I had been ill since I was a teenager and was diagnosed with ME, looking back it was almost certainly lupus making its appearance. I was diagnosed with lupus many years later at the age of 28 after ending up in hospital. I'm 45 now and there have been times that I thought that I wouldn't get here.

I still struggle daily and sometimes it is soul destroying but I make the most of the time in between flares.

I was looking for a hobby that I could do, even with my many problems. I took part in a plus size photo shoot where I met some pageant girls, I didn't know this was a 'thing' in the UK and also for plus size ladies. I took the plunge and applied four years ago and here we are now with a sparkly crown and on the way to Nashville!

I was crowned Miss Voluptuous UK Ambassador on New Year’s Eve 2020 after competing in the pageant for four years. Miss Voluptuous Pageants is a global empowerment program for women who are a UK size 14+. It is a system where role models share their platform ideas and visions for the future with other like-minded women, these are women who want to make a difference. The pageant is not just celebrating plus size women but empowering the women inside them to see the beauty beyond the surface.

For the past few years I have been championing animal welfare and in particular pet welfare. I volunteer for Blue Cross for Pets and have been fundraising for them during the last two years. Blue Cross rehome pets to new homes but they also have their own hospitals that offer treatment to pets of owners who are finding it difficult to pay. I am now an Educational Speaker for the charity which means I can speak to young people in schools and youth groups, pet care is obviously the top subject for talks. I want to be a voice for animals because they don’t have one. I have also raised funds for Born Free Foundation and WWF, I raised these funds by completing challenges, car boot sales and competitions.

About the pageant

Miss Voluptuous Pageants is a Global Empowerment and Leadership Program; through mindset workshops, public speaking and interview coaching, photographic posing and modelling workshops, we will equip our Queens with real and transferable life skills to help them achieve their own personal successes.

Instead of focusing on a physical aesthetic, we champion the platforms, hard work and volunteer efforts of the women involved to build their confidence from within. The sisterhood aspect of Miss Voluptuous is at the forefront of our virtues, as with the emphasis on platform and service to the communities of each Titleholder.

The very first international final of Miss Voluptuous takes place in Nashville, Tennessee on the 24th to 29th October 2021.

Instagram: @missvoluptuousambassador2021

Facebook: mvpambassador