Firstly, a huge apology is in order for my lack of blog
posts recently. As some of you may be aware, its been a crazy few months with
plenty of ups and downs – I’ll share more when the times right but I’ve been so
excited to blog about one of the best events I have experienced in life so far
– Miss Great Britain final 2015. This final got me through one of the hardest
things I’ve ever been through, hence why I want to share the amazing experience
with you and encourage as many readers as possible to literally just go for it
– just like I did.
Sat at work on a Friday afternoon in a quiet spell (Sorry
boss!) I spotted a post on Facebook advertising that there was still time to
apply for a place in the final of Miss Great Britain. I’m still not sure if it
was the boredom, the encouragement of close family or if I just had a funny
moment but I thought to myself – why not? It’s not like you have anything to
lose. I’d also recently read an article in my local newspaper about the current
Miss Plymouth, Allys Parsons and how she’d applied. Obviously I thought bummer,
Miss Plymouth has already gone so is there any point in still applying but for
some reason I still did anyway – and boy, am I glad I did?! The online
application consisted of sections asking for info such as my ambitions and
talents. At this point I thought…SHIT… I can’t dance (well – unless I’ve had a
few wines and then Beyoncé may make an appearance)…I can’t sing ( Simon Cowell
doesn’t know what he’s talking about – jokes)… Plate spinning, belly dancing
and walking around everywhere on my hands were also out of the equation so it
was time to be honest and I thought well my blog is kind of a talent as not
everyone does it & from the feedback I’d received it was definitely worth
writing down. In particular, I gave a shout out to my very first blog post ‘The
Life of a Ginger’ because it’s the post I felt the most inspired to write and
still hope its making a difference to people who read it (Check it out!). As well as filling out this info, I also had
to send pictures to support my application. Having done zero modeling before
and having no experience in the field, I relied on my good old blog (It
literally saved the day) and sent through photos used in my other posts. I was
worried that although I felt the photographs were good, they were only taken on
my iPhone at a local beach or using a selfie stick in the living room but the
‘Go for it’ attitude still remained so off they went.
After all this, my personal life went a bit sad (verging on
Bridget Jones kind of sad – minus the pants) and I didn’t really think much
about the final or tell anyone I’d even applied for it. It wasn’t until I’d
woken up from a nap on my grandparents sofa – I know I sound about 91 – to an
email on my phone confirming I’d been offered a slot in the final things all started
to fall into place. Due to me living
close by and having some family from that area, I’d qualified as Miss Exeter
2015/16 and would therefore be representing Exeter in the final – go team! In
order to secure my place, I needed a sponsor – it could be a local business,
yourself or family and friends so there were plenty of options. I was lucky
enough to be sponsored by my lovely workplace – The Grosvenor Plymouth – winner
of Plymouth Herald’s City and Waterfront award ‘Hotel of year’ for the past two
years and we’re through to the final again this year! – yay! (Sorry, had to get
that in there). With the sponsorship secured, I was officially through to the final,
which was taking place in just three weeks – time to get cracking! Straight
away I began promoting myself as Miss Exeter 2015 and used my title to help me
raise money and awareness for Cancer Research UK – the competitions chosen
charity this year. It’s crazy - I did it
myself - but when people think of contests
such as Miss GB, many assume, girls walking around in pretty dresses, all
dolled up and that’s pretty much it – how wrong that is. I couldn’t believe and
am still overwhelmed by the amount of time and effort put in by all of the
girls competing.
Miss Great Britain is organized by ModelZed Events Ltd and
is one of the oldest pageants around. I was lucky enough to take part in its
special 70th year, which made it even more exciting! The lovely Kate
Solomons- Freakley became the director of the brand in 2012 and has helped make
the competition what it is today. By changing the rules to allow married women
and mums to take part (I’ve never understood why they shouldn’t anyway!) it
simply highlights what an open, fair and friendly contest Miss GB is and I’ve had
the pleasure of witnessing this first hand! Both Kate and Jemma (Event and
operations manager at ModelZed) are both great to work with. From the very
start they are approachable, friendly and professional which is what you need
when you’ve just entered something that feels about 67 miles out of your
comfort zone. Despite the amount of work they had to do to organize the event
(I can’t begin to imagine the workload – eek!) any questions or queries that we
had would always be dealt with so quickly and reassuringly and I’m sure that’s
what helped keep me sane through the whole process – that & three bottles
of wine a night.
