With many different diverse pageants in the pageant industry, there is one pageant that is looking to change the face of pageantry with the pageant that is Miss Voluptuous UK. This pageant is in it's second year and is ran by Natalie Moloney, a seasoned beauty queen with the experience to run a successful pageant. We talked to the director, current queenie Tracie and just a small selection of the class of 2018 queens, so take a read (and you can still enter as the finals are the end of September!)
The Director: Natalie
I started Miss Voluptuous UK in 2017 as a stepping stone for beautiful, inspiring women sized 14+ to build their self esteem and find their way into mainstream pageants.
I’d had a lot of conversations with some inspirational unsung heroes who’d said, “I wish I could compete...but I’m too big,” and it really hurt me to think that so many women didn’t feel worthy simply because of a preconceived notion of what it takes to be an incredible Queen.
My goal is to see women take the experience and skills they’ve learned from competing in Miss Voluptuous to the mainstream stage and feel every bit as worthy as every other beautiful and inspiring contestant standing beside her.
Miss Voluptuous is a platform focused system; each of our contestants has an amazing cause or charity that they choose to champion, with the winner receiving the opportunity to nominate the Charity of the Year.
We’re really excited to be growing, too with some really excited developments for 2019 and 2020!
We really have built a sisterhood around our contestants and the support from other systems has been extraordinary. Pageants truly capture team spirit across the entire community!
Each and every woman deserves to feel confident and beautiful in her own skin, and we can’t wait to see which incredible contestant follows in reigning Queen Tracie Gledhill’s footsteps this year!
The Queen: Tracie
Finalist: Kelly
In the lead up to the finals I have really mixed it up in my community I've had a day with the local woman’s institute in our village, I washed up for them after their fortnightly lunch club for the elderly. I had a lovely day with the local carnival queens and princesses they were very welcoming. I’ve been raising money for my platform and travelling far and wide to be sure that Miss Voluptuous had a voice.
I have been all over the UK, pushing myself to represent the title and promoting the pageant,. I think I've told thousands of people about the pageant as I am proud to wear the sash. If the judges chose me to be their winner, the hard work would begin as soon as the crown places my head. I was told I would never walk again and I have beaten the odds, so my platform of fundraising for the Spinal Research Charity would be a big part in my regin. I would love to fundraise for all different charities as they are all very important!
Finalist: Emma-Jayne
This is my third pageant and my second time as a finalist of Miss Voluptuous UK, I learnt so much from last year and started my campaign off running; figuratively not literally! Although I'm using my platform as a finalist to raise awareness of Lupus and support newly diagnosed patients I have helped out with many charities along the way. These include Help For Heroes, Macmillian, Marie Curie, Breast Cancer Now and the Alzheimer's Society along with local charities. I've had such a great time supporting and collecting that I'm signed up to do the same in the coming year even if I don't win the title. I've also supported other contestants with their fundraising, attending balls, flashing my sash and speeding the good Miss V vibes.
If I do win I will continue to raise funds for Lupus UK to fund research and for The Hibbs Lupus Trust to help support lupus patients and their families. Lupus is an incurable autoimmune disease that has a whole host of symptoms and is known to mimic other diseases such as MS. Symptoms can include join and muscle pain, debilitating fatigue, damage to internal organs, damage to practically every cell and tissue in the body. Diagnosis can take years! I don't want patients to feel alone as I did at 28 when I was told I had lupus. Research is so important but I believe support is more so. I started a vlog this year chronicling my struggles and have had a positive response. I've started to make a difference in my own unique way!
Finalist: Danni
I have always struggled with my weight all my life, I never knew there were pageants for plus sized ladies but I came across them on Google and figured it couldn't hurt, worst could be they say no right? So I entered and much to my surprise got through to the finals of 3 pageants, but there is something about Miss V that has made me really happy and want to make a difference. I've supported some of the other ladies platforms by attending a couple of charity balls and some of the social media awareness campaign's.
