A happiness coach is still smiling after being knocked out of the World Laughter Championships – because her snort wasn't good enough.

Genny Jones chuckled her way to victory during the national heats of the competition but got eliminated when she went up against other contestants from around the globe.

But the former Britain's Got Talent contestant, known as the Confident Queen, isn't going to let it get her down.

The 60-year-old from Northfleet said: "I do these things for just a laugh.

"I will keep laughing and practice. I need to defend my UK title next year and go for the World Championships again."

Earlier this month, Genny was selected to represent the UK in the World Championships by recording her laughter and sending it to the judges.

The contest sees competitors go head-to-head in a series of rounds based on different laughs which are judged on their "joyfulness, hilarity and letting go".

For the UK heats, one round included laughing while looking at an unfunny object – in Genny's case, a lamp.

She said: "I had to pretend the lampshade was someone funny that I know so I could laugh at that. I was thinking of the celebrity Peter Andre. It's somebody that I really like."

In the World Championships, which took place over zoom on Sunday, contestants were challenged to do a different laugh for each round, with viewers voting for their favourite.

Genny made it through rounds one and two – a despicable laugh followed by a nasal laugh, but then got voted out in the third round, a snort laugh.

She joked: "I guess my snort wasn't technically correct."

Genny, who runs a laughing yoga class, says she can "turn on the laughter on tap" and was encouraged to take part by friend and fellow instructor, Pete Cann, the "The Laughter Man".

The mum-of-two works as an accountant two days a week but is better known across Dartford and Gravesend as her alter-ego the "Confident Queen", hosting a series of health and wellness workshops.

Genny appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2012 when she was egged on by judge David Walliams to "smell" music mogul Simon Cowell.

Taking part in the World Laughter Championships has inspired Genny to spread happiness to even more people. She plans on opening a laughter group at St Mark's Church in Gravesend.

She added: "There are 31 different types of laughter I can teach people."