OXFORD'S Eleanor Glynn is flying high in the Miss World finals after being shortlisted to take part in the competition's talent show.

Miss Glynn, 20, from Sandford-on-Thames, is one of 20 women out of more than 100 who have been shortlisted to take part in the section, which is being held this week in Warsaw Opera House in Poland. Rehearsals started yesterday.

She is now enjoying herself after losing her luggage at the airport and hopes to impress judges with her singing.

She will be belting out Rainbow's heavy rock classic Since You've Been Gone, and if she wins the talent show section, she will be fast-tracked to a place in the final line-up of Miss World on September 30. The prize for the winner is $100,000.

Eleanor said: "I am so happy to get through to the talent round. It means so much to me, as I'm a singer and my dad's a musician.

"It was a tough start for me when I lost my luggage at the airport but I'm really enjoying myself and looking forward to the rest of the competition."

Angie Beasley, national organiser for Miss England, said Eleanor was the best Miss England performer during her six years in charge.

She added: "Eleanor is doing well in the competition, and it will be tough but we hope she wins the talent round.

"Even if she doesn't win it, she will pick up points for being shortlisted in this category, and could still end up being Miss World.

"Eleanor was not shortlisted for the beachwear round, or the sportswoman of the year round, so we are delighted that she has made it to the final 20 for the talent competition.

"She wanted more than anything else to get through to the talent show final because she loves singing, and wanted the chance to showcase her talents."

Ms Beasley said Miss Glynn "sounds like Cher" when she sings and added: "I hope the judges are impressed."

Miss Glynn sings in a funk band called Kilter in Oxford and has auditioned for the TV talent show The X-Factor.

Earlier this month, Miss Glynn beat her fear of flying to jet off to Poland - then discovered her luggage had been stolen at the airport.

When she arrived at Warsaw Airport she found part of her luggage was missing - thousands of pounds worth of jewellery, music for the talent show, and her hairdryer.

The distraught beauty queen, who was crowned Miss England earlier this year, rang Miss England organisers immediately to ask them for help.

Her mother Patricia flew out immediately to take her the essentials she needed for the competition. None of the missing luggage has ever been recovered.

Patricia said: "We are keeping our fingers crossed for Eleanor in the talent round because if she wins she would be fast-tracked through to the final 16.

"Eleanor did Sting's Fields of Gold for an audition, but she is going to do a rock number fot the final because that is what she has been rehearsing."

Miss Glynn, who works for a medical company in Cowley, was crowned Miss Oxford last October, before beating 69 hopefuls to secure the title of Miss England at a contest in Leicester on July 14.