A model who won �1,000 on hit reality television show Come Dine With Me has vowed to donate half of her winnings to a local charity.

Fans of the Channel 4 programme watched last night as four home chefs from the Norwich area competed on four consecutive nights for the title of ultimate dinner party host.

Polly Guy, from Bergh Apton, won the prize after she wowed the other contestants with her impressive cookery skills and firework entertainment.

The former City College Norwich student actually trained to be a chef, but not long after qualifying decided to give it up and go into modelling instead.

The 29-year-old said that she thought she had surprised the other contestants with the quality of her meal and had perhaps challenged their preconceptions of what a glamour model would be like as a dinner party host.

She said: 'I was pleased to win, but when they actually announced it it was really embarrassing and I felt like digging a hole and diving into the ground because everyone else thought they had bagged it.'

Miss Guy said she was convinced her trio of desserts had been popular, as if diners do not like one dish there are others they can choose from. Other winning touches included laying specific wines for each course and fireworks for entertainment. Now the former Hobart High School pupil plans to donate part of the prize to the East Anglian Air Ambulance, which helped her mother when she was in a serious road crash on the outskirts of Norwich two-and-a-half years ago.

Anna Guy, 65, a retired GP who used to work in Loddon, said: 'I broke my pelvis all across and had internal bleeding and damaged my knees badly. The car had to be taken apart and I was put to sleep when they took me out.'

Mrs Guy added: 'As a GP I have also seen them in action and they are incredible.'

Miss Guy, who has spoken frankly in the past about her own battle with bulimia, said she had also seen the air ambulance's work first hand after witnessing another road traffic accident recently.

She said: 'I just think they need as much help as they can get and I wanted to thank them for saving mum's life.'

The Norwich episode also featured ultra-confident Sam Smith, no-nonsense nutritionist Caroline Seamen and bank manager and part-time DJ Richard Pearce.