TV actor, music video star, charity poster girl – Ruby Cooke is hitting the big time after winning the Face of Essex competition. The Recorder caught up with the 19-year-old to find out how she has been getting on.

Ruby kicked off the week by filming a cameo in The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) – a gym scene. “I’ve had no major parts yet,” she said, “but it would be great to be involved in something like that. I know a lot of the cast.”

And Ruby has been visiting the gym off-camera too.

“I didn’t really go to the gym before,” she explained, “but then I got the membership in the prize so I thought I’d make the most of it and I’ve signed up.”

Ruby got a taste of pop stardom over the weekend when she made a guest appearance in the latest music video by London rapper Professor Green, arranged by Harlow casting agency Talent Talks. “It was brilliant,” she said, “although I’m not allowed to say what the whole video was about. He was there, Millie Mackintosh from Made in Chelsea, his girlfriend, was there, and Rizzle Kicks popped down.”

Ruby has also been taking advantage of free hair treatment from Uppercut Hair Group - which ran the competition with the Recorder - snazzing up her look with a colour, cut, and several blow-dries.

And if that wasn’t enough, as reported in the Recorder last week, Ruby also met Boris Johnson – before rounding off her week by taking part in a photo event for St Francis Hospice with Towie star Harry Derbridge.

So what has it been like meeting so many famous faces?

“When they’re in the public eye you don’t think they’re like everybody else,” said Ruby, “but they are. It’s good to know.”

The Recorder will be catching up with the Face of Essex soon to find out who she meets and how her modelling career progresses to in the coming weeks.