Miss USA winner Tara Conner, who hung onto her title last month after going to a rehabilitation clinic following reports of underage drinking, has admitted to using cocaine.

Conner told the Today show that it was a relief to be able to talk about her drug use which had been rumoured after she spent a number of nights at New York clubs.

She told interviewer Matt Lauer: "I have done cocaine, yeah.

"Luckily the great thing about getting everything out and being completely open and honest about things, it frees me from it. So the more I get off my chest, the better I feel about myself."

Conner, now 21, was previously threatened with the removal of her accolade, but Donald Trump - the owner of the Miss USA beauty pageant - agreed to give her a second chance.