The Miss England finalists are participating in a campaign to showcase their natural beauty, including acne, blemishes, and weight gain, through make-up-free selfies. The purpose of the campaign is to emphasize inner beauty and promote realistic body expectations. Contestant Alice Cutler, a solicitor, has struggled with her weight for most of her life, reaching 224 pounds at her heaviest in 2019. She turned to food for comfort after her mother’s death, but has since focused on her physical and mental health. Cutler wants to emphasize that weight loss isn’t the ultimate goal but rather part of a lifelong journey to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
During the campaign, other Miss England finalists have shared their own struggles with body image. Prison officer Melissa Butcher battled body dysmorphia from a young age, impacting her mental health and affecting her dancing career. Despite her struggles, she is now participating in the pageant. Mehak Chandel, a special needs teaching assistant, has dealt with acne for nearly a decade, which she previously viewed as a defining factor in her beauty. However, she has learned to accept her natural appearance and is now advocating for self-acceptance and empowerment.
The campaign aims to challenge societal beauty standards and encourage self-love and acceptance. By sharing their make-up-free selfies, the Miss England finalists are promoting the idea that beauty is diverse and should not be limited to conventional standards. The finalists, including Cutler, Butcher, and Chandel, are advocating for a more inclusive and empowering definition of beauty that embraces imperfections and highlights individuality.
This initiative comes amid changes in the Miss England competition, as the controversial swimwear round has been banned for the first time. The competition will also feature a makeup-free catwalk as part of the event, further emphasizing the importance of natural beauty and self-acceptance. By implementing these changes, Miss England is taking steps to redefine traditional beauty pageant norms and promote a more realistic and inclusive representation of beauty for women of all backgrounds.
Overall, the Miss England finalists are leading a campaign to celebrate natural beauty and challenge societal perceptions of perfection. Through their make-up-free selfies and personal stories, these women are advocating for self-love, acceptance, and empowerment. By emphasizing inner beauty and embracing imperfections, they are setting a positive example for others and promoting a more inclusive and diverse definition of beauty. With the support of the pageant organizers, the contestants hope to inspire others to embrace their uniqueness and feel confident in their own skin.