The final itself was held on Friday 11th
September 2015 at the lovely Athena in Leicester, which of course got me
excited straight away – I love a good road trip – It’s the small things. Being
a finalist meant we needed to be at the venue for 10am on Thursday 10th
September all ready for a crazy two days or rehearsals and preparation for the
big night! We were lucky enough to have a two-night stay in the Mercure Grand
Hotel, which was just up the road from the venue – a blessing in itself when it
comes to fifty girls and high heels as you can imagine. The final itself
featured three rounds: Little Black Dress, Swimwear and Eveningwear with food
and entertainment provided for the lucky members of the audience! As well as
the obvious title up for grabs (Miss Great Britain 2015/16) there was also the
opportunity to enter and win other titles including: Best Smile, Beach Body,
Miss Public Vote, Miss Personality, Miss Charity, Miss Publicity and Talent.
Due to me being a late entry into the competition, I was unable to enter a few
such as beach body and talent – as you’ve already read, its unlikely it would
have made much difference anyway – so I decided to throw all my effort into the
remaining ones up for grabs!
As soon as it was all confirmed, I spent hours brainstorming
ideas as to how I could promote myself, the competition and raise money for
such a worthy cause. It literally took over my life, but in a good way and was
a welcome distraction – it was either that or spend my evenings eating Ben and
Jerry’s, drinking wine and living in pyjamas – so attractive. After days of
phone calls, Google and emails, I finally managed to get some things in place for
the upcoming couple of weeks -TIP – get
a diary. Straight away I spoke to a reporter at Exeter’s local newspaper,
Express and Echo, who couldn’t have been more supportive in helping me get myself
out there. The article informed readers
of who I was, my aim and about the competition including how the public could
vote for me to win Miss Public Vote. This was the point where I sat and thought
‘I’ve made it’ – just kidding – but it was a good first step in the right
direction. Social media was always going to be useful to me – of course there
was the worry people may get bored with my updates and I’d finish the
competition with three friends and the odd mistaken like from fat thumb
victims. Luckily, this wasn’t the case. Not only were people supportive from
the moment I announced my news on Facebook (My driving test status did get more
likes but lets not split hairs) but they continued to support and encourage me
as I flooded their news feed with updates on my fundraising and publicity
efforts.
To get started on my fundraising, the most obvious thing to
do was to set up a Just Giving page. This way, wherever I promoted the charity,
and myself I had a link set up for people who wanted to donate and find out
more info. I was then sat racking my brains thinking, how can I get people to
donate money? Obviously skydiving or bungee jumping came into my head straight
away but due to erm time constraints or the weather or the fact it was a
Tuesday meant that wasn’t an option – such a shame. Therefore I settled for a
10K run, a tea party and charity collecting at a Tesco store in Exeter. Before
the final was even thought about I’d successfully – ish managed a 10k and a 14k
run so knew there was a good chance I could survive this one without too many
disastrous effects (that does depend on
your view on blisters btw – ouch). I searched the web and the nearest one
taking place before the date of the final was in Bridgwater – about an hour and
a half drive from home. Despite having an eventful night before the race (the
joys of being a night porter & dealing with fire alarms – enough said) and
the fact summer decided to make an appearance on this particular day without
much warning – I’m ginger and my skin needs to be prepared for that kind of
eventuality – the 10K went brilliantly with me even managing a new PB! I got
the idea of a tea party from Macmillan’s Coffee morning appeals and the fact I
am a whizz at baking – I’ve turned down GBBO twice now, only fair other people
get a chance to show off their skills – so thought it would be a good way to
raise money and do some more promotional work. My lovely grandparents allowed
me to host the tea party at their lovely home in Plymouth and it’s thanks to my
nans amazing baking and her lovely friends and my family that I managed to
raise £180.00 for Cancer Research UK. I also managed to eat so many carbs it
was touch and go as to whether I’d even fit in the car to attend the final of
Miss GB but luckily I just about managed. After spotting that Tesco were Cancer
Research UK’s main supporters, I felt the urge to get involved with the
supermarket and contacted the community champion at Tesco Exeter Vale, Jo
Evans. Jo was incredibly helpful from the start and was keen to help me raise
money and my profile as Miss Exeter. On Tuesday 8th September I
attended the store and set up a stand at the entrance, which allowed me to
display information about the charity, the competition and myself. Cancer
Research UK had also previously been in touch as they offer assistance to anyone
who is looking to fundraise for them therefore I received posters, balloons,
t-shirts and collection pots in the post which I was able to take with me and use
to decorate my display. It was really important that the charity was
recognizable and people knew why I was there and trying hard to raise as much
money as possible. Despite my spot being a bit of a wind tunnel and having
continuous stand offs with the Krispy Kreme stand directly in front of me - apparently I do have willpower - the
day was a massive success as I raised around £130.00. I was so overwhelmed by
people’s generosity and of course the staff that showed up to work in pink t-shirts
to show their support – the local paper even did a story on it - go team!
