Alisha makes mother’s day as she wins Miss England title
BEING upstaged by your mother is a horrifying prospect for any teenager.
Spare a thought, then, for the newly crowned Miss England, whose mother had to be ushered from the stage after rushing to congratulate her on her win.
Alisha Cowie, 18, from Spennymoor, Co Durham, was declared winner of the national competition on Tuesday after becoming Miss Newcastle last year.
The student burst into tears upon learning that she had beaten almost 49 other finalists to win the title and the chance to travel to China to compete in the Miss World pageant.
She was immediately embraced by Amy May, her 38-year-old mother, but the two had to be prised apart by the event’s staff, who also ushered other well-wishers from the stage so Miss Cowie could be crowned.
After the event, she posted on Instagram, saying: “I am totally thrilled and honoured to have this title and I can’t wait to represent my beautiful country in Miss World.
“I have so many thank-yous to give out that I don’t think it would fit on one post. However, I will reply to messages as and when I can. Thank you again for all of the support.”
Miss Cowie, who is studying forensic crime scene investigation at the University of Teesside, had re-applied to the competition after being rejected for Miss Newcastle the previous year.
The competition, which was held at Kelham Hall, Notts, had also attracted attention after a law student became the first woman to compete in the final stage wearing a hijab. Sara Iftekhar, 20, was previously crowned Miss Huddersfield. Women have worn the hijab in qualifying rounds but she became the first to wear it for a final.
Other contestants included Sophie Hall – who was left with permanent scars following an acid attack in east London – and Sarah-jane Hulyer, a mental health campaigner.