A student nurse from Bristol is currently at third place in the Miss England competition’s Wildcard heat.
Fiona Veigas, 23, from Southmead will have to keep her place in the Wildcard category’s top six by securing votes until the 11th April in order to be in with a chance of qualifying for the Miss England final in June.
“I am really excited for the final round if I make the top six. I think it would be great to meet all the contestants around the UK and the current Miss England Dr Bhasha Mukherjee,” she said.
Ms Veigas, who grew up in Bristol and currently studies adult nursing in Leeds, said that this is the largest pageant she has entered.
“This is the first time I’ve done something as big as this. It is a huge confidence boost for me, and I am so happy I got an opportunity to do something like this! I believe that by doing this I am able to reach out and empower women of all races to step out of their comfort zone to truly believe in what they can achieve,” she said.
Due to the pandemic the competition has been run virtually via an app although the final is set to take place in person.
Ms Veigas said: “I do feel it would have been better if it was at a specific place where I would be able to see all the contestants and the judges. As it was cancelled last year, I am glad they can still find the Miss England finalists even if it’s virtually.”
The next steps in the competition include an interview-style zoom meeting where the top six contestants will have two minutes to speak to judges including the current Miss England. A maximum of two contestants from that heat will then be taken to the final.
Ms Veigas said: “Being from a British/Asian background, I feel like women tend to stay in their maternal job role in the family. I would like to empower them to stand up for what they want to do with their lives and not have the pressure to behave in a certain manner if they want to do something.
“I would like to impact more people through my story and by speaking. By winning this pageant I would like to build a strong social media platform, where people can seek support and help regarding mental health issues, modelling queries or who just want some advice.”
The competition has recently attracted attention due to the number of NHS worker applicants and the current Miss England Bhasha Mukherjee is a junior doctor at Derby Royal Hospital.
The winner of the competition will qualify for the 70th Miss World in Puerto Rico.
To vote for the Miss England contestants you can download the Miss England App on Google Play or the App Store and the first vote is free.
