SOLENT Speakers have helped Zimbabwean-born Beauty Zindi win third place in a regional speaking competition - by asking her to deliver a speech on the laxative effect of beans.

The unusual talk was designed to move Beauty, a Southampton student, from her "comfort zone" of delivering serious speeches to something funnier and more surreal.

She originally won the Hampshire and Sussex area finals before moving on to the south-east England divisional finals where she came third.

President of the Solent club Keith Oliver said: "We were very, very proud of Beauty and our club. When you put your mind to something in our club, all the members support you."

Beauty told a tale about a job interview that went horribly wrong after she ate too many dried beans the night before.

She said: "Entering the humorous competition was a great leap for me.

"I have always delivered serious speeches and never thought I would have people laugh so hard."