When people think of
pageants, their mind casts over to the Miss Congeniality stage, where a host of
young girls dancing and singing their way to a title whilst promoting world
peace. Of course, we know in the real world that pageant girls do a whole lot
more, from fundraising and raising awareness for a variety of charities as well
as compete all over the world! But there is a misconception that you need to be
young to compete, that anyone over the age of 24 shouldn’t even consider
entering as that used to be the cut off for Miss World a few short years ago. However,
there is a massive rise in Ms and Classic pageants, showing that age is nothing
but a number, that you can rock the stage at any time in your life and that our
Ms and classic contestants give other countries a run for their money! We talk
to a few of our British Ms/Classic titleholders about what makes being an older
gal in pageantry so much more fun!
Hannah Golding- Young European International Ms
I wanted to prove to others that just because I was over 25, doesn’t
mean I can’t enjoy myself on stage and rock my extra curves I had gained over
the years. Life had thrown me so many lemons, that I was making the lemonade
and modelling it well! I feel as you get older you feel more comfortable and
less worried about those extra pounds, those lines and the start of grey hairs.
You care less about how you come across to others, and instead can be yourself
and enjoy your time in the pageant world! I’ve won the Miss Congeniality award
many times because I am just myself, and want to have fun, the same goes for
the Interview award as I feel I have more experiences to talk about and share
with the world. I would encourage any woman at any age to enter a pageant, you
meet so many different woman and have the best experiences! Pageantry has
become part of my lifestyle and I wouldn’t have it any other way."
Vivienne Radfar-Ms Classic British Empire 2017
"I started pageants at the age of 54 when I saw an advert for the Ms Over 50 and Fabulous pageant in Milton Keynes. I had always loved getting dressed up, looking glamorous and at that point I felt that I had lost my mojo and really needed something to do that I could feel passionate about again. I also wanted something that I could do with my mum who was then aged 85, we have always been very close and this was the ideal thing to do that we could both enjoy. I was lucky enough to meet some wonderful women, including my very best friend Tracey Cook. I have since been lucky enough to win Mrs Crown and Glory World in 2016, which gave me direct entry into the finals of the Mrs UK World.
At the age of 55, I was so excited to be taking part in this pageant, I didn’t care at all about winning – I just wanted to be part of it. Last year I was first runner up in the Mrs UK Classic pageant, and I was honoured to win the Ms Classic British Empire title. I have been so proud to wear this crown and promote the Miss British Empire pageant system over the last 9 months.
I competed in small local competitions such as our local carnival queen competition when I was younger and so I know for sure that I feel happier and more comfortable in my own skin now than I did then. I am more confident, more laid back, and now at age 57 just like to challenge myself to do the best I can always.
I love to feel a sense of achievement at the good I am doing along the way – the money I raise for charities, the work that I am able to do in the community, the women that I can inspire and empower by showing them what can be achieved at any age.
This is my goal and my passion – to show that beauty is not defined by a number. For me pageantry has been an incredible journey filled with wonderful experiences and meeting so many fabulous people along the way. It has brought a passion back into my life that I thought had gone. I know it’s a cliché but I truly believe everything happens for a reason and I have found this to be the case throughout my life, my motto is come back stronger, do things better, work harder, and be the best version of you that you can be – then you will always be a winner no matter what."
Lyndsey Beckwith- Ms Scotland Earth- Photo by Stacey Clarke
"A friend entered me into my first pageant - I had no self-confidence or belief and was terrified, embarrassed and overwhelmed! Around that time I was struggling to cope with a personal ordeal, but will be forever grateful to my friend for pushing me out of my comfort zone. She knew I’d love the experience despite my fears and could start towards healing.
After graduating I thought my time in pageantry was over (at that time the age-limit was quite low). I moved to Scotland for my career, which was exciting but daunting; I was no longer considered ‘young’ and felt pressure to ‘have it together’, was miles away from home and had to start from scratch with friends. I threw myself back into pageantry which kept me busy, grew my self-esteem again and the more I gave, the more amazing opportunities came along.
I will compete internationally in Vegas this June, now have friends all over the world, and help make a real difference with countless charity and community causes.
Although I’m now a ‘Ms’, I feel more confident and sure of my abilities now than ever before. Pageants have definitely shaped who I am for the better, and the skills I’ve learned translate into all areas of my life. I can truly say that thanks to pageants I have learned to love myself again - twice!
Being your best is not about youth or good looks, it’s about knowing yourself, not being afraid to give your all and never stop learning. To my fellow contestants I would say never give up and keep going, do it for you!"
Nicole Harris- Ms Elite Global Earth International
"For years I watched the local town carnival go by and all the queens sat waving on their float. I told my mum that I would love to do that and then when the advert came up in the local paper, my mum asked if I still wanted to enter. In my first ever competition I won the title of Miss Sheppey and spent the next year representing my town across Kent. At the end of the year I won the title of UK Carnival Queen but after that year was up I wanted to carry on competing but my time in carnival came to an end and that's when I found pageants. It was my love of representing my town and community the drew me to continue competing.
When I first started in pageants, I switched between Teen and Miss depending on the pageant’s terms and conditions. The same can be said for the switch to Ms. For years, I was happy competing in the Miss section, learning my craft and building a name for myself. At 22-24 years old I felt at my best and like I had the maturity for a Miss title however when I got to around 27 I started to feel out of place in the Miss division competing against 18 year olds. I felt like I was in a different stage of life to them and wanted to be able to represent that. I was lucky that around this time Ms divisions were just starting to take off and for some of them I fell into the criteria. It wasn’t scary at all - it felt like a natural progression. Competing in the Ms division feels right for my stage of life although I am now just a few months from joining the Mrs division (and that's a whole new ball game!) In interview I can talk about my career progression and life goals as well as achievements which always gives me something to discuss.
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| Photo by Rowena |
Being older I am also at the age where I have learnt to love the fact that I am only 5ft 2 and can still rock the runway with the tall women. I also feel there is slightly less pressure as a Ms to be out every weekend at appearances as sometimes in a busy life schedule this just isn’t possible. Being a Ms. is about the balance.
What advice could you give to current Ms contestants or older contestants wanting to enter? My piece of advice would be to be yourself and embrace yourself. If you are slightly older and competing in pageants you need to have that fun, friendly side so make sure that shines through. And most importantly DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS!"
There are so many amazing Ms and Classic pageants in the UK right now, research the right system for you and see what works for you but remember age is just a number but beauty is classic! There is never a wrong time to get into pageantry!
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