In yesterday’s paper, we met two best friends – Deyonne Best, 24, and Lolly Pain, 26 – who have each been selected to represent the city of Derby and the county in two of the country’s leading beauty pageant competitions; a feat which could ultimately lead to one of them representing the UK on the international stage. Many a beauty queen has hailed from our area – indeed, we met some on our Bygones page in June. Here we meet a few of our Miss England hopefuls as well as a couple who claimed the crown...
Jennifer Young, 17, from Normanton, was one of 34 girls competing for the title of Miss England in 2007
Last year’s Miss England was Dr Bhasha Mukherjee, 24, from Derby. A hero NHS doctor fighting on the frontline against the coronavirus pandemic, she was crowned the longestserving Miss England in the competition’s 92-year history after originally winning in 2019 and continuing with her reign for another year after Covid-19 scuppered the 2020 beauty contest. Her 20-month reign is the longest anyone has held the title for since 1928
Laura Al-Nawassri, 23, Victoria Halsey, 18, Laura Coleman, 22, and Rachael Foster, 22 had their fingers crossed at the auditions for the Miss Derby heat of the Miss England competition at the Midland Hotel, Derby, in 2008
Tracey Jayne Jessop, of Mickleover, displays her Miss Derby County trophy after winning the 1977-78 title. In 1979 she finished runner-up in that year’s Miss England contest
Sunita Pall, 23, (centre) was through to the Miss England final after being crowned Miss Derby in 2012. Runners-up were Alexa Dietsch and Chelcie Mayhe
Laura Coleman, Miss Derby, 22, is crowned Miss UK during the Miss England 2008 Grand Final in 2008
Sylvia Woolley, from Ripley, in the 1950s. She went on to win a place in the Miss England final