Miss Diamond UK is a national pageant where the winners head of to Las Vegas to compete in the Miss Regency Pageant, and so far three UK queens have taken the international crown! Diamonds is ran by the mother-daughter team of Tina and Danni- De Bear, and started the pageant with it's first finals in 2016. The finals will be held at the start of May, with little miss all the way to classic. We talked to a few of the finalists to find out what they had been up to!
Lucy Hollister - Miss Teen Diamond South West
"Diamond has become my
family, there's so much that goes on behind the scenes to make all the girls
feel special , everyone is equal and given as much support as we need. During
the run up to the finals on May 5th I've done around 30 appearances aiming to
meet my target of 50 , these include everything from judging pageants to
donating toys to charity shops. I've also done a lot of fundraising for Julia's
house children's hospice including cake sales , tombolas and raffles.
Winning
miss teen diamond U.K would prove not only to myself but others i am good
enough and that what I enjoy doing (pageants) are worth it. This is my second
year in this system and winning will show you get out what you out in. I've got
so many goals and targets that I would like to achieve and with the miss teen
diamond title I can create myself a wider platform in order to achieve the many
goals I set, for example inspiring young girls to be themselves and empower
them to not be afraid of being how they are."
Sophia Hull- Teen Finalist
"Diamonds was my first ever pageant I went to. It was rather a nervous
experience, but I made some friends straight away and really enjoyed it.
Diamonds really helped me with my confidence, due to bullying at school I was
not very confident, but being in a beautiful dress, surrounded by beautiful
people, that care about me, was a lovely experience that I wish for everybody.
I haven’t yet won a pageant, but went away with some side awards."
Raven Angelina Rosalette Dixon-Biggs Miss Diamond West Midlands
"Pageantry as a whole has saved me if I’m being completely honest. It has given
me the platform I needed to be able to inspire others. I have spoken very
openly about traumatic life experience’s because of the strength enabled within
me due to competing. I see so many queens win a sash and crown and not take the
opportunity to truly make a difference within the pageant world. That is where
I believe I am different. I am passionate, determined and truly believe I have
made a difference. I showed fellow queens that through great a hardship you can
still come out on top and continue to shine always.
I attend as many as events as I
physically despite having a full time job. I’m currently doing a Easter Egg
collection for various children’s wards alongside Miss Teen Diamond West
Midlands. I am continuing to make my mark in the pageant world. Not simply
because I want to win but because I want to be the best beauty queen that ever
existed.As
if I was to be crown Miss Diamond UK I wouldn’t change a thing if anything I
would work even harder if I physically can!"
Rachael Pickard, Miss Diamond Hampshire.
"Being part of the system means
a great deal to me because even though I have only been part of the Diamond
family for a short while, being part of Diamond has helped to build my confidence
in being comfortable in myself and it has created a large pageant family for
me, that support me in all aspects of my life. I struggle with anxiety, but I
have managed to overcome fears and step outside my comfort zone with travelling
all over the UK on my own, on public transport and at all hours of the day.
I
have been doing as much as I can to raise funds for the pageants chosen
charity, in hopes that I can be the Charity winner and have a percentage go to
my chosen charity, Angel Gowns for United Kingdom Angel Babies. I have been
attending appearances, not just in my home town but I have travelled all over
the UK to support other pageant girls and different systems. If I am lucky
enough to be crowned the next Miss Diamond UK, it would mean that all my hard
work going into the pageant has paid off and that I have an amazing year ahead
of myself in promoting the system and working hard with the title".
Jemma- Ms Diamond SW with Ayla and Evie Diamond Finalists 2018
"Ayla had said she wanted to
model, but I was anxious about the time and a friend suggested pageants and a
coach.January 2017 came around
and an electrical fire broke out eating away at more than half our home
internally. Thanking all that is holy we were all physically unscathed. I
approached Hannah with a heavy heart that we had lost everything and that we
were not sure if we could go ahead. She said we could find a way to salvage and
shortly after surprized my daughter with donations of outfits and goodies to
aid her in the Miss Diamond SW Heat. We went and were showered with acceptance
and essential donations which were a life saver as we went into temporary
accommodation.
Ayla went on to be Jr Miss Diamond 1st runner up and Both my
daughters made Tiny and Jr United Kingdom Empress! After a few more pageants
and a massive boost to my children’s confidence, Ayla urged me to try one out
myself. I’m holding a charity curry and quiz night in April and
collecting netted produce bags for my ecowear while donating a penny for each
one I’m given to Julia’s House Children’s Hospice personally. I took the kids
to visit the new Wiltshire branch to see the work they do. I love volunteering
although around a family I don’t get the opportunity to do it on the scale I’d
like.
Pageants have allowed me to do it with my children. We have our home back now, beautiful memories with
the most inspiring queens! I will always battle with the traumas of my past and
my Bipolar and Adult Adhd, but I did show my children that you can adapt,
achieve balance and out sparkle whatever comes your way! I am so grateful to
the pageant world and all it’s done for us!"
Stacey Darlington- Ms Classic Diamond NW
"My Pageant Journey to Miss Diamond Finals I enter my
first pageant back in 1990, when I was crowned Miss St Michael of Barbados. In
the summer of 1998, I moved to England after my marriage had broken down to
start a new life with my 2 beautiful kids. Things were very hard in the
beginning, but I made it work for both of my children. Watching Tina dance, she
has something very special about the way she move, so I decided to enter her in
her first ever pageant, Miss Staffordshire 2017. To our surprise she was placed
in the top 5, so of course we didn’t want it to end.
In a heated argument with someone who I thought was
a friend, her words to me where, I was living my life through my daughter as a
failed pageant queen. Here I was 45
years old, size 18, classed as disable (6 knee surgeries, 3 shoulder surgeries,
and arthritis in my bones) I entered my first pageant after 27 years, In November
I competed in the North West heat, I am proud to be your Ms Classic Diamond
North West 2017, to compete in the final to be held in May.
Never in a million years, would I have expected to
be where I am today, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Pageants have bought out something in me that I thought I had lost. How to
feel good about myself, no matter what, it has given me my life back. I have
met some amazing friends along the way, some of them I am proud to call my
pageant family. So to anyone, who have given up on something they love, there
is still time. Let nothing get in your way"
We wish all the contestants the best of luck and can't wait to see who is next crowned!
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