NEWLY crowned Miss Ireland Emma Waldron is confident her striking resemblance to reigning Miss Universe Ireland Rozanna Purcell will work to her advantage when she takes off for Miss World 2010 in China next week.

Emma (22) told the Diary how comparisons between her tanned brunette look and those of the Clonmel beauty have been relentless since she took the beauty pageant title last Saturday, but insists she’s not worried that it will do her out of work.

Instead the aspiring primary school teacher — who has less than a week to prepare for the international beauty pageant — is hopeful that Rozanna’s success both at home and abroad will help open doors for her.

“I’m not worried about it at all, in fact I take it as a huge compliment,” Emma explained. “Everywhere I go people have been telling me I look exactly like Roz.

“I mean she’s doing so well and has been hand-picked by Donald Trump to be signed to his agency in New York so hopefully it’s a good omen for me.

“I haven’t been talking to her since she’s been busy living it up in Mexico, but I will before I go.

Shape

“Obviously I’d love to have them there but if they can’t make it then so be it, I know they’ll all be glued to it at home.

The final isn’t actually until the end of October in Sanya but before then I’ll be visiting Beijing and Shanghai and another couple of destinations to do some charity work.” she added.

Rozanna, meanwhile, has been travelling across Mexico since quitting Ireland earlier this month.

“I haven’t even thought about whether I want to follow in her footsteps and go abroad or not. Right now all I’m focusing on is the Miss World contest and hopefully winning that.”

Similar to her model pal Roz, Emma explained how she had adopted a strict gym regime and had cut the carbs from her diet in a bid to shape up.

According to the stunning First Option model: “I’m on a very strict diet but I’m not starving myself because there’s nothing worse than girls who are skeletally thin.

“I’m going to the gym once a day and then I’ve been eating very healthily, taking lots of proteins and healthy carbs.

“It’s not too much of a sacrifice to be honest, as I have to admit I’m one of those strange people who likes eating vegetables and doesn’t really have a sweet tooth.”

Waterford native Emma will be flying solo when she takes off for China next Wednesday given that her parents and boyfriend, whom she wants to keep under the radar, have not yet managed to organise flights. They’re trying to come out for the final but with it being so soon they’re working out very expensive,” she explained.

Charity

“Obviously I’d love to have them there but if they can’t make it then so be it, I know they’ll all be glued to it at home.

The final isn’t actually until the end of October in Sanya but before then I’ll be visiting Beijing and Shanghai and another couple of destinations to do some charity work.” she added.

Rozanna, meanwhile, has been travelling across Mexico since quitting Ireland earlier this month.