I chose 2 platforms for Miss V that are very close to my heart as my 2 youngest boys are affected by them. Steps-Charity for children with lower limb disabilities and deformities which I volunteer for to support other parents whose children are affected by this and also Group B Strep Support which is to raise awareness of Group B Strep in pregnancy which can cause still birth, meningitis, sepsis, infant death and disabilities in babies, this one is very important as I almost lost my second son to this when he was a couple of weeks old. In other countries this is routinely monitored and tested for during pregnancy but not in the UK, which is what Group B Strep Support is trying to change. Also a little selfishly the pageant has helped me with my anxiety disorder, by meeting new and supportive ladies for all walks of life who build each other up and support each other proving again that beauty is more than the number on the waist band of your pants!
Finalist: Clare
I entered miss voluptuous as I knew that I'd got a voice and I wanted it to be heard especially with miss v being platform based ,
In the lead up to the finals I've taken part in some online campaigns Epilepsy awareness Day , made rosettes for a charity dog show, done 4 5ks runs for cancer research, Epilepsy action, Black Country fast aid , Winston's wish , I organised a charity spring and craft fayre, been on a local radio station, local funday and much more .
What would I do if I was lucky to be crowned the winner? First of all after I'd got over the shock , I would hit the ground running and use the title in a positive manner and support all those especially young people living with epilepsy, those newly diagnosed , raise much needed funds for Epilepsy Action.
Finalist: Chemile
This will be my 2nd time competing in miss volputuous uk and I am very excited! Last year gave me the opportunity to learn more about the system, pageantry and also about myself. Also opportunities in many other ways. As a finalist, it has given me the opportunity to promote my platform, to network and met other people within my community and other social settings. Up to the run up to finals, I have done appearences at fairs, school events, the list goes on! I still have a few more appearences in the pipeline. I’ve also supported and donated to my fellow contestants platforms whenever I can.
My reasons for entering miss voluptuous uk is one personal and close to my heart, the day I’ll never forget.My platform is The D’lissa Christina Princess Foundation. This was set up in memory of my sister D’lissa who tragically lost her life in childbirth on the 5th of October 2015 aged 26. Her daugther, she was excited for and her biggest achievement to date and she never got to met, survived and substaibed a grade 3 brain injury due neligence. They said she wasn’t going to survived and she did and is our miracle, fighter and our princess. I’m doing this in her memory and to make sure that this doesn’t happen to another family like us again. The foundation was set up to bring awareness around the issues of maternal care and also to support women of all ages and diverse backgrounds of their lives. I’m thankful to my director Natalie for giving me this opportunity and believing in me. Also to promote my platform and to carry this honour in my sister D’lissa’s memory and legacy to live on.
Finalist: Tessa
On the lead up to the pageant I have been busy both figuring out what outfits to wear and continuing my awareness raising for Lipoedema UK – this has varied from attending the NEC for a huge Primary Care Conference and talking to medical professionals, to speaking at local business networking events about both the pageant and my cause.I have also been a fairy for a day at Peterborough Cathedral in aid of Anna's Hope (a children's brain tumour charity, close to my heart as a very young family member is affected by an extremely rare brain tumour) and breaking a World Record in the Process to attending the Charity Annual Conference for 3 days. I have written articles for the Lipoedema UK magazine and was also asked by an American specialist to write a piece for a book on Lipoedema Treatment.
If I won the title of Miss Voluptuous UK, I would continue my work with Lipoedema UK, volunteering and bringing to life a blog on Living with Lipoedema, to help those who are house-bound and those that are recently diagnosed particularly. Also helping Lipoedema UK to build up a network of independently patient led support groups across the country so that lipoedema sufferers could support each other and not feel so alone. I recently helped set up the first one, in Leicestershire, the first of many we hope!!
We wish all the best to all the contestants for the finals! Check out the pageant page for more details!
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