Teen busts Essex girl stereotype with 161 IQ
Sixteen-year-old Lauren Marbe loves fake tanning, blonde highlights, manicures and getting dressed up for parties themed around her favourite reality TV show.
But British girl Lauren shocked her teachers by scoring 161 on the Mensa brain test after she was entered with other pupils from her school for fun, reports The Daily Telegraph.
Her remarkable brain test score means she is now officially smarter than Professor Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates and even Albert Einstein - who all have an IQ of 160.
Lauren has been enrolled in the prestigious society Mensa, which means she is in the top one per cent of smartest people in the world.
She is the daughter of a black cab driver and dreams of one day being a performer in the West End - like Essex celebrity Denise Van Outen.
The teenager, who said her parents were surprised at the result, told The Telegraph: "I am blonde, I do wear make-up and I do go out.
"I love my fake tan and fake nails as well so I guess I am a bit of an Essex girl in that sense. I watch (reality show) The Only Way Is Essex and I love the program, it's addictive but now most people do seem to think that's what everyone in Essex is like.
"I love living in Essex and I'm glad that I might be able to show people that we aren't all ditzy and blonde."
Her mother Sue added: "Living in this area there is a lot of pressure to be the stereotypical Essex girl but she has a real nice support from the other girls.
"Most of the time Essex gets a bit of a negative press. People think all girls are blonde and all girls are dim.
"Lauren is blonde but it does seem like she has shaken the stereotype that all Essex girls are stupid.”
