Vanessa - Britain's brainiest kid?

Vanessa, of Norfolk Close, entered the quiz as a pupil of Claremont School and now attends Moira House in Eastbourne.

She battled her way through tricky questions on the children's equivalent to general knowledge tests such as The Weakest Link, and will see the results when the show is televised from December 9.

The final will be shown on Boxing Day, and the overall winner will be kept secret until then.

Vanessa said: "It was a fantastic experience which I shall never forget!

"It was really great when I got to the studios and met all the other contestants and crew because there was a real buzz and an atmosphere of excitement. It was really cool when I got to costume and make-up - Chris Tarrant's dressing room was about five away from mine - I felt like a real celebrity.

"I was really nervous when we started recording and I kept stuttering and messing up my lines! Your mind goes completely blank when you are up there and I got the easiest question wrong. I think lots could have done better but they were too nervous.

"I have told some of my friends and they are really excited that I am going to be on television."

The show is presented by Carol Vorderman and Tess Daly, which added another element of excitement to the experience.

Vanessa's mum, Pam, said: "She was extremely excited about meeting Carol Vorderman.

"Vanessa was absolutely over the moon about getting to the finals. It was a lovely experience for her to go up to the studio."