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Grace Richardson Becomes First Openly Gay Miss England

The 20-year-old describes the title as empowering, a platform for LGBTQ+ visibility.

Overview

  • Richardson, a musical theatre student from Leicestershire, was crowned on November 21 in Wolverhampton and will compete at Miss World next year.
  • She told CNN the win feels "incredibly empowering" and said speaking openly about her sexuality helps normalize a gay woman holding the role.
  • During judging interviews, she chose to share her coming-out story and said she had faced bullying at school after first identifying as gay.
  • She praised Miss England’s recent changes, noting the swimwear round was dropped in favor of a no-make-up round to emphasize confidence.
  • Looking ahead to Miss World, she acknowledged contestants will include representatives from countries that criminalize homosexuality and said she expects organizational support.