A BURLESQUE dancer who became an overnight sensation on TV show Britain’s Got Talent, has set out to persuade the fashion industry to use larger ladies on the catwalk.

Size 18 to 20 Fabia Cerra, from Blackbird Leys, Oxford, stripped to her lingerie in front of celebrity judges and millions of viewers to reach the semi finals of ITV’s hit Saturday night show last year.

Now the larger-than-life mother-of-one has become a model and ambassador for Models of Diversity, which campaigns for fashion and beauty industry to use a wider variety of models.

This includes models of all shapes and sizes but also all races, ages and abilities.

Last night, the 36-year-old mother said: “The average size of women on the British high street is 16.

“Most people in the UK don’t conform to the size and shape of models highlighted in the media.

“I really want to promote real people of all different shapes and sizes and I’m very happy to have been asked to represent the organisation.

“It’s something I really believe in.

“The mannequins need to be bigger, the adverts need to be bigger, the fashion industry needs to be on our side.”

Miss Cerra, of Centaury Place, Greater Leys, said she was approached by former model Angel Sinclair, co-founder of Models of Diversity, at casting for the show.

Since becoming an ambassador, she has campaigned at fashion events, including Britain’s Next Top Model competition.

She said: “Angel asked me why I hadn’t considered modelling and I said it was because of my size.

“I thought if I’d gone into a modelling agency in London I would have been laughed out the door.

“She said I was the perfect ambassador for size 18-20s.

“Sometimes I have to buy size 24 to fit around my chest, so I’m a mixture of sizes really. I’m really proud of my shape and I want to give girls on the high street hope.”

Miss Cerra, mum to five-year-old Leone, said: “I’m a woman, I’m curvy.

“I’m proud of my stretch marks, they remind me of my son, and I’m proud of my cellulite.”

Ms Sinclair, who runs Sinclair Model Management, started the Models of Diversity campaign after appearing in fashion guru Gok Wan’s Miss Naked Beauty in 2008.

She said: “The reason I chose Fabia was because she represents real women.

“I was struck by her bravery on Britain’s Got Talent on each show. She is a inspiration to plus size women.

“For me its about acceptance of one size and most importantly self love which Fabia has in bucket loads. She is an amazing lady.”