Latest news with #beauty pageant
BBC News
4 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Pageant contestant finds confidence in own skin with scar
A beauty pageant contest who underwent open heart surgery has said the scar on her chest has encouraged her to be more confident in her own Pincott, from Taunton in Somerset, underwent the lifesaving operation in Bristol last year to treat a hole and swelling in her heart which had gone undetected her whole 24-year-old said she was initially very worried about how the scar would impact her confidence, both in her daily life and while she competed in pageants, but she has now accepted it is a part of her."I do want to get the message out there to people to be confident in your own skin if you have got scars or anything like that," Miss Pincott said. Miss Pincott said while growing up she often experienced breathlessness when doing physical activities, despite being quite fit. A series of tests revealed she had Sinus venosus Atrial Septal Defect with Partial Anomalous Pulmonary venous Return, a congenital heart condition. Doctors told her the open heart surgery was the only option for her to have a normal, fulfilled life. Competing in beauty pageants began as a hobby for Miss Pincott in 2023, a year before she discovered the problems with her heart. She was crowned Miss Elegance Of The World UK Winner in 2023 and came third in the Miss Universal Global competition in Florida in competition in the United States was the first pageant Miss Pincott competed in after her surgery."They all asked about the scar and what had happened," she said."I went out there with confidence and just to show off the scar really. "I didn't let it affect me - I just carried on as normal." Since the operation, Miss Pincott's scar has faded. "It is obviously still there and it probably will still be there for life, but I'm quite pleased with how much it's faded over time," she said."It's there and there's nothing I can do about it. "I'm just going to have to carry on and I'm not going to stop wearing the clothes I was wearing before."
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Could THIS be the next Miss England? Stunning pageant queen candidate is revealed – but there's a HUGE catch
A stunning Miss England semi–finalist has been revealed, but there's a huge catch – she is AI–generated. The Miss England pageant has launched a brand new AI round, featuring computer–generated beauty queens. Glamorous contestants can now walk down a virtual catwalk by making digital twin avatars of themselves as part of the Black Mirror–style qualifying round. Organisers believe they are the first beauty pageant in the world to introduce a digital AI round which will help 'reflect the world' the young women are stepping into. The contest has already axed its bikini swimwear round in a bid to move away from outdated pageant stereotypes and replaced it was a CPR round teaching life–saving skills. Now the new–look competition will also feature a 'Miss England Avatar Round', giving beauty queens the chance to step into the world of AI technology. Over the course of two–hours, each participant can develop a fully–animated avatar – a digitally cloned version of themselves capable of delivering presentations and making virtual appearances. Afton McKeith – the daughter of TV nutritionist Gillian McKeith – was the first Miss England semi finalist to complete the filming process this week. Incredible video shows her going through instantaneous multiple wardrobe changes and addressing the camera in multiple languages including Chinese and Spanish. The lifelike avatar says: 'This is not actually me, I am Afton's digital twin. 'I have no human needs, no sleep, no stress, no make–up disasters. Just pure calculated perfection.' She adds: 'Very soon digital twins won't be a novelty, they will be attending meetings, handling interviews and running entire lives. 'Lets face it, wouldn't you rather send your avatar to your 9am meeting if you could?' The real Afton, 25, from London, said: 'It's such an exciting honour to be the first Miss England contestant to experience the Avatar Round. 'This initiative is a brilliant way to encourage more young women to step into the world of business and technology. 'A digital twin can be a powerful asset as it allows you to create content that can be reused, save time on filming and even license your likeness to companies for campaigns or educational tools. How does it work? Miss England teamed up with MirrorMe, which usually creates lifelike video AI avatars for corporate use, to launch their 'groundbreaking' move. Over the course of two hours, each participant can develop a fully–animated avatar – a digitally cloned version of themselves. Contestants can record voiceovers and movements to bring their avatars to life, exploring how they might represent themselves in future digital interviews, business pitches, or public speaking engagements – all while being able to speak over 140 languages. 'It's about working smarter and exploring new ways to build your brand, create income and stay present even when you're not physically available.' Miss England has teamed up with tech firm MirrorMe, which usually creates lifelike video AI avatars for corporate use, to launch their 'groundbreaking' move. Organiser Angie Beasley, who has run the Miss England competition for 23 years, said: 'Miss England has always been about more than just looks. 'With the rise of remote working, AI and virtual platforms, I felt it was time to reflect the world our contestants are stepping into. 'This round is about confidence, presence and impact — whether you're in the room or on a screen. 'It's an empowering way to bridge beauty, brains and modern tech. 'This innovative new round opens the door for contestants to embrace technology in a whole new way, highlighting their adaptability, creativity, and communication skills in the digital space.' Contestants can record voiceovers and movements to bring their avatars to life, exploring how they might represent themselves in future digital interviews, business pitches, or public speaking engagements – all while being able to speak over 140 languages. The Miss England business avatar round will be one of ten rounds in the next Miss England semi final that contestants can opt to enter. The winner will be judged by the highest combined views for their AI video presentations on the official MirrorMe website, Vimeo and YouTube. JP Allard, managing director of TVNF, which owns MirrorMe, said: 'What most people don't realise is the experience that comes as part of being a Miss England contender, helping develop young women into becoming confident spokesperson and leaders in any career. 'We are adding to this a new AI round that is not only going to help them adapt to the new world of AI, but give them a side hustle to boost their income with a genuine step up the ladder into towards mastering AI.
