, the details of which are being kept under wraps at the moment, after being spotted in a Manchester nightclub and auditioning alongside scores of other young hopefuls.

Janine is a down-to-earth woman, refusing to lose weight when her agency asks her to. "My agent's given up telling me now. You're supposed to have 34-inch hips! I personally think on the catwalk they should use more curvy models, women not sticks. That's what men like anyway. Advertising is all about sex and it's not sexy to have a skinny, bony girl."

In fact, she hated the teasing she received at school about being flat-chested - and last year had breast surgery to give her the 34C bust she now has. "I could have done modelling without it but it has given me a lot more confidence. I have always wanted to have the curve," says Janine, a hazel-eyed brunette with a 34-26-36 figure.

"I never thought: 'I wish I hadn't had this done,' I wanted it so much. I remember trying on my clothes afterwards and being excited. None of my underwear fitted - it was great! If I wanted to have anything done I would have it done for me, not for anybody else. I'm stubborn like that."

Janine was brought up in Eccleshill and attended Hanson School, which she enjoyed and where she gained eight GCSEs. She started an A-level course, but left and began an administrative job at Perry's car showroom, where she worked for three years.

"I thought about doing modelling when I left school but I didn't go into it. So then I was working and doing modelling on and off for a while. Then in January this year I thought: 'I'm going to go for it!' So I handed in my notice and left in February.

"My parents were worried, saying: 'What are you going to do for money?' But I thought I only have one chance in life and you have to go for it."

She has an NVQ qualification in business and knew that if the work didn't come, she would be able to return to a job and carry on as before.

"I had no plan in my mind, I thought I would just do it. I'd joined an agency in Manchester before last Christmas and told them I was modelling full-time. Then I was travelling over to Manchester every day so in June I decided to move to Manchester and live over here. It's the best move I ever made."

In fact, Janine's photograph regularly appears in the Manchester Evening News attending trendy parties and night clubs in the city. The paper has dubbed her "The Manchester It Girl," after Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, the celebrity party-goer.

She is friendly with models and actors, so constantly rubs shoulders with TV celebrities. Janine is friendly with the brother of footballer Jamie Redknapp, so has dined with him and his new wife, the singer Louise.

"At first it's exciting, but once you've been doing it for a while it's normal. I would never have imagined I would be doing all this."

Janine, who is 5ft 8in tall and a size 10, has always been slim - and eats whatever she wants without putting on weight. She insists she will start going to the gym to get in shape - soon!

She doesn't wear make up unless she's working or going for a night out - and thinks that this keeps her skin in good condition. Janine doesn't preen herself in front of the mirror all the time, but cleanses and moisturisers her face every day and enjoys having her hair cut at Vidal Sassoon.

She has no boyfriend at the moment. "I haven't got time!" she says. "I go for personality, not looks. There's no point seeing someone who's good-looking but awful. I would rather go out with someone I could have a laugh with and not be so good-looking. Good-looking people constantly want reassurance and I can't be doing with that, I want people at ease with themselves."

Janine enjoys much of her work, although it can be frustrating to stand for hours while photographers get the shot completely right. She enjoys modelling at fashion shows because of the buzz which surrounds them.

But she loves all of her work. "I love being made up and all that. I love it all, really. I've been very lucky. I'm living a life many people might dream about.

"Some people are bitchy but I think you find that everywhere. It can be a bit pretentious. You have to separate your social life from your working life."

She would advise other would-be models to go to a reputable agency - and to develop a thick skin, because people talk about models as if they weren't there.

Janine always went around with older people as a teenager and developed mature attitudes. She did get involved with one older boyfriend who let her down, but has moved on in life.

And although she knows she is good-looking, she believes her brains have enabled her to expand her work and to win the TV presenting role.

"I don't plan to be modelling still by the time I'm 30. I will be doing something else before then, have a business or something. I'll go with the flow."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.