My pride and joy - my sash!
Before and after the Bridgwater 10K
Cancer Research UK tea party!
Charity collecting at Tesco Exeter Vale
My stand at Tesco Exeter Vale
Raising money was a great way to support Cancer Research UK,
however I was aware of how giving up my time as a volunteer could also be just
as beneficial, which is why on several occasions I volunteered at a busy Exeter
charity shop. The Cancer Research store is one of the best performing in the
area in terms of sales, evident through its busy custom and hard work of the
volunteers and manager. It was so humbling to work alongside people who
willingly give up their time to help others as well as to speak to customers
who often shopped there to give all they could to support the charity. As well
as volunteering here, I helped out at a local tabletop sale at Exeter Quay,
which was raising money for a charity called Hospicare. Again, it was so
rewarding to simply attend and feel part of something that’s overall aim is to
help others, something I want to definitely become more involved in.
Tabletop sale at Exeter Quay in aid of Hospicare
Volunteering in a Cancer Research UK store
As well as promoting myself through the local press (twice
in Exeter’s paper and once in Plymouth’s) I wanted to get more involved with
Exeter and therefore contacted their football club. They are probably
Plymouth’s biggest rivals as there’s always drama on Derby days so I did fear
for my life on a few occasions. I got in touch with Andy Gillard who is the
football clubs operations manager. He was fab and arranged for my bestie Kelly
and myself to attend a football match with VIP tickets – we were practically
celebs for the evening – just saying - with me making an appearance on the
pitch at half time for some photographs whilst the commentator gave some info
about the competition and me to the crowd. Despite having to constantly walk
around whilst on the pitch to avoid the freezing cold sprinklers and the mascot
nearly sending me flying when he came in for a hug, it all went really well and
was a great experience.
Dress shopping and promo in Exeter
Exeter City FC - shoutout to Kelly Phillips for filming!
Will all this excitement and being crazy busy for the build
up to the final, the time literally flew by and before I knew it, I was packing
my things and getting ready to leave at 4am (It was a challenge) to attend the
final. I was lucky enough to have the lovely Miss Plymouth (Allys Parsons) and
Miss Torquay (Sophie Harvey) living nearby so we arranged for me to drive all
three of us to Leicester. We got on so well and it was great to get excited for
the final or shall I say completely shit ourselves together as we were all
experiencing the same *lump in throat, heart pounding, stomach going to fall
out of my ass, what have I done, butterfly, excitement* feeling – just to sum
it up. The journey took us about five hours with a bit of traffic and despite
going around in a few circles when it came to parking at the Athena, we arrived
safe and sound and nobody died (I am a good driver just to clarify – ask
anybody). As we lumbered the sixty bags we had between us into the venue that’s
when it began to sink in. The stage was right in front of us having some
finishing touches and the room was filled with forty-nine gorgeous girls all
chatting away and getting to know each other. After registering and handing
over the money I’d raised (£636.00 in just three weeks – yay!) as well as proof
of my publicity efforts, it was time to change into my Miss Great Britain
t-shirt (The proudest item of clothing I own) and meet the other contestants. In
all honesty, I was apprehensive, here I was in a room filled with a
photographer, camera crew, the ModelZed team, and fifty finalists and I had no
idea what to expect. However, without sounding like a massive cringebag, I can
honestly say, I have never met such a lovely, down to earth, friendly bunch of
girls. At any point, you could walk up to a group of girls chatting away and
just join in the conversation. Everybody was so friendly and at no point did it
even hit home or feel like we were there to compete against each other –
definitely the way it should be and I truly believe it’s what helped make the
experience as incredible as it was.
