 A MIDWIFE who hated the way she looked has had £45,000 of plastic surgery in a controversial reality TV show. Janet Higgins, from Kirkby, went on Living TV show Extreme Makeover to have six weeks of cosmetic enhancements. In the episode, which will be shown this Thursday, the 42-year-old has a gum lift, veneers on her teeth, a brow lift, an upper and lower eyelid lift, a breast enlargement and Botox injections. Janet was one of 20 people chosen to go on the reality TV show, which originated in America. The programme's producers received 16,000 applications from people who wanted to change the way they looked. For nearly 10 years, Ms Higgins had devoted her time to raising her boys and working as a midwife, leaving her little time to herself. She got divorced nine years ago when her sons Matthew and Connor were aged five and nine. She lacked confidence in her appearance and felt she looked boyish and the frown lines on her face prompted everyone to tell her to cheer up and stop being miserable. Ms Higgins had very droopy eyes which made her look permanently tired. She said: "My ex husband's family used to call me 'no bits' and I've always felt like I had a boy's figure. "I never felt feminine and my frown made me look angry and older." Each participant is shown before, after and during surgery. A team of plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, hair and make up artists, stylists and personal trainers worked on the midwife. In each of the episodes, two participants are followed throughout their transformations, while viewers are given tips from experts on health, fashion and beauty. Ms Higgins said she recovered quickly from the surgery. She added: "I had no pain and very little bruising. "Everyone was astonished at how quickly I was up and about. "My family was amazed when the new me came out. They all said I looked beautiful. "Now that my life has settled down, I feel so much better. I used to wear black and dark brown." The programme, which began on January 10, has attracted controversy in this country. Sir Bob Geldof was reportedly furious with his 15-year-old daughter Peaches after she went to a Botox party for the show's launch. The invitation said: "We invite you to be pampered and made over, try the latest innovative beauty treatments and even sample Botox." Last year Norman Waterhouse, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said such programmes meant more people were having cosmetic surgery for the wrong reasons. | 
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