DONNA HOWELL was told she was too tall to be in a TV pop band - and that she should try her hand at modelling instead.

But now, she's proved she has winning vocal talent. Because despite the huge knock-back, 6ft 1in tall Donna, from Bettws, Newport, has won a Welsh entertainment competition.

Donna, 17, was determined to ignore the advice of a record producer on last year's Popstars: The Rivals television show, who said she should try modelling as a career instead of singing.

She was also told she was too tall to fit in with the other band members. The show eventually produced pop bands Girls Aloud and One True Voice. Now, Donna, of Livale Close, has won the Welsh Entertainer of the Year competition organised by Music Wales at Porthcawl's Trecco Bay this month.

She impressed judges there with her version of Oleta Adams' classic Get Here. The teenager said she had been "pretty low" after she had been told to try modelling because of her height in August 2002.

She said: "I was a bit upset hearing that but I was determined to make it as a pop star and bounced back after having a cry.

"I started entering more competitions straight away. I have entered about 12 so far." Donna said she felt "brilliant" when she won the recent competition She said: "I didn't expect to win so it was a bit of a break. There were a quite a lot of talented people there. There were about ten in my age group."

The former pupil of Bettws High School, who says her own pop idols are Celine Dion and Whitney Houston, said she never thought about giving up her bid to become a singing star.

And she paid tribute to family and friends for supporting her decision to press ahead with her dream.

She said: "Their support has kept me going. Quite a few years ago I had a go on a karoake and family and friends thought I was good. They bought me a few backing tracks and it went from there. I have never looked back.

"I've always wanted to be a pop star. My next move will be to start appearing at some of the clubs on the local circuit and keep entering competitions.

"At the moment I am rehearsing an act which I will be taking around local clubs. It's a singing act. The music is all sorts but mainly pop."

Donna will appear at the Big Buzz Festival which takes place in both Cardiff and Swansea in July as a result of winning the competition.