PARTYING, serial shopping for designer clothes, bags and shoes and constant breast-flashing were once the norm for Sawbridgeworth recruitment consultant Fran Howe.

Now, however, the former hairdresser has toned down her act following an appearance on ITV reality show Ladette to Lady, which starts a new series on ITV at 9pm tomorrow (Thursday, September 28).

Viewers will see the 20-year-old put through her paces alongside seven other binge-drinking, belching ladettes' on a five-week crash course in etiquette and manners.

The girls receive harsh lessons in fashion, floristry, sexual etiquette and cookery at Eggleston Hall Finishing School by tutors aiming to turn the shameless women into perfect ladies fit to be presented at a society ball.

Miss Rowe, who lives in Roydon, said: "Doing the show was so hard, and the teachers were absolute devils. I'm quite rowdy and stand up for myself, but when it came to the teachers I was petrified - they certainly put me in my place.

"The hardest thing of all was the elocution lessons. I didn't realise my accent was that 'Essex'. It got a bit better for about a week after the show ended but has pretty much gone back to how it was."

Miss Rowe was nominated for the show by friends and family who believed it was time for her to shake off the wild girl' image.

And she was only too happy to prove them wrong and has since made a string of personal transformations.

She said: "The show has definitely changed me. Before I was a complete Essex girl, always partying and when I had my boobs done I kept flashing them - basically I wasn't very lady-like.

"I still go out and I still like to party, but I've toned it down quite a lot. I'm not so lairy now, I don't drink as much and I definitely don't get my boobs out."

She added: "I now work in recruitment consulting and am doing really well. I've just bought a Mercedes for myself and still like my designer clothes. The difference now though is that, whereas before I was relying on my dad to bail me out of trouble, I can now buy things for myself.

"I have no debts and life is much more rewarding."