It’s simple, this campaign and the Miss England platform inspired me to show complete authenticity.

I have always wanted to make a difference, before I became a Miss England contestant I had very clear views on what it was I wanted to do to make an impact. My purpose as a Miss England finalist is to raise awareness and educate the youth on street violence.

Back in 2015, I lost my uncle due to gun crime. I witnessed and felt the heavy impact this had on my family.

Two years later at the age of 14 I attended the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena with a friend. The night took a drastic turn as a bomb was designated. It took the lives of 22 people, some of these being children. It was the most frightening night of my life and for the lives of many others.

My confidence was shattered, I was scared to go out and extremely shy as a teenager. I decided this was not how I wanted to live my life.

I was offered an opportunity in modelling and decided to take the risk and just go for it! This is how I got to where I am today.

My purpose goes further than just educating the youth. I can relate to the feeling of losing a loved one at the hands of another persons actions.

This is where I want to show my support to the families of those victims who sadly lost their lives at the bombing.

I am living proof that no matter what you go through, life goes on. What matters is how we deal with situations in life. That is what determines who we are and what we do next. We are all capable of being the person we want to be, no matter how hard it may feel at the time.

I want to be the woman people can come to, to talk to and to find comfort in.

My purpose has been and always will be; to be that extra reassurance – you are never alone, there is always someone out there you can talk to no matter what age, gender or what current situation you are going through. There is always help.

Thank you for taking your time to read my story, I hope I inspire anyone who reads this!

Modellé is a Finalist in the Miss England 2024 competition -which is sponsored by www.watermanshair.com due to be held at the Grand Station Wolverhampton on the 16th & 17th May 2024 . You can support  by downloading the Miss England App for FREE & place a Free Daily vote for her. 

Tickets to the 2 day Miss England final event  are available on the Grand Station 

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE 

Vanessa Tendo Naddamba Miss Manchester 2024

Born in Uganda, and moved to Liverpool in England at 9 years old to to live with her Mother and siblings , Vanessa Tendo Naddamba is a 24-year-old who has always strived to do the best she can in everything she does.

The eldest daughter to all her 6 siblings Vanessa ensures she sets the best example not only at home in her private life but also for the generation at large that looks up to her. Wearing many hats she is a project manager by profession, a sports enthusiast, and also a singer and a lover of everything that empowers women.

Before she came to England, Vanessa attended boarding school at Gayaza junior school in Uganda and recently went back home to give back in 2023 as Miss Uganda Uk where she advocated for soft skills to be embedded within the Ugandan education system, a 2-month mission that was highly successful as it was welcomed by both children and adults alike.

Now a Masters graduate and in her desired profession, Vanessa continues to trailblaze for young girls especially young black girls in the UK. When it comes to her settling in the UK Vanessa recalls having a very welcoming experience “my mum had already set up my place in school and the children and teachers learnt about my country before I joined. It made me feel so accepted and I feel it really helped assimilate with ease.” 

While her primary school experience was positive she did recall experiencing some challenging times in high school. Although confident in herself and her abilities in high school, when she started, she soon found that the system did not seem to share this ideal in-fact, at the beginning of her high school journey she was placed in what was called at the time “the learning zone” this particular cohort of students were the ones that were deemed as “struggling students” that needed extra support when studying. Now, on the surface level this seems fair enough, as there is support that is given to a student in need, except this was not the case for Vanessa, she was a very capable student and even the teacher in the learning zone could see this. She recalls once asking why she had been placed where she clearly did not belong and the teacher at the time hinting that this was due to her background and where she had come from.

 ‘I did not really understand the significance of this until I got older. Did it offend me at the time, yes a little bit but it also did not get to me as I already knew what I was capable of on my own and I also had a mother that nurtured that confidence in me every single day. I remember thinking to myself well you might not think I’m clever enough, but I know I am and I can only work to prove that. Which I did as later that year I had been taken out of it.’ 

‘However now that i understand, this could have had a negative impact and is actually a terrible way to group students in terms of their capability in education. Many children already suffer with low self esteem, low motivation in studying especially when they do not know what they want to do in life yet in terms of careers, some do not have the support they need at home to be able to realise their potential early on. While I do not disagree with identifying that a child needs more support and doing the needful to provide that; I strongly believe that allocating  capability bands due to prejudice does not help the child fulfil their potential, it does the opposite, you really risk a self fulfilling prophecy occurring as the child ends up believing whatever limitation you have placed on them as a teacher or even as a system which can perpetuate inequalities further’ 

Winning Miss Manchester 2024

 Vanessa’s high school years were not terrible, but they definitely were some of her most challenging days, ‘definitely character building’ she says. What kept her going was her trust in herself and her ability to still achieve what she wanted to achieve in life on her own accord. Now grown up and she sees how her confidence has carried her through some of her toughest moments, Vanessa advocates for self sufficiency and self development for children to help them get through their own challenging times. Her soft skills campaign is very relevant to bridging the gap in inequalities in education.

Having been participating in pageantry for 6 years now with her newest title as Miss Manchester 2024 set to go to compete in Miss England, Vanessa’s goal has remained consistent over the years and that is to empower through education. She aims to inspire young minds and bridge the gap in inequalities by working with the underprivileged in the city with some charities she is already in partnership with.   She would like to Encourage every girl to have the ability to wear different hats and take up space in the world and fields we would not normally be in.

Vanessa said ” What I would want anyone to take away from my story is to continue to believe in yourself despite what limitations other people try to put on you” …

Read Vanessa’s winning story here in the Manchester Evening News 

Vanessa will be representing Manchester in the Miss England National final sponsored by Watermans Hair  on 16th & 17th May 2024 at the Grand Station Wolverhampton.

