Nailsea mum in final seven to be next face of Iceland

A NAILSEA mum is among the finalists of a national competition to find the new face of Iceland – the frozen food store not the country.

In the past few weeks Nailsea People has asked you to vote for your favourite hairdresser, chose a politician and now we are asking you to help an ordinary mum become the star of a national advertising campaign.

Eleanor Taylor, affectionately known as Ellie, has made the final seven and to win needs her supporters to vote everyday by clicking HERE.

Voting closes at 9am on Monday, April 26.

Ellie, aged 39, is the only West Country representative left in the race to be the next face of Iceland.

She works part-time as an optical and dispense assistant at Specsavers opticians at Somerset Square.

Ellie lives at Combe Road with her two sons Sam who is 10 in May and Luke, six.

Both boys go to Kingshill C of E Primary School.

Her online profile says she has been a dedicated Iceland shopper for years.

She said: “Every single vote I can get will count as you can vote once a day from any one computer.

 “I would love the support of Nailsea People as I am very proud of my town and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

“It would be great to show the nation why I feel like this through the surrounding publicity if I were to win.”

You can see online the audition video made by the former Backwell School student who tells the judging panel ‘my mum is a bit posh and used to shop in Sainsbury’s but I told her Iceland is much better value and the quality is just as good’.

Friend Janet Lindsay said: “Ellie has done so well to get this far and we want everyone to vote for her.”

And Sarah Miller-Jones said: “It has to go to Ellie.

“She seems very wholesome and the most natural and she is in the competition for the right reasons.

“I cringed watching a few of them I'm afraid, sorry, all the dubious singing and acting.

“Iceland is looking for the whole package and some one who can be liked.

“I don't know any other contestant who fits the bill but Ellie.”

Ellie who lists her hobbies as writing poetry, air guitar playing, bowling, singing - badly, dancing and general silliness has dreamed of appearing on television since she was a little girl.

She toyed with the idea of Dragon’s Den but failed to come up with a suitable, money-making invention, her prowess behind the wheel wasn’t good enough for Top Gear and although she loves preparing meals especially for her vegetarian partner she didn’t have the time to write a cook book.

Thousands of hopefuls entered the competition and Ellie was one of seven chosen to go to public vote out of the 50+ mums (and a few dads) who attended the final auditions.

In August last year the high profile face of Iceland was Kerry Katona who was sacked following drug allegations in the News Of The World.

The former member of pop group Atomic Kitten featured in the ads for four years, since she won the TV show I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.

Iceland has since used several celebrities to promote its food, including Loose Women presenter Coleen Nolan.

Other possible replacements were named by the bookmakers as celebrity mums Charlotte Church, Suzanne Shaw, Carol Vorderman, and Kym Marsh.

But in the end the company which was launched in the 1970s and today is one of Britain’s fastest-growing retailers in the UK decided on a competition to find an ordinary mum and Iceland shopper.

The other contenders in the final seven are:

* Newly-married and a good cook Samantha, 31, who lives in the West Midlands and is a mum to three children. Despite her nerves her local Iceland store persuaded her to enter.

* Shopaholic Charlene, 21, lives in London with her young son. She loves singer Mariah Carey and impressed the judges with a few notes of her own.

* Festival singer and stay-at-home mum Natalie‚ 26, lives in Portsmouth with her Navy weapons engineer husband and two children.

* Single mum-of-four Eve‚ 34, lives in the West Midlands. The qualified fitness instructor credits her healthy diet to giving her the energy she needs.

* Former holiday rep Rosemarie from Bedford, affectionately known as Lizzie, is ‘expecting’ her first grandchild and she has just celebrated a milestone birthday but they don’t tell you want it is.

* Teaching assistant Melanie‚ in her forties, lives in North Yorkshire and is married with seven children. Despite a busy schedule she writes a blog for Candis magazine and is a big fan of Eddie Izzard.