OUR St Helens Star Miss Starbud 2000 winner is Amy McPherson.

Dressed in a beautiful pink dress adorned with tiny rosebuds, the cute three-year-old wowed audiences at the final with her rendition of Britney Spears' hit, 'Baby, Hit Me One More Time' and was considered a worthy winner.

Amy, from Mercer Road in Haydock, actually spent the first three weeks of her young life in Whiston Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit. However, the brave youngster soon bounced back and now loves singing and dancing, especially anything by pop queen, Britney and The Corrs.

Proud mum, Karen, who, accompanied by mum, Betty Craig and mother-in-law Jean McPherson, watched Amy's victory, told the Star: "She is a really bubbly, happy little girl who loves people. She will talk to absolutely anyone and in fact, loads of people know her because when her grandma's take her out shopping in town, she goes in all the shops and says hello to people.

"She also loves singing, not just modern pop songs but even old war songs that her grandad teaches her. She would sing anything if you'd let her."

Amy, who will be attending Legh Vale Nursery from next September, was entered for the competition by grandmother, Betty. She said: "Amy was wearing a good luck brooch pinned to her dress for the competition which we gave her and it has obviously worked. We are delighted because she is such a lovely child."

Karen added: "Amy's dad, Craig was a little bit unsure of her going in for it but she loves all the attention and she had a great time. She was a little bit overwhelmed when she won but recovered later and she keeps showing off about it now. We are all really proud of her and the whole family had a meal later to celebrate."

Second place in the Starbud competition went to another three-year-old, Kelly Ellen Wildman from Doulton Street, Newtown.

After the competition Kelly's mum, Michelle, revealed that her daughter nearly didn't make it to the final, she said: "Kelly's not been very well and at one stage we really did think that she wasn't going to be able get here today. But fortunately she's a lot brighter now and she made it not only to the final but won second place, it's fantastic."

Kelly, who is the apple of dad Andy's eye, loves playing with her Tiny Tears doll and she had the crowd roaring with laughter when she confessed to stealing her mum's make-up so that she could look like a clown. She also revealed that she wants to be a clown when she grows up.

Five-year-old Alice Wareing from Haydock wowed the judges on the day in her pretty white rosebud dress and blonde curls. And the pretty youngster, who goes to Blackbrook St Mary's Primary School, was looking forward to getting a new pair of high heeled shoes promised by mum Lorraine after coming third in the competition.

Alice, who goes to a number of different dance classes including ballet, tap and jazz, wants to be a ballerina and a dinner lady when she grows up.