Amy Joyce, Miss Sussex 2025/26, Miss England Finalist
Just over 4 months ago, I shared my journey of navigating vet school as a working-class
girl from Chichester with big dreams and a hot pink stethoscope. Today, I’m proud to be
writing this not only as a veterinary medicine student at the Royal Veterinary College,
but as Miss Sussex 2025 and a finalist in the Miss England competition.
Amy Joyce, Miss Sussex & Miss England Finalist, Photographed by Alan Strutt
Since becoming a Miss England finalist, the question I’ve been asked most is: How do
you balance it all? Veterinary school. Advocacy. Pageants. My answer is simple: I
stopped trying to fit a mould and started showing up as my whole self- muddy boots,
pink stethoscope, high heels and all.
When I entered vet school at the Royal Veterinary College, I already knew I would be
different. A working-class girl, the first in her family to go to university, studying at the
world’s top vet school- statistically, I wasn’t supposed to be here. But statistics never
met my unwavering determination.
And when I entered Miss England, I knew again that I wouldn’t fit the typical image. But
that’s exactly why I entered. Because it’s time we expanded the image. Success doesn’t
look one way. Beauty doesn’t sound one way. Purpose isn’t a singular path.
In this next chapter, as Miss Sussex, my mission remains clear: to show young people –
especially girls from disadvantaged backgrounds – that there is no singular mould for
success. You can be studious and stylish. You can scrub into surgery one day and step
onto a pageant stage the next. And most importantly, you can lead with both kindness
and conviction.
Over the past year, I’ve continued working alongside the Sutton Trust, raising awareness
around social mobility and speaking about accessing higher education. I’ve also
become increasingly involved in conversations about educational inequality –
highlighting how cuts to Pupil Premium funding are affecting students across the
country. I know first-hand how crucial that funding was to me- hat support wasn’t a
luxury. It was a lifeline. Textbooks, technology, transport – it all adds up, and no one
should be priced out of their potential. Now, I see that lifeline being pulled away from
others. Cuts to education funding and widening inequality are placing impossible
pressure on young people. I’ve made it my mission to raise awareness about these
challenges and to advocate for more inclusive policies – ones that don’t punish students
for their postcode or financial status.
My cause is education. Opportunity. Representation. I want to ensure that no young girl
ever feels she has to choose between her intelligence and her femininity, or silence
parts of herself to fit in. I wear my pink stethoscope with pride – not just because it
makes me smile, but because it represents the intersection of compassion and
confidence, intelligence and individuality. I bring that same pride to the Miss England
stage, where heels and gowns don’t erase my academic achievements – they add to
them. They’re proof that women are multi-dimensional, that strength comes in many
forms, and that no one should feel the need to shrink themselves to be taken seriously.
I want to help girls understand that femininity and intelligence can – and should –
coexist. That you can show up fully as yourself in any space and still command respect.
Miss England has given me the space to do that. Not by asking me to change, but by
challenging me to be even more of who I am. It’s allowed me to speak up for those still
finding their voice – and that, to me, is what real power looks like.
For too long, pageantry has been mischaracterised as simply about appearance. But
the modern Miss England is a changemaker, an advocate, a role model. Someone who
can connect with the community while campaigning for causes that matter.
Being Miss Sussex 2025 is a huge honour – but it’s also a responsibility. I carry with me
the stories of every young person who has ever been told their dreams were “too big.” I
carry my own story – the little girl from Chichester who spent weekends reading library
books and dreamed of changing the world in her own way.
And I carry the future, too. Because this journey isn’t just about becoming Miss England.
It’s about using every step, every stage, and every spotlight to fight for a future where
success is truly accessible to all – regardless of postcode or paycheck.
So here’s to the next chapter – pink stethoscope in one hand, heels in the other – and a
heart full of purpose. There is no finish line to this journey, because it has undeniably become the beginning
of a movement. The crown doesn’t just sit on my head; it stands for every young person
who dares to dream beyond their circumstances.
And I’m just getting started.