My Miss Great Britain T-shirt
Enough of the cringe *removes fingers from throat*, after
registration it was time for the press call. At this point, I did start to feel
a bit like a celeb, having pics outside of the venue and getting photographed
walking down the road (I’ve now learned for future reference, to remember there
is a photographer there before pulling laughing dorky faces and constantly
chatting away –oops). We also had some pictures taken outside of the restaurant
we were due to attend that evening – 19 Gale – where my leg nearly fell off due
to having to continuously hold a squat position – ish – in the front row but it
was worth it because the pictures are beaut and takes pride of place in my
living room, n’aww. After all this celeb feeling excitement, it was time for
rehearsals to begin! This is where I found out there was going to be a dance in
the opening scene – eek, omg, I can’t dance (sober), help me, bye – was what
ran through my head but luckily the routine was fairly simple and I was three rows
back so all you could see was my ginger head bopping around now and again–
winner. We had to learn routines for the opening, and the three rounds as well
as the close. Each routine was different to keep things exciting and after
hours or practice, I finally felt ok-ish with the moves and which direction I
had to walk in and at what point etc and of course the huge delivery of
numerous Dominoes pizzas for lunch made everything better – pizza heaven. During
these rehearsals, we had to have an individual two-minute interview with two of
the judges. I aimed to just go into the room and completely be myself and try
and show my personality (a hilarious non-nervous 22 year old professional
model - *senses sacasm*) and in case you wondered how it actually went, for those of you who have
seen ‘Mean Girls’, I have two words for you – WORD VOMIT. I was called into the
room and greeted by the lovely Sally Ann-Fawcett and Jenny Cross. After asking
me to introduce myself I then went on a two-minute spiel and yapped my way
through the quickest two minutes of my life - wow. After more rehearsals whilst the
beach body judging commenced in a separate room, we were given our sponsored
shoes by ‘City Shoes’ which were worn in the swimwear round as well as our
hotel room keys and disappeared to get glammed up for the evening meal and
drinks we had lined up.
Rehearsals with Miss Cumbria, Miss Plymouth and Miss Cheltenham
Press Call! - Outside 19 Gale
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Press Call - Athena
Photo Credit - Will Johnston for Leicester Mercury
Press Call
Photo Credit - Will Johnston for Leicester Mercury
Press Call
Photo Credit - Will Johnston for Leicester Mercury
I had the pleasure of sharing my room with the gorgeous Miss
Durham – Lauren Wells and after getting ready, we headed to ’19 Gale Bar and
Restaurant’ which was just around the corner from the hotel so not far to
stumble home afterwards – us ladies always plan ahead! The food was incredible
and we were spoilt for choice as mountains of freshly cooked Chinese food was
continuously brought to our tables to the point where I thought I may explode if
even one more grain of egg fried rice passed my lips – whoever said models don’t eat
clearly hadn’t met us lot! My favourite part of the night was then heading
through a door in corner of the restaurant which led to a funky decorated
corridor with a bar and karaoke booths leading off it - one of the coolest things I'd ever seen (I don't get out much). The booths had a small
stage, microphone, comfy sofas, tables, nibbles and a massive karaoke screen
and rounded the day off perfectly. It was like two different places all in one
building and would be perfect for a girls night out/hen night/ get together! I
was immensely proud of myself for heading back to my room at a reasonable time
because usually one glass of wine and all of sudden it ends up being a huge
night out usually resulting in me waking up cuddling some sort of fast food and
contemplating my whole life – it may have had something to do with the fact I
had the Miss Great Britain final the following day but I can’t be sure.
