A Newcastle student who was catapulted to the Miss England final has opened up about what the pageant was really like and how she feels about the bikini round making a comeback for the first time in more than a decade.
Corel-Jo Antwhistle, 21, is all too aware that there can be a stereotype when it comes to competing in pageants. But fresh off the back of the Miss England final, the Northumbria University student is quick to dispel any assumptions that those who take part are just a pretty face.
Corel-Jo, from Gosforth, was selected as a wildcard to compete in the semi-final of the famous competition and impressed judges to make it into the final held in Birmingham earlier this month. Although she didn't win the overall pageant, Corel-Joe's impressive fundraising efforts helped to land her the title of Miss England Charity Queen after raising £ 7,449 in just seven weeks for charity 'Beauty With a Purpose.'
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"I personally don't think it is all about beauty as I have seen it firsthand and it is definitely not," Corel-Jo said.
"It is not just about being beautiful and tall and having long hair, there is a lot more to it."
She added: "There is a stigma that you are a bit of an airhead and that you don't have much going on if you enter beauty pageants...but it is definitely not like that. There are a lot of really intelligent people who enter them.
"It is definitely not about how you look. It is about who you are as a person as well."
During the Miss England final, Corel, who is currently Miss Newcastle, stormed the runway modelling a series of outfits, including a 'little black dress,' evening gown, and recycled fashion during an 'eco round' in front of judges.
And for the first time in years, the competition welcomed the return of the bikini round, now called 'Top 10 Beach Body, which saw contestants submit photos of themselves in swimwear to judges.
Corel-Jo, who made it into the top 10, told Chronicle Live how she found the experience "empowering".
"They stopped doing the bikini round years ago but they have just brought it back this year," she said.
"The way they have done it now is that you all submit a picture in a bikini and the top 10 got to go on a photo shoot with a really well-known photographer. We did individual shots and group shots and those pictures were shown to the judges and the photographer picked the best beach body."
She continued: "It did make me feel good and I think that is what it is all about. I do think it is about making you feel empowered and good about yourself."
But Corel-Jo admitted that taking part in pageants is "not a cheap hobby" and said that she spent around £4,000 competing in Miss England, crediting sponsors, Lowes Financial Management in Jesmond, as a huge help in enabling her to cover the costs.
Now, the fine art student is getting set to compete again in Miss World University in Korea just before Christmas where she will represent England and Newcastle.
And Corel-Jo is all too aware of the importance of using her Miss Newcastle title to do good work in the city and plans to use her platform to help raise funds for measures that will make the city a safer place for women at night.
"One of the things I want to see a positive change in is women's safety in nightlife," she said.
"I want to make positive change so that no one feels vulnerable."
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