A Greek Cypriot, Andreas Kattou, 24, who was voted Mr Rugby just six months ago, has been crowned Mr England 2009.

Originally from Larnaca, Kattou has played for Salamina Football club, and represented Cyprus under 17 and 18 teams before captaining the under 19s.

Asked where he first learned about the competition, he said “It all started around 6 months ago when I went to the barbers to get a haircut. A lady in there asked me if I wanted to enter a local event to raise money for the charity, Help for Heroes. After winning this competition I received a call from the Mr England organisers and I was invited to apply.”

Twelve contestants from around the country were put forward for the penultimate round, from which four were chosen for the final.

On the day, the finalists had to dress in Tuxedos, strut their stuff on the catwalk and introduce the Miss England contestants. He was judged by Caprice and Chris Fountain, from the UK soap Hollyoaks.

“I’m new to all of this, and I didn’t take it too seriously. I think people liked me because I was more jokey and down to earth. Also I was doing it for my family and friends more than for me – some of the other contestants took it seriously, but I was just having fun and enjoying myself” Kattou said.

“It was a shock to win the competition, but a nice one. My family were over the moon, and I had lots of support from my sister and customers from the chip shop where I work. I’m hoping to get more support from over here in Cyprus.”

Asked about his preparation for the competition, he said “I didn’t do much preparation for the Mr Rugby competition, but as soon as I was invited to the Mr England event I started going to the gym. I spent about 2 months preparing, but I love staying in shape and keeping fit.”

He is now preparing for the 2010 Mr World Competition in Seoul, when he will compete against 80 other men to become “The World’s Most Desirable Man”. The competition is not just about charm and good looks, however. Contestants are required to complete a number of physical and mental tasks. In the previous Mr World competition, there was even a cook-off and a raft-building leadership exercise.

Kattou’s sporting background stands him in good stead for physical challenges and will no doubt be looking to repeat the success of his international football debut “When I was sixteen I played for Cyprus against Belgium, and scored the second goal.”

Asked if he had a message for fans, he said “I’m a really down to earth guy and doing this for fun. It has been a great experience so far and it has taught me that you shouldn’t be shy, and that who you are is more important than what you are. I hope that doing this can encourage others and give them confidence.”

It is a philosophy shared by Miss Cyprus, Chrystalla Tsiali, who will compete for the Miss World title in Seoul at the same time. Chrystalla’s personal motto is “Everything in life is a risk, so just be yourself”.