The amazing food at 19 Gale
Photo: Instagram: michaelablight
19 Gale Restaurant
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Waking up the following morning, I felt nervous and excited
all at once. I couldn’t wait to get going and get straight to rehearsals again
because sleeping had meant I felt like I’d forgotten all of the routines we had
learned the previous day. In all honesty, my biggest worry for most of the day
was walking in heels on stage. I am useless when it comes to heels and often
look like Bambi – on ice – drunk and usually only manage to look reasonable in heels whilst under the influence, something that wasn’t really possible during the
final. So I spent most of the day thinking – shit – what if I fall over, off
stage, on my face, break an ankle or fly off the end and face plant someone’s
main course. Luckily Allys was feeling the same and we somehow managed to pull
each other through the day and reassure ourselves it would all be alright on
the night. After breakfast, we headed to the Athena for more rehearsals and
practice where it all started to become so real. That night I was going to be
on the stage taking part in the final of Miss Great Britain – wow. As the day
went on I became more excited and the atmosphere amongst the girls was buzzing.
That afternoon, rehearsals were complete and we all headed to Nandos for our
last supper as a group – again, proof models do eat – and we did – a lot. We
stuffed our faces, despite the nervous knot in my stomach, I still managed a
bit and then were let loose to go and get ready. It was like opening the doors
of a shop on Black Friday as we all ran to get as much time as possible in
order to get prepped. We were lucky enough to have local students at our beck
and call when it came to hair and make up to take some of the stress off of us
so I headed straight to them to get my eyelashes sorted and my hair in rollers.
I did the majority of my make up myself as I wanted to feel comfy and it not be
too OTT as that’s not what I’m used to – plus I’d previously made the decision
to embrace my English rose skin tone (Ginger skin in other words) so too much
make up would have made me look a little mish mashed. Once this was all
complete, I headed to get my little black dress on which is what we were
wearing for the opening scene and the first round – LBD. At 6.30pm we all met
in the hotel reception where it was time to head to the venue – eek!
The venue on the day - Athena Leicester
Squad Goals at Nandos!
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
All the girls looked amazing and we embarked on the short
walk to the Athena where the audience and guests were already arriving. I was
so surprised at how relaxed I felt at this point – despite the fact my bouncy
rollered curls had manage to practically all drop out within five minutes –
hair mare! After a few group pictures, it was time to head to the changing
rooms, freak out a little as the excitement and nervousness built up before
heading down to the backstage area for SHOWTIME! I’d already managed to quickly
see and wave to my Dad and sister Hannah by this point so knowing they were
there supporting me definitely relaxed me a little and I couldn’t wait to get
on stage and make them proud – I’m such a little sap at times!
Group Picture before the final
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Group Three (eyes closed - standard for me)
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
The finalists - Class of 2015
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
As we waited behind the stage in our lines ready to head on,
the show began and Kate started presenting and previous winners were brought to
the stage as well as a performance from some fire dancers – after a few of us
successfully managed to extinguish some embers backstage as they fell onto the
carpet before the dancers headed out – oops, got to love some last minute
excitement thrown in the mix. It wasn’t long until our ‘Class of 2015’ image
came onto the big screen and Little Mix ‘Salute’ began playing which was our
cue to head on stage. The opening scene went amazingly well, including the
dance and I even managed to remember all of the moves – go me! – I knew the
practice in nightclubs over the years would pay off eventually. It was then
time for the LBD round and my group (group three) headed out onto the stage. As
I stood waiting for my turn to strut my stuff on the catwalk with my partner
(my roomie) I attempted to embrace every single moment of being out there on
the stage. I wanted to fully enjoy every second of the experience.
Unfortunately, my mouth didn’t get this memo as for the whole time I was on
stage smiling, it decided it was the perfect opportunity to have a freak out
and shake like a dog shitting razor blades – please excuse this saying – I
agree its not my best *hand over face*. Despite this though, the first round
went swimmingly and I remembered everything I was meant to so was pretty
chuffed as I headed up the stairs to the changing rooms to get ready for the
next round – Swimwear!
