Miss Great Britain
Encyclopedia
Miss Great Britain is a female beauty contest
currently held in London
. Between 1956 and 1989, it was held in the seaside resort of Morecambe
. It is one of the oldest of its kind in the country, with the first edition held in 1945. Previous title holder Miss Great Britain 1997 Liz Fuller
is the new owner of the business.
Unlike other beauty pageants, the annual event is not held to send its winner (or participants) to any specific international contests. Some of the international pageants which had been represented by Miss Great Britain were Miss Universe
, Miss World
, Top Model of the World
and Miss World Tourism. The current title holder is Miss GB 2010 Amy Carrier from Liverpool
. The Grand Final of Miss Great Britain 2010 will be held in December in Western Super Mare at the new Grand Pier.
As opposed to its British counterparts such as Miss England
, Miss Northern Ireland
, Miss Scotland
, Miss Wales
and Miss United Kingdom, Miss Great Britain is not affiliated with the Miss World Organisation
.
who hailed from Cleveland
. Desai made history when she became the first ever winner of India
n ethnicity when she replaced the dethroned Danielle Lloyd
. Lloyd had lost the crown after stirring up scandals for posing nude for Playboy
magazine and dating one of the judges during her participation in the pageant.
Danielle Lloyd has been re-instated into the Wall of Fame/ Previous winners as of January 11th 2010.
. Tennent had previously competed for the Miss Scotland 2006 title which she placed 2nd runner-up. The event was held in Grosvenor House
in Park Lane
, London.
Tennent did not complete her reign which resulted in Gemma Garrett (who was the 1st runner up in 2007) taking over the title of Miss Great Britain for the rest of the year.
in Central London. Following the previous years non-event, a strong PR campaign orchestrated by the show's executive producer Jade Reuben, helped to re-introduce the event to the nation, with some 70,000 online entrants being whittled down through national heats to the final 12 girls. Heavily covered by the media, the eventual winner was Miss Newcastle - Sophie Gradon, 23. She will not go to Miss Universe as reported by the press; please see above. That girl is Clair Cooper.
, ref 5MGB
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
currently held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Between 1956 and 1989, it was held in the seaside resort of Morecambe
Morecambe
Morecambe is a resort town and civil parish within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England. As of 2001 it has a resident population of 38,917. It faces into Morecambe Bay...
. It is one of the oldest of its kind in the country, with the first edition held in 1945. Previous title holder Miss Great Britain 1997 Liz Fuller
Liz Fuller
Elizabeth "Liz" Fuller is a British Television presenter, Welsh actress, TV host of ITV Wales The Pop Factory, model and media personality, known for once having owned the British branch of the Miss World franchise...
is the new owner of the business.
Unlike other beauty pageants, the annual event is not held to send its winner (or participants) to any specific international contests. Some of the international pageants which had been represented by Miss Great Britain were Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
, Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
, Top Model of the World
Top Model of the World
The Top Model of the World is an international search for the ultimate model. The sought-after characteristics are: independence, talent and fashion consciousness...
and Miss World Tourism. The current title holder is Miss GB 2010 Amy Carrier from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. The Grand Final of Miss Great Britain 2010 will be held in December in Western Super Mare at the new Grand Pier.
As opposed to its British counterparts such as Miss England
Miss England
The Miss England competition is an annual beauty pageant targeted at young females aged 17–24 years living in England. Entrants must hold a British passport to enter....
, Miss Northern Ireland
Miss Northern Ireland
Miss Northern Ireland is a beauty pageant, the winner of which goes on to compete in the Miss World pageant.Before 1999, the winner of Miss Anton Northern Ireland would have to compete in the Miss United Kingdom competition and win it in order to be applicable to compete in the Miss World competition...
, Miss Scotland
Miss Scotland
The Miss Scotland competition is an annual beauty pageant targeted at women aged 18–24 living in Scotland. Entrants must hold a British passport to enter...
, Miss Wales
Miss Wales
Miss Wales is an annual beauty pageant held in Wales, United Kingdom to select a representative to go through to the Miss World contest. It is currently run by Paula Abbandonato and Clare Birt of Vibe Models, Cardiff.-Rules:...
and Miss United Kingdom, Miss Great Britain is not affiliated with the Miss World Organisation
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
.
2006 event
The 2006 title holder was Preeti DesaiPreeti Desai
Preeti Desai is a Indian Actress who was Miss Great Britain 2006. A British Indian, she made history by becoming the first British woman of Indian origin to ever win the title. She speaks English, Gujarati and Hindi and is based in London, England and Mumbai, India.-Early life and...
who hailed from Cleveland
Cleveland, England
Cleveland is an area in the north east of England. Its name means literally "cliff-land", referring to its hilly southern areas, which rise to nearly...
. Desai made history when she became the first ever winner of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n ethnicity when she replaced the dethroned Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd is an English glamour model. The former Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006, she first rose to prominence when she was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2006 title after posing for nude pictures featured in the December 2006 edition of Playboy magazine and her alleged...
. Lloyd had lost the crown after stirring up scandals for posing nude for Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine and dating one of the judges during her participation in the pageant.
Danielle Lloyd has been re-instated into the Wall of Fame/ Previous winners as of January 11th 2010.
