Journalist beauty queen quits daily for new career and more pageants

by David Sharman Published 20 Jul 2017

A regional daily journalist who ended up in Miss England after covering a local beauty contest has left the newspaper to retrain as a teacher – and compete in more pageants.

HTFP reported in April how the Grimsby Telegraph’s Laura Gooderham, left, was crowned Miss Great Grimsby & District, which she entered after being spotted by a former winner while interviewing contestants.

After her victory Laura, 24, qualified for the Miss England final, held in Birmingham on Friday, and finished among the top 20 contestants.

And, in a diary piece she wrote for the Telegraph’s national sister title the Daily Mirror, it was revealed she has now left journalism “to be a teacher and take part in other pageants.”

Of her unexpected experience on the pageant circuit, Laura wrote: “I showed it doesn’t matter whether you’re from Grimsby or Chelsea, if you set your mind on something, you can achieve it.

“I also raised money for charity and took a new direction in life. I’ve been bitten by the beauty pageant bug and can’t see myself going back to journalism for a long time.”

Laura, pictured above wearing her Miss Grimsby crown, left the Telegraph last month and is now set to start a teacher training course, having been inspired to do so after undertaking visits to schools as part of her job.

She told HTFP: “Competing in the Miss England pageant has opened my eyes to a whole new world of experiences and opportunities and I have embraced every single moment of it.

“The overall experience was nothing short of phenomenal and unless you are involved in pageants, you won’t understand the euphoria you feel when you’re placed.

“Out of 10,000 girls who applied to become Miss England, I’m in the top 20 finalists and I could not have done that without the support and encouragement of the Miss England team, my Miss Grimsby organiser, my family, friends, the people of Grimsby and the media.”

She added: “[My Telegraph colleagues] knew I was heading into the world of teaching and they were really supportive about it. Being a journalist and visiting the local schools was partially the reason I have decided to train to become a teacher.”

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2017/news/journalist-beauty-queen-quits-daily-for-new-career-and-more-pageants/