Last updated at 22:51 21 September 2007

She won the hearts of the British public and put size-zero models to shame with her modest curves.

But despite becoming the star of the television series Make Me A Supermodel, Jen Hunter, 24, has been forced out of her modelling contract - for being too large.

The size 12 blonde was booked by a fashion agency after impressing voters for refusing to diet when judges in the Channel Five series said she was fat.

Cape London Model Management helped secure Miss Hunter work as the face of mobile phone giant Nokia and cosmetics company Avon.

But she has faced repeated knock-backs at catwalk castings.

Yesterday, the mother-of-one from Wigan, Lancs., said she was quitting the agency to join one for larger-sized women - despite being below average size.

The decision comes as the mainstream fashion industry comes under increasing pressure to ban size-zero models.

Miss Hunter, who is 5ft 11in and weighs 11 stone, said: "I'm grateful to the Cape Model agency for taking me on when other agencies wouldn't. They secured me some great contracts.

"However, they are a mainstream agency and when I went into castings I saw very few size 12 models and came up against the same old prejudice.

"I just didn't feel comfortable so I decided to change to Excel Models which is a plus size agency."

Miss Hunter, a divorcee, was shocked by judges, including model Rachel Hunter, who described her as "fat, lazy and greedy" while competing in the 2006 reality show.

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But although she was urged to lose weight, Miss Hunter refused, saying she would not "hang her head in shame" and drop three sizes just for the fashion industry.

Despite being voted the leading female by the public, the stunning barmaid was not given a contract by chosen agency Select, who instead booked sub-zero Marianne Berglund - known as the "walking skeleton".

Cape Management - a mainstream agency - then stepped in to offer Miss Hunter work - the first size 12 on their books.

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But her decision to quit to seek employment with plus-size agencies highlights the need for a radical shake-up in the fashion industry.

Despite increasing pressure to ban size-zero models for creating a bad impression for younger women, the average model size is still a size six to eight.

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In contrast, the average size of the UK woman is between 14 to 16.

Although models have always been thinner than average, 25 years ago the size difference was eight per cent.

It is now 23 per cent.

The need for models to conform to the skeleton look has resulted in two deaths in the past year.

Both Ana Carolina Reston, 21, of Brazil, and Luisel Ramos, 23, of Uruguay, died of starvation.

Last week, an inquiry by British Fashion Council concluded that models aged under 16 should be banned from the catwalk.

But the report failed to demand a ban on size-zero models, and instead said all models should be medically examined to make sure they are fit and healthy.

A spokeswoman for eating disorder charity Beat said: "We are very sad to hear that Jen Hunter feels she can't succeed in the mainstream fashion industry.

"This shows that there is still a lot of work to be done.

"It is only through the fashion industry acting as a whole, from designer to retailer, that changes will be made."