After enduring a dry summer, many parts of Newcastle were hit with nearly twice as much rain in nine hours on Friday as they had in the previous three months.

Rain hampered proceedings on the Friday night of the three-day event, affecting entry numbers and the show's program.

Organisers were forced to cancel the Friday night fireworks, many of the smaller rides and the ring events due to safety concerns.

The crowds were better on the weekend, however, and double the amount of fireworks were let off on Saturday night.

Lauren Sahu-Khan was crowned Showgirl for 2014, while the runner-up was Jessica Stothard.