2007 event
Rachael Tennent, a project co-ordinator, was awarded the crown of Miss Great Britain. Along with the crown, the new titleholder also bagged a car, jewellery and a modelling contractModeling agency
A modeling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and or the head agency....
. Tennent had previously competed for the Miss Scotland 2006 title which she placed 2nd runner-up. The event was held in Grosvenor House
Grosvenor House
Grosvenor House was one of the largest private townhouses situated on London's exclusive Park Lane in the district of Mayfair. The house was the home of the Grosvenor family for more than a century...
in Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
, London.
Tennent did not complete her reign which resulted in Gemma Garrett (who was the 1st runner up in 2007) taking over the title of Miss Great Britain for the rest of the year.
2008 event
The 2008 event did not take place due to financial difficulties as a result of the global financial crisis.2009 event
The event took place on May 12th, 2009 at the Café de ParisCafé de Paris (London)
Café de Paris is a London nightclub, located in the West End, beside Leicester Square on Coventry Street, Piccadilly.It opened in 1924 and subsequently featured such performers as Dorothy Dandridge, Marlene Dietrich, Harry Gold, Harry Roy, Ken Snakehips Johnson and Maxine Cooper Gomberg...
in Central London. Following the previous years non-event, a strong PR campaign orchestrated by the show's executive producer Jade Reuben, helped to re-introduce the event to the nation, with some 70,000 online entrants being whittled down through national heats to the final 12 girls. Heavily covered by the media, the eventual winner was Miss Newcastle - Sophie Gradon, 23. She will not go to Miss Universe as reported by the press; please see above. That girl is Clair Cooper.
Title holders
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Amy Carrier |
| 2009 | Sophie Gradon |
| 2008 | (no contest) |
| 2007 | Gemma Garrett Gemma Garrett Gemma Dawn Garrett is a former holder of the titles Miss Great Britain and Miss Belfast. She is also the official face of the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone.... |
| 2006 | Preeti Desai Preeti Desai Preeti Desai is a Indian Actress who was Miss Great Britain 2006. A British Indian, she made history by becoming the first British woman of Indian origin to ever win the title. She speaks English, Gujarati and Hindi and is based in London, England and Mumbai, India.-Early life and... / Danielle Lloyd |
| 2005 | (no contest) |
| 2004 | Emma Spellar |
| 2003 | Nicki Lane |
| 2002 | Yana Booth |
| 2001 | Michelle Evans |
| 2000 | Michelle Walker |
| 1999 | Rennell Kilner |
| 1998 | Leilani Dowding Leilani Dowding Leilani Dowding is an English former Page Three girl, glamour model, television celebrity, and Miss Universe contestant.-Early life:... |
| 1997 | Liz Fuller Liz Fuller Elizabeth "Liz" Fuller is a British Television presenter, Welsh actress, TV host of ITV Wales The Pop Factory, model and media personality, known for once having owned the British branch of the Miss World franchise... |
| 1996 | Anita St Rose |
| 1994 | Sarah Southwick |
| 1993 - 1990 | (no contest) |
| 1989 | Amanda Dyson |
| 1988 | Gillian Bell |
| 1987 | Linzi Butler |
| 1986 | Lesley Ann Musgrave |
| 1985 | Jill Saxby |
| 1984 | Debbie Greenwood Debbie Greenwood Debbie Greenwood is a British television presenter and a former beauty queen who won the title of Miss Great Britain in 1984.-Career:... |
| 1983 | Rose McGrory |
| 1982 | Viviennne Farnen |
| 1981 | Michelle Hobson |
| 1980 | Sue Berger |
| 1979 | (no contest) |
| 1978 | Patricia Morgan |
| 1977 | Susan Hempel |
| 1976 | Dinah May |
| 1975 | Susan Cuff |
| 1974 | Marylin Ward |
| 1973 | Gay Spink |
| 1972 | Elizabeth Robinson |
| 1971 | Carolyn Moore |
| 1970 | Kathleen Winstanley |
| 1969 | Wendy Anne George |
| 1968 | Yvonne Ormes |
| 1967 | Jennifer Gurley |
| 1966 | Carole Fletcher |
| 1965 | Diane Hickinbotham |
| 1964 | Carole Redhead |
| 1963 | Gillian Taylor |
| 1962 | Joy Black |
| 1961 | Libby Walker |
| 1960 | Eileen Sheridan |
| 1959 | Valerie Martin |
| 1958 | Christine Mayo |
| 1957 | Leila Williams Leila Williams Leila Williams is a former British beauty queen and television presenter.-Career:In 1957, Williams was awarded the title of Miss Great Britain; then, a year later, she became the first female Blue Peter presenter, co-presenting with Christopher Trace.Williams left Blue Peter at the start of 1962,... |
| 1956 | ris Waller |
| 1955 | Jennifer Chimes |
| 1954 | Patricia Butler |
| 1953 | Brenda Mee |
| 1952 | Dorothy Dawn |
| 1951 | Marlene Dee |
| 1950 | Violet Pretty Anne Heywood Anne Heywood is a British film actress. Born as Violet Pretty in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, she won the Miss Great Britain title under her real name in 1950,... |
| 1949 | Elaine Pryce |
| 1948 | Pamela Bayliss |
| 1947 | June Mitchell |
| 1946 | June Rivers |
| 1945 | Lydia Read |
Archives
Archives of Miss Great Britain are held at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
, ref 5MGB