A young superstar from Sidcup has secured a spot in the final of a prestigious pageant taking place in London later this month.

Founded in 2017 by Daniela Costin, Miss Teen Continental UK is a beauty pageant celebrating "diversity, empowerment, and the limitless potential of women," and Sidcup girl Gabriella Biddle has earned her place in the final.

In addition to the pageant, Gabriella is tackling 25 GCSEs while pursuing her acting career.

She first applied for Teen Continental UK after being approached by staff following her experience as a junior contestant in Miss Teen Great Britain last year.

During her time as a contestant on Miss Teen Great Britain, Gabriella made appearances and raised money for Together For Short Lives – a charity which supports children and young people in the UK with life-limiting conditions.

(Image: Dee/Gabby Biddle)

Gabriella told the News Shopper: “Miss Teen Continental is in London, so it’s easy for me to get to.

“I wanted to take part because I’m now old enough to fit the teen categories of pageants rather than juniors, so entering this will help with the shift.

“I find cat-walking interesting, and the director was very supportive of my entry into Miss Teen Continental UK.

“So far, I haven’t been able to make many appearances for the show due to my GCSEs, but once they’re finished, I plan to donate to foodbanks, use my platform to speak about challenging issues, and support my fellow contestants.”

The grand final will take place on Friday, June 22, in High Street Kensington.

Gabriella will have the opportunity to mingle with other contestants and participate in the sportswear round, fashionwear round, and evening gown round, as well as the non-judged black dress round.

(Image: Dee/Gabby Biddle)

Besides the beauty pageant, Gabriella is also working towards her dream of becoming an actress.

She explained: “I have been attending a performing arts center for the past nine years. I enjoy dancing, singing, and drama, but I love the TV and commercial side of things.

“I hope to go to LA to meet with other acting agencies and expand my network, though I haven’t had any proper jobs yet due to my age.”

You can vote for Gabriella here 

With a multitude of exciting events happening for this 16-year-old, Gabriella says the person who inspires her most is her mum.

“She has always been a very determined, outgoing person”, Gabriella added.

She explained: “My mum has worked her way up from nothing to having a family, a lovely house, and a lovely car.

“Her success has made me want to do well too.

“I’ve been taught that anything you want in life doesn’t come easy, and you must put a lot of hard work and effort into achieving it.”