'Goody two-shoes' quits uni for freak show

An academically gifted Kent woman quit university to perform in a freak show.

Danielle Martin, 24, from Dartford, was a "goody two-shoes" at school who competed with friends for the best grades.

Now, for a living, she hammers nails into her nose, jumps on bits of broken glass and climbs up a samurai sword ladder.

"I was the quiet one that worked hard to be top of the class," she said. "As an only child I wanted to please my family with my grades and make them proud of me.

"They expected me to stick to academia and have a sensible career but my true passion is being on stage and shocking people."

Her inspiration came when she was 13, when mum Ruth Goldsmith, 54, took her to see the Circus of Horrors.

She loved the show and vowed to one day join it - but her family persuaded her concentrate on her studies.

After college, Miss Martin made plans to go onto higher education to study for an Art and Design degree, but her heart wasn't in it and she left the course.

Instead, she followed her dream and took a diploma in Performing Arts at the Reynolds Academy in London.

"Three years later I applied to the Circus of Horrors," said Miss Martin. "It was tough interview as I had to squeeze myself in to a two foot jar!"

She went all over the country with the Circus of Horrors performing at their shows as the Girl in the Bottle.

Recently she has created her own freak show and now calls herself Daniella D'Ville.