Face of Plymouth winners will battle it out at Christmas lights switch-on

The winners of this year's Face of Plymouth competition will be appearing at the Christmas light switch-on - and doing something hilarious.

Daniel Heath and Ellie Rimmington will be making their first public appearance on stage, getting shoppers in the festive spirit in the city centre.

They will be competing against each other by seeing just how many mince pies they can wolf down in just five minutes.

Ellie has NEVER eaten a mince pie before but she is determined to win - so who knows how it will go down?

Ellie, 23, said: "I’m really looking forward to being a part of the Christmas light switch-on with some amazing people, and I can’t wait to beat Dan in the eating contest!"

Daniel, 24, added: "It's a huge thing to do - from a child watching the lights to now being on stage is so exciting. I will beat Ellie in the eating contest."

The pair will be on stage at around 5.30pm, so come along to cheer them on.

Face of Plymouth 2018 winners, Daniel Heath and Ellie Rimmington at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel (Image: John Allen)

More than 10,000 people voted in the Face of Plymouth 2018 competition, with Ellie receiving 21 per cent of the female vote and Daniel bagging 15 per cent of the male vote, crowning them the winners.

The competition, which was sponsored by Michael Spiers, aimed to find the city's modelling stars of the future, with the right balance of personality, charm, and confidence.

This year, the final 20 men and women were picked by two previous winners, Charlotte Holmes and Kadus Smith, along with a representative from Michael Spiers and Plymouth Live.

After that the decision was solely in the hands of the public.

Matt and Victoria from the Heart South West breakfast show will be hosting this year’s Christmas lights switch on in Plymouth on Thursday, November 15, which also launches the Christmas countdown and marks the start of late-night shopping in the city.

The entertainment starts at 4pm, with performances from local schools, theatre groups and the Party Princesses.

Former Royal Marines Commando and triple amputee Mark Ormrod will be switching on the Christmas lights this year at around 6.30pm.

The 35-year-old will be joined on stage with fellow Plymouth Invictus Games competitors Nick Martin, Debbie Godfrey and Kelly Ganfield, along with Santa, the cast of Shrek and the Lord Mayor.

The cast of Shrek The Musical, on at the Theatre Royal Plymouth from November 13 to 24, will also appear on stage.

And keep your eyes peeled for a very special arrival during the evening as Father Christmas himself will be making a special trip from the North Pole to be there too.

Following the lights switch on, Plymouth band The Native will perform an hour-long set to the crowds, following their incredible opening set at MTV Presents: Ocean City Sounds in the summer.

This year has been a huge for the band after performing at some of the South West’s biggest festivals. They’ve also recently released their debut EP ‘Fall Down’.

Plymouth Live will also be at the switch-on event with a fun face cut-out board. Snap yourself with the cut-out board and be in with the chance of winning some top prizes!

Who are the Face of Plymouth winners?

There were around 6,000 votes in the female poll, where more than 1300 people voted to crown Ellie Rimmington the winner.

Ellie, a 23-year-old beautician, received 21 per cent of the votes and entered as she wanted to empower other women to "love themselves more".

Ellie, who has lived in the Ford area of Plymouth her whole life, said: "I would love to inspire people to love themselves more. You can be who you want to be.

"I have fun experimenting with wigs, makeup and fashion every day whilst working in the beauty industry, but I am the same person inside who isn’t afraid to be silly, go without makeup and just be me."

Upon hearing the news, Ellie said: "I’m absolutely over the moon to have been voted for the Face of Plymouth 2018.

"It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to have a voice and a platform to be able to do some amazing things.

"Thank you so much to everyone who voted for me!"

In Ellie's interview for the Face of Plymouth, she described herself as someone who is "very ambitious" and "doesn't take life too seriously".

She currently owns her own salon, Elle Delia Beauty on Molesworth Road, and has had jobs working as an ice-cream lady, retail assistant, bartender, a Christmas elf and was even a holiday park entertainer for four years.

She said: "As much as I love this job [beautician] I miss performing and making people smile, I left in November 2017 to follow my passion for beauty and have since opened my own salon, which is a dream come true.

"I love spending time with my friends and family, dancing and making YouTube videos when I have free time."

Ellie's favourite thing about Plymouth is that her family all live in the city, but she also loves to visit the Hoe, the Barbican and Royal William Yard.

She added: "I feel very fortunate to have everything here on our doorstep."

There were more than 4,700 votes in the male poll, where more than 700 people voted to crown Daniel Heath the winner.

Daniel, a 24-year-old sales assistant and festival host for a gin company, received 15 per cent of the votes and entered as he wanted to become a role model and teach people that everyone should be treated the same.

Daniel, who grew up in the Stoke area of Plymouth, said: "I would love to be the approachable face that anyone can come and talk to, not just for the modelling side of it.

"I want to be a role model for anyone and any age.

"Life is far too short and everyone should be treated in the same way, whether they are big, small, rich or poor."

Upon hearing the news, Daniel said: "It feels amazing to be the Face of Plymouth.

"It has been a horrid few months and I believe this platform will help me do more for charity, and help be the voice of Plymouth not just the face.

"I just want to say thank you to everyone who has voted for me, it means so much and I won’t let you guys down."

In Daniel's interview for the Face of Plymouth, he described himself as a "very confident and outgoing" man who loves entertaining people.

He currently lives in Keyham with his dog Molly and works as a gin host travelling the UK each weekend, as well as working in a sports shop in the city centre during the week.

Daniel said: "I have always wanted to be a positive role model for people. You don’t need to have a six-pack and be a model to make an impact in people’s lives.

"A good smile and laugh can go along way."

Daniel has recently been raising money for men's mental health after the passing of one of his best friends.

He said that his favourite thing about the city was the way that the the people of Plymouth supported him in raising the money and awareness.

Daniel said: "Plymouth is amazing, I did something to raise money for charity and the city got so behind it it was amazing, I have random people coming up to me still asking me now.

"This just showed me that as a city we can do anything."

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