Former Telford woman Kirsty Davies is a true Christmas covergirl after shedding almost five stone to make it onto the front of a nationwide magazine.

Kirsty, who hails from St Georges, Telford, lost the weight while studying at university and so impressed judges at Slimming World that she was named the organisation’s Slimmer of the Year.

The 21-year-old’s stunning new look will now be on show at newsagents and shops around the country as she is on the cover of Slimming World magazine’s Christmas edition.

Kirsty moved from Telford to Oswestry when she was 11 and then she and her parents, Tony and Tracey Davies, moved to Colwyn Bay, north Wales.

She recently graduated from university and now lives with her boyfriend Nigel in Chester and works as a trainee teacher.

Her proud grandmother Janet Davies, of Turreff Avenue, Donnington, said Kirsty still has many friends and family in Telford and comes over quite often to see them.

Kirsty said she was so unhappy with her weight that she almost dropped out of university but her confidence soared when she shed the pounds and now she is really enjoying her job.

She said: “You know how there’s always a girl at school with a note to excuse her from PE? That was me.

“I’d be dodging the bullies who poked fun at my chubby figure. I was an easy target, I suppose,” she added.

Kirsty said her lax and unhealthy lifestyle continued at university but when her weight really began to bother her she sought help from Slimming World at the start of her second year.

She lost 6lbs in just one week and a stone at the end of her first month with Slimming World and by the time she went back to university she was 11.5 stone, having lost a total of 56lbs, and was a size 12-14.

She added: “My new figure has taken some getting used to, especially my legs, which I don’t hide anymore.

“I danced around the changing rooms in April this year when, at under 11 stone, I slipped into my first size 10 dress for the university sports ball,” added Kirsty.

Kirsty said 2009 had really been her year and she was now looking forward to 2012 when she plans to marry her boyfriend.