An NHS doctor fighting on the front line against coronavirus has been crowned Miss England again.
Dr Bhasha Mukherjee, 24, will continue her reign for another year after Covid-19 scuppered the 2020 beauty contest.
It means she will have retained the crown for 20 months by the time a new winner is announced – the longest anyone has held the title for since 1928.
The junior doctor won the title in July 2019 and started travelling the world to do charity work as part of her win.
But she cut short her stay in India to answer the Government’s call for retired and junior doctors to return to the front line in April.
She has since been working to help save lives during the pandemic at Boston Pilgrim Hospital, Lincs, and Derby Royal Hospital.
Bhasha, of Derby, said: “We are right next to Nottingham which has the highest rate in the country so we have staff and patients coming between us and the hub of the virus.
“We’re seeing more asymptomatic patients testing positive and more people coming in for different problems who turn out to have the virus. It was sudden and we were not prepared when the tests were positive.
“It means you have positive cases exposed to other patients while sitting in the waiting room together.
“This week there was a man who was immunocompromised and he was admitted at the same time as a woman who tested positive and they were in the same room – but the hospital struggles to find single rooms for people.”
But, Bhasha has still managed to fulfil her Miss England duties online while fitting in 12-hour shifts and is delighted to continue her reign.
She said: “It’s an honour to continue serving my country.
"There’s no better time for me to be Miss England while helping England at this time of need.”
Bhasha was born in Kolkata but moved to England when she was nine and later graduated in medicine from the University of Nottingham.
Next year’s Miss England final is planned for April 16-17, organiser Angie Beasley said: “Bhasha has been an exceptional Miss England and I’m delighted she will continue her reign.”
