"I think when you say, 'I compete in pageants', people automatically think that you are an airhead or uneducated and just out there for yourself - but it's completely the opposite."
Alisha Cowie is a personal trainer and model with a degree in crime scene investigation. She also happens to be Miss Newcastle 2017.
The city pageant, which has been running for more than a decade, calls itself a "celebration of local beauty and talent" that sees participants tasked with raising money for North East charities. But beneath the glitz and the glamour of the event, few people know what goes on behind the scenes.
