When the only thing going on in your town is a Shell garage, an old folk's home and a roundabout, the community is likely going to bother giving you a vote. Part of the competition functions like a popularity contest, with a vote carried out on social media. The Miss England competition is one of the only times coming from a small town will benefit your social status. "If it doesn't go right, hopefully my personality will shine through – a smile is the best makeup you can wear, innit?" "I am doing my makeup myself, I can't afford a makeup artist – I am on a post lady wage," Miss Yorkshire says. Not only are the contestants relatable, but the competition is financially accessible to women in low paid work. I find this slightly confusing, since contestants are essentially mute on stage. Upon arrival, I head to rehearsals, where girls are rolling around in #beautywithapurpose tank-tops while guys thrust and flex their crotches like male strippers.īeauty pageants have often been criticised for objectifying women's bodies and, sensitive to this fact, everyone who works at the event keeps telling me that "Miss England's not just about looking pretty." The girls themselves all tell me they're excited about showing off their personalities. This year's competition involves 20 boys and 50 girls competing to win a spot at the Miss World finals in China, where presumably they'll kiss lots of babies and explain how we reach peace in the Middle East. "I'm a post lady from Grimsby it can't get more normal than that. So I'm at Birmingham Resorts World, a giant conference centre that's as soulless as it sounds, for the 2017 finals. It's even gaining a new lease of life because of the number of contestants it produces for other reality shows, including Love Island and Big Brother. Yet the contest rumbles on, still garnering the odd squeal of press coverage.
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