Opening Scene
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Little Black Dress Round
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Little Black Dress Round
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
I wasn’t feeling to nervous for this round. I had been
eating crap for the three weeks leading up to the final but due to experiencing
the heartbreak diet not long beforehand and being a regular gym goer I was
feeling in good shape which I believe is important when your about to walk on
stage in a one piece and heels and show what your mamma gave you. Our swimwear
had to be white, red or blue or a combo of these colours, so I splashed out on
a gorgeous blue one piece from Saks Fifth Avenue in America (Massive thanks to
my colleague and sister who helped me find it as I would have ended up wearing
a speedo costume or something). The costume arrived within 5 days of ordering
it and was perfect for the competition. The gold sponsored shoes provided by
‘City shoes’ also matched perfectly and despite my eyes being closed for the
professional pictures – I seem to be good at that – sorry Tom! – The swimwear
round also went really well and I didn’t fall over – yay!
Swimwear Round
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Swimwear Round (excuse my closed eyes!)
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Evening wear Round
Photo Credit - Tom Wren
Before I knew it, I
was changing into my eveningwear and backstage again waiting to head out for
the final round. I remember thinking about how quickly it was flying by so made
a promise to myself that during the final round I would give it everything and
embrace it all even more than what I had already in the previous rounds. I
stepped out with my group for the final time and when it was mine and Laurens
turn we headed down the catwalk and strutted our stuff giving our best smile to
the judges for the last time. Once the final group had been, we performed our
closing scene and then got to head into the audience to see our family and
friends whilst the judges deliberated. This was the first time I got to see and
speak to my Dad and Sister properly and it was so overwhelming to hear how
proud they were and also the amount my Dad had managed to spend at the bar
already – I know where I get my drinking from. Before long we were called back
to wait backstage as the winners of the additional seven titles were announced
as well as they top fifteen. Every girl who was brought back on stage more than
deserved their spot and award as did the girls who were backstage with
me. At this point, I ran and grabbed my phone from the changing room and joined my
Dad and my sister as we waited for the top five and the new Miss Great Britain
2015/16 to be announced. The suspense was crazy and as the winner was
announced, the venue erupted as Zara Holland was crowned – a hugely worthy
winner. Not only had Zara smashed the beach body round but she had also raised
£3000 for Cancer Research UK - an
amazing achievement in itself. In the short space of four weeks, Zara has already
achieved so much with her title and I’m sure it will be an amazing year for her
– something she truly deserves after all of her hard work – Well Done - p.s and she's a worldie!
After the show is the after party – and boy did we party!
Held back at our hotel, the contestants, judges, family, friends and guests all
came together to celebrate Zara’s win as well as success of the final. It was
great to finally let our hair down and celebrate together with the girls. It
truly had been an amazing two days in Leicester and everyone was buzzing. The wine went down waaaaay to easily we enjoyed partying for hours before I
took my little worse for wear self to bed.
Me and the gorgeous Miss Plymouth, Allys Parsons
Image: Instagram @michaelablight
Me and the lovely Miss Torquay, Sophie Harvey
Image: Instagram @michaelablight
My Dad and my Sister - thank you for all of your support
I can honestly say I have never experienced anything like
Miss Great Britain before and am unsure whether I will again. Even now I look
back and am overwhelmed by the whole process from start to finish. I couldn’t
have asked to share it with anyone better than the amazing girls I did. Every
person I met along the way positively added to the experience and truly made it
for me. I didn’t really know what to expect when I sat and completed the form
but I can honestly say, I know I didn’t expect it to be as beneficial to me
personally. Not only did it give me an insight into the hard work and
determination of others, gave me the opportunity to make new friends – some of
which I believe will be for life – but it built my confidence as a person and
encouraged me to do things I would never have imagined myself doing before. If
anyone, even if you didn’t think about it before reading this blogpost has even
the slightest thought about entering Miss Great Britain, I couldn’t recommend
it enough. It will only add positivity to your life – Go for it – Just like I did.
Love M i c h a e l a (Miss Exeter 2015/16) x
P.s and remember:
Huge thank you to Kate and Jemma for giving me the opportunity and selecting me as Miss Exeter, to everyone who supported me along the amazing journey, to Tom Wren for the images, RedScar for filming it all and to the girls for making it an amazing experience!
