Clue: Esmeralda, say, number one in girly sex appeal – stories will follow (6)
Answer: GITANA
Explanation: Definition: Esmeralda, say
G[irly] + IT (sex appeal) + ANA (stories). Presumably a reference to Esmerelda in *The Hunchback of Notre-Dame*, though she was kidnapped by gypsies rather than being born one