A 26-year-old man, who in his day job runs a care home business, has been rocketed into the glamorous world of modelling.

Michael Etherington, of Fell Lane, Keighley, is to be the new male face of the high street fashion store Next.

Michael won through to the final of the company’s Make Me The Next Model Too online Facebook competition. He was among 100 finalists in Old Billingsgate Market, London, at the weekend, bidding to be named as overall winner among the male competitors.

The day involved sessions of fashion styling and photo shoots and then work on the catwalk.

This week he was in Paris filming a Next TV advert with the female winner, Joanna Renwick, of Norfolk.

His next assignment will be a fashion shoot with Select Model Agency followed by a £2,000 shopping spree.

Michael, a former student of Oakbank School, in Keighley, owns and manages a home care business and property company.

He said he was overwhelmed to win through to the final against so many competitors. “I’d done a bit of modelling before in America but this is catwalk work which is a new experience for me. It was a public vote and I never assumed I’d get so far but you’ve got to give these things a go.”

A spokesman for Next said: “Winning the competition is probably only a starting point for these two.

“They both looked really thrilled when they were announced as overall winners.