For tickets to support Vanessa in the contest  visit here 

HENSHALL WAY COUTURE

The collaboration between renowned international Couture Designers, Scott Henshall and Eric Way has resulted in an exquisite evening gown that is nothing short of breathtaking. Designed exclusively for Miss England’s appearance at the prestigious Miss World Festival for the final catwalk at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai India,  this gown marks a historic moment as the first joint creation of these two creative geniuses.

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the gown is a harmonious blend of Scott Henshall’s expertise in opulent designs and Eric Way’s mastery in creating luxurious diamond-studded pieces. This gown follows in the footsteps of their previous groundbreaking creations, the world’s most expensive Diamond Dress by Scott and the equally remarkable Diamond Jacket by Eric.

The gown, intended to grace Miss England’s radiant presence, is fashioned from the finest White Duchess silk, exuding an aura of grace and sophistication. Embellished with Swarovski Crystals, it sparkles and catches the light, embodying the designers’ shared affinity for brilliance.

The silhouette of the gown is an embodiment of timeless elegance. It features a fitted bodice that accentuates Miss England’s slender form, with an alluring asymmetric neckline that seamlessly transitions into an off-the-shoulder style. The delicate and fully beaded transparent tulle sleeve adds a touch of ethereal charm, giving the gown a delicate balance between sensuality and refinement.

The gown’s design extends to a corset-like fitted waistline that gracefully merges into a long, fitted skirt. A daring thigh-high slit not only lends a contemporary edge but also accentuates Miss England’s statuesque figure, leaving an indelible impression as she moves. The cascading voluminous skirt envelops her hips and waist, forming a captivating frame for this figure-hugging masterpiece.

True to the designers’ signatures, Swarovski crystal accents are thoughtfully placed throughout the gown, further enhancing its allure. The intricate beading adds depth and dimension to the gown, making it a true work of art that embodies the designers’ shared love for lavish details.

In this collaborative creation, Scott Henshall and Eric Way have woven their unique artistic visions into a single masterpiece that celebrates beauty, luxury, and innovation. As Miss England graces the Miss World Beauty Pageant stage in this gown, she not only represents her nation’s beauty but also showcases the unparalleled artistry of these two maestros in the world of haute couture.

Jessica reached the final 8 on the Miss World stage wearing this gorgeous gown from the 112 participating countries and now proudly holds the Miss World Europe title.

Following the contest Jessica said ” Im ecstatic to have won the Miss World Europe title as it means I get to travel more with the Miss World team but I also have the flexibility to start my career in aerospace engineering.”

Director of Miss England Angie Beasley said ” I would like to thank both Eric & Scott for all the time and effort that went in to creating Jessica’s final look on the Miss World stage. Im excited to see more of their joint creations”

To see the shoes Jessica wore and more images , head over to the Miss England App , Free to download …

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE NOW ON THE MISS ENGLAND APP FREE TO DOWNLOAD! 

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR VOTE  

Lancashire’s Miss England winner is currently competing as one of  of 117 countries at  the 71^st Miss World in India, meanwhile,  Viva Blackpool is gearing up to host the next Miss England semi final in April!

Jessica Gagen (28)  from Skelmersdale Lancashire appeared in media across the world when she won the Miss England title back in 2022 as being the first redhead to ever win .

As a youngster Jessica & her family have fond memories of visiting the Pleasure beach & the  Blackpool Air show  & will be returning to the town to host the next semi final, either as Miss England or if she wins in India , the 71^st Miss World which she is currently competing in !

The contest takes place on the 7th April 2024 whilst approximately 50 women from across England are invited to compete for one of 20 places in the national final of Miss England .

The contestants are taking part in numerous rounds already including creating social media content for the WATERMANS GORGEOUS HAIR award which will fast track one of the contestants straight through to the Miss England national final in May where Jessica will be crowning her successor.

The Miss England final is sponsored by WATERMANS HAIR, a British brand who are stocked in high street stores, who are proud to call themselves as the original hair loss company winning a Queens award for their quality products sold in 30+ countries.

Organisers are looking for local ladies to take part in the exciting one day fashion show style catwalk , anyone interested should enter on the Miss England website www.missengland.info  If selected , contestants will be invited to audition for the place in the competition .

Ticket for the Miss England semi final can be purchased from Viva Blackpool direct

On this link ;

https://www.vivablackpool.com/event/miss-england-2023-semi-final/#show-date-list

British brand Watermans, founded by Gail and Matt Waterman in 2012 are the new headline sponsors for the Miss England 2024 contest!

Pictured is Gail & Matt Waterman

Gail & Matt emerged from their personal battles with hair loss.

The duo, leveraging Gail’s 32 years of experience as a hairdresser and salon owner and Matt’s marketing prowess, aimed to create products that blend efficacy with high salon standards.

Their journey started with rigorous testing on themselves, followed by trials in Gail’s salon to cater to diverse hair needs and validate their products’ effectiveness. Today, Watermans has achieved global recognition, selling a product every 30 seconds through its worldwide distributor network.

At the heart of their success is a commitment to quality, using premium ingredients to ensure their offerings not only meet but exceed customer expectations. The company prioritizes tangible results and customer satisfaction over profits, focusing on providing solutions that genuinely aid in overcoming hair-related challenges.

You can find Waterman’s stockists on the high street in Boots , Superdrug and on

Amazon & by visiting their website www.watermanshair.com 

Read each article by clicking on each image below    

Lancashire Post – Blackpools Sean Maloney leads the search for Miss Manchester , Lancashire & Cheshire!

Meet Sean Maloney