BRIDPORT Carnival won’t have quite a full complement of royalty this year with no entrants for the title of Prince.

But there were plenty of contenders to be the Queen, princess and attendants.

The crowns were bestowed on the winners of the Bridport News-sponsored ‘Bridport Carnival’s Got Talent’ style competition by last year’s winner Chloe Amber-Cash.

The competition was held in The Conservative Club in North Street on Sunday afternoon with judges the Rev Andrew Evans, youth worker Melvyn Courtney and News reporter Rene Gerryts.

They were treated to a wide range of music from modern pop songs, to film tunes and classics.

In the end it was a unanimous vote for Sophie Gibson, 15, from Bridport, whose rendition of When I was your Man by Bruno Mars captivated the judges.

Carnival Queen Sophie, who goes to All Saints School in Weymouth, said she loves performing and really wanted to take part in the competition.

She said: “I wanted to enter because singing and performing is my life I love to perform and I thought this would be a great opportunity.

“It is also an exciting chance to be the Carnival Queen.”

And in a repeat of last year Daniella Scadding, 13, and Sarah Williams, 14, were chosen as her attendants.

Daniella chose to sing Vera Lynn’s When a Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square and Sarah sang John Lennon’s Imagine.

Woodroffe pupil Daniella said: “I entered again because I enjoyed last year and I like singing.”

Sarah, who goes to the Sir John Colfox School, said: “It was a hard competition this year, there was really good talent. I enjoyed it so much last year. It was so much fun I wanted to enter again.”

Both said being carnival attendants was great fun.

Ten-year-old Maddie Chant, from Beaminster, was crowned Carnival Princess after singing Let it Go from the Disney film Frozen.

She said: “I like doing things in the community in Beaminster and I really wanted to be in the Bridport Carnival.

The Rev Evans thanked everyone for taking part in the competition.

He said: “On behalf of the judges a big thank you to everyone who took part. We enjoyed listening to you all sing and the range of music was quite incredible, It was a brave thing to do, it is not an easy thing to do to stand and to sing in front of people.

“Everybody did very well and we didn’t have an easy choice but in the end we were able to choose a clear winner.”

He said it was disappointing not to see any entrants for the title of prince and hoped there would be next year.

Mr Courtney agreed but made a plea for more people to enter next year.

He said: “Those of you who go to a youth club I suggest you ask your leader to run something in the centre or the club to lead up to this so you have the confidence for when you come here. I think there will be a lot more people entering.”

Carnival chairman Shaun Fox said he’d see a lot of changes to the carnival over his 25 years being involved.

He said: “And there are girls here I have seen freeze when they have put in front of people and now they can stand in front of people and sing. That confidence comes, don’t give up, it is worth it in the long run.”

The winners of the competition will lead the grand procession on Carnival day Saturday, August 16 and the torchlight procession to West Bay on Sunday, August 18 before a giant fireworks display.

There will also be the fun events to attend in the lead-up to the carnival weekend including a quiz night, bingo and darts night.