A 50-year-old woman who says she's constantly mistaken for her 17-year-old son's sister puts her youthful looks down to being single. In that case, consider me a lifetime member of the singledom club.
Shany Hagan is constantly asked for ID to prove her age when she orders drinks in a bar, tries to buy wine in a supermarket or even watch an 18-rated film at the cinema.
She's given up dating because she's always asked if she's 'out with her dad' and her teenage son Tom has banned any of his friends coming to their house after they branded Shany a MILF.
The attractive mum says she's even caused a car crash as a 30-something driver was so busy gawping at her in a queue of traffic that he pulled out in front of a lorry - who smashed into him. It happens to the best of us, Shany.
Now the Emmerdale extra has declared she's done with all men except for her son (phew), who is already worried that he looks older than her.
Shany, from York, UK, said: "I haven't aged a bit since I was 21 and people still think I'm that age when they meet me. It was a nightmare when I was younger as no one took me seriously but now I'm reaping the rewards as I look 30 years younger.
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"Everyone is shocked when I tell them my age and they want to know my secret. It's simple - I'm single. It keeps me young. I don't have the stress of dealing with a man. I come and go as I please and that means I don't have any wrinkles or worry lines."
She continued: "I find people staring at me before asking if I've had botox or fillers, but I haven't had anything done. You can tell if women have had surgery and I don't like that look. I'm completely natural and am lucky to have great skin and a happy life now.
"Blokes used to say I would be pretty when I grew up - but that was when I was 28. When I married and was pregnant strangers gave me bad looks assuming I was a teenage mum when in fact I was worried I'd left it almost too late because I was 32.
"No one spoke to me at the school gate when Tom was older because they thought I wasn't old enough to look after him and even now when I have foreign students over to stay they ask where my mother is as they assume I'm the teenager.
"It's funny now, but it was upsetting when I was younger. I didn't have a lot of friends and was isolated as the other mums thought I was some kind of Lolita who would steal their husbands."
After splitting up with her husband - because he didn't like the attention her looks attracted - Shany decided to date and instantly regretted it.
She went on: "I would never want to be a cougar and go out with anyone younger as I want to feel secure and protected by an older man, but it's hardly romantic when other people ask if the man you're with is your dad.
"One time I was in a pub on a third date with a man I quite liked and a rugby team came in and some of the lads started pointing before one asked why I was out with my father and my date went berserk. They ended up fighting while I sneaked out of the back door. I never saw him again."
Shany has been compared to Baywatch star Pamela Anderson and says her son banned her from going to his school plays, parents' evenings and meeting his friends from the age of 13 because of her looks.
"He would go bright red if anyone saw me with him as he'd have people saying: 'Your mum's a MILF'," Shany said. "One time I went to collect him from the bus stop and all the boys on the bus started banging on the windows calling me sexy and wolf-whistling. He was mortified and said I couldn't be seen out with him again."
Now, after going through the menopause, Shany has decided to celebrate her youthful good looks by entering beauty pageants and in the past 18 months she has won four, beating thousands of contestants more than half her age.
Speaking about the competitions, she said: "Most of them are 18, but they accepted me because they thought I was in my 20s. When I said I was 50 they looked shocked and said I was older than their mothers. I love it."
Shany has been crowned Miss Congeniality at the Ms Galaxy UK pageant, runner-up in the Face of the World - beating 3,000 other women - and came third in Smile of the Universe.
As well as being single, she says she keeps her skin wrinkle-free by applying honey to her face for half an hour every night before bed. She also eats organic fruit and veg, drinks plenty of water and gets eight hours' sleep a night.
"I think it's also down to genetics," she added. "My mum and dad are both 75, but they look in their 50s so we're lucky. Being single keeps me looking and feeling young, too, which is why I'm not looking for love. I'm happy to be on my own and look half my age than married with wrinkles."
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BRB, just getting a vat of honey...
Featured Image Credit: Triangle NewsTopics: UK News, Community, UK