Castaway Clare wins council seat in Croydon

A television reality contestant has been elected as a Tory councillor in Croydon

Clare Hilley appeared in the BBC reality show Castaway in 2007 but was the second person to be eliminated after being voted off by other contestants.

The 25 -year-old trainee pilot will represent the Waddon ward and has spoken of ambitions to become an MP.

Ms Hilley won 1,462 votes to take the south London seat in a by-election called after the death of town mayor and Conservative councillor Jonathan Driver.

Ms Hilley, from Purley, and 13 other TV contestants lived on a desert island in New Zealand.where they had to build their own shelter and grow and hunt food.

She said: "I never went on the show to raise my profile. I've been in politics for 10 years. I went on it as a bit of a jaunt as I'd never had a gap year. The show was the biggest flop ever and people didn't really watch it.

"First and foremost I want to work hard as a local councillor and deliver on election promises. I'm leaving my options for the future open."