The London Rose, Clare Kambamettu has been crowned the 2010 International Rose of Tralee. This is the second year running that the London Rose has taken the honour.

The 26-year-old psychologist was born in Leeds but moved with her parents back to her mother’s native county of Kildare at the age of eight.

Speaking after her win, a shocked Kambamettu paid tribute to her fellow contestants, describing them as “absolutely amazing women”.

“It’s been an absolutely amazing week,” she said, “and what I’ve learned about the Rose of Tralee is that everything you think is going to happen, you just double it, and triple it, and add a million on to it and you get somewhere near what actually happens.”