Miss England is a national beauty pageant where the winner represents the country in the international contest, Miss World.
It involves women competing annually in several categories, with judges grading participants according to poise, stage presence, and confidence.
Miss England is preceded by regional heats, aiming to bring the most talented beauty contestants in the country together.
However, the swimwear round of the contest no longer takes place. Now, however, Miss England organisers are considering whether or not to reinstate it.
Here’s what you need to know about the hotly debated issue and why it’s resurfaced.
Why was the Miss England swimwear round scrapped?
The swimwear parade for the Miss England beauty pageant was scrapped in 2009, following a campaign by former contestant Katrina Hodge.
The serving soldier said it was “degrading” and wanted to bring the focus back to more worthwhile topics than bikini photos, such as her charity work.
The “beach beauty” round still exists but it’s voluntary and involves contestants taking part in a beachwear-themed photoshoot rather than modelling swimwear.
Miss England organisers have opened up discussions about the round once more, though, asking for opinions on their Instagram account.
Previous contestants’ views have also been posted on the official website, with conflicting opinions raging.
“I think it’s great to be empowering women to feel confident in their own skin!” said Leah Carter Welch, a PE teacher & winner of the Miss England Sports round. “I’m a PE teacher and a big advocate for helping to build my student’s body confidence, so to be able to partake in something like this, when women think negatively about our bodies is good. It shows that we all come in different shapes and sizes which is a wonderful message.”
In contrast, Anjali Sinha, a scientist and reigning Miss London, said: “I think the swimwear round is a wonderful platform for women to embrace their physical bodies. It empowers women to be confident in their own skin, especially as there is immense competition and comparisons on social media regarding body imagery.
“However, I understand that in pageantry it’s a lot more about our beauty from within. Hence some may think there isn’t a need for a swimwear round. In the evolving world of pageantry, it’s better to idolise women truly for what they stand for. Women stand for revolutionary change and we should focus more on what they want to achieve for the betterment of our world.”
Miss England 2023 semi-finalist, Hannah Jowle from Blackpool, wrote on Instagram: “I believe deeply confident women won’t feel the need to show off their bodies.”
What will happen in Miss England 2023?
The BBC reported there could be several options to resolve the Miss England 2023 issue, including scrapping the round completely, keeping it as a photoshoot, or bringing back an “optional” parade.
It seems that the decision will be made based on both public responses and those involved in the contests, including current and former participants.
The competition will be held at Viva Blackpool, next to the Blackpool Tower, Lancashire, on Monday, October 16.
Last year’s winner, Jessica Gagen, is from Skelmersdale, Lancashire.
