Uni student wins Miss England 2016 after dedicating year as Miss Preston to hospice that cared for tragic sister
Twenty-year-old psychology student will go on to compete at Miss World in December
Miss Preston Elizabeth Grant has been crowned Miss England 2016.
The 20-year-old psychology student, from Ribbleton, will represent England at the Miss World competition in Washington, DC, in December, where she has a shot at a £76,000 prize.
Accepting her crown at the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre last night she said: “I don’t know what to say, I’m surprised I can even make sense right now.
“I am so blessed and so grateful to even be here.”
When co-host Jordan Williams asked her if there was anything she’d like to say to her friends and family in the crowd, she replied: “I’ll meet you all at the bar!”
Elizabeth, from Ribbington, beat out 49 other hopefuls for the coveted Miss England crown, after contest rounds including sports and fitness, fundraising, talent, “beach beauty” and an eco-fashion show.
She takes the crown from Miss England 2015 Natasha Hennings.
The Liverpool University student had never entered a beauty pageant before she competed in Miss Preston, after being talent spotted while she was out shopping.
She dedicated her year as Miss Preston to raising money for Derian Children’s Hospice in Chorley, where her sister Melanie was treated for a brain tumour before she died in 2001 at the age of 12.