A FORMER carnival princess will take part in a world record attempt on Saturday in memory of a friend who died suddenly.

Zoe Nichols, 17, was a princess at Basildon and Pitsea Carnival where she met Rachael Kiely-Cohen, 18, from Pitsea.

Popular Rachael died unexpectedly on Mother’s Day, this year.

Zoe, of Pretoria Avenue, Noak Bridge, is taking part in tomorrow’s world-record attempt to have the most princesses in one place, at Festival Leisure Park, Basildon.

The event is in aid of the Little Princess Trust, which provides real-hair wigs to young boys and girls suffering from cancer.

It was announced yesterday that star of The Only Way is Essex Chloe Sims will be joining the world record attempt.

Having read about the event in the Echo, Zoe decided to take part to honour the memory of Rachael.

Zoe, a hairdressing student at Chelmsford College, said: “My mum showed me it in the Echo and it looked like a good idea. If Rachael was still here, I think she would have loved to do it.

“We both started in the carnival in the same year and we became friends outside of it as well. She was a very outgoing bubbly confident person. I think she would have been totally up for it.”

Tributes poured in for Rachael after she collapsed just hours after coming home from work at Pizza Hut, in Basildon.

Rachael was studying for a childcare qualification at South Essex College, in Luker Road, Southend.

A book of condolence was opened at the college and hundreds of people posted tributes on social networking websites.

For more on the charity, visit littleprincesses.org.uk/