Miss Universe Great Britain 2018 will hold its grand finale on 14th July 2018 where thirty five beautiful divas will compete for the national title. Miss Universe Great Britain 2017 Anna Burdzy will crown her successor at the end of the event finale. The winner of the national pageant will represent her country at Miss Universe 2018.
But before that, here we have one of the finalist, Romy Simpkins, in a candid and exclusive interview with Angelopedia where she answers everything from her dreams and ambitions to her guilty pleasures and goals.
Q. How does it feel to be a delegate of Miss Universe Great Britain 2018?
I am over the moon to be making a comeback to Miss Universe Great Britain after competing in the 2012 finals, which was my very first pageant. I am mentally and physically prepared to walk the Miss Universe Great Britain stage in hope of representing the nation at Miss Universe.
Q. What is the best lesson you’ve learnt that has shaped your life?
Honestly, learning to just be myself. I believe I have become the strong, confident and ambition women I am today by simply being me. There no need to fake things, if you want to be accepted by other you at first must accept yourself which I do. I am proud of what I have achieved throughout my life and to be able to say makes me realise how important my life is.
Q. What is the one thing that keeps you going and inspires you to be the best version of yourself?
Following on from having self- acceptance, it’s about knowing you can make a difference to otherpeople’s lives as I did my own. I struggled as a teenager with my body image, but I look back now and despite the hard times I faced. If that hadn’t challenged me, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today. Being that someone to a person may look up to is so rewarding and now I can even go on to say I am working in a sector that supports people with mental health issues. This is something I personally dealt with and defeated and now I want to help others to fight it too. Being the best version of myself, allows other to see you don’t need to be perfect. There no such things as the ideal body shape, but simply learning to love yourself and treating your body as your temple inspires me to keep going.
Q. You have also held the prestigious title of Miss International UK 2016, tell us a little about how that changed your life?
It was an incredible experience getting to compete in one of the big four pageant in the world. I will be forever blessed to have the opportunity to compete in Japan and to meet ladies from different backgrounds and cultures, it was a breath of fresh air! It allowed me to make friendship with people I would never had met if it wasn’t for Miss International and the organisation. My chaperone from Miss Internationalwho was like a stand in Mum and I still email one another to see which country we are visiting next in hope of bumping into one another. It made me realiseI can do anything I set my mind to, but by working hard, being dedicated and passionate about pageantry has given me an amazing outlook on life and to make the most of every day.
Q. Other than the Miss Universe Great Britain crown, what do you want to achieve from this competition?
It’s not about the crown or the sash but the opportunity to represent women in my country and around the world as an individual who believes in herself. I have always been a goal setter and will always push myself in fulfilling aspiration and reaching my ambitions. I want to be the voice for others who may not feel they can have one, as I want them to know that they are the one in control of theirlife and they can have the best life ever by simply focusing on their dreams and making them a reality.
Q. We’re sure that this competition is just another milestone in your life. What is that one thing that you consider your life goal?
Miss Universe Great Britain is a large milestone in my life, I’m pushing myself into somethingI have always wanted since the beginning of my pageant journey. I’ve worked my way up to show I am capable of being successful and my life goal is to be successful in what I do. That goes for anything, no matter what the results If I know I have done my best in everything, I feel I have accomplished my life goal of being a successful woman.
Q. How would you like to represent yourself at the national stage at Miss Universe Great Britain 2018?
I’d like to represent myself at Miss Universe Great Britaina fierce, resilient and positive young woman. I want to show that this competition is a big challenge, but it is exciting as I look forward to making amazing friendships during the final.
Q. Do you think the fact that you are already a pageant queen will play as a major advantage in your favour?
I wouldn’t say it’s an advantage as every pageant is very different, with what they expect from contestants and of course their winner. However, I feel I have proven to myself that I can represent Great Britain with upmost pride at Miss Universe, by knowing I have worked may up towards this title after competing internationally twice. Those opportunities weren’t just handed to me, I put my all into them and the reward for that was being able to go to internationals. Both internationals were incredible, and I would do them 100 times over again. But it shows I am strong minded and can handle being in an intense competition which I know Miss Universe is and I would be so honored to have that once in a life time experience to take it on!
Q. Who is your idol, and what values of theirs do you wish you could inculcate in your own life, and teach the next generation?
So, I don’t have an idol. I have two! My Mum and Dad are my idols, they are my biggest supporters and I admire how much they really believe in me. They’ve always taught me that if you work hard you will get where you want to be and that’s probably why I am the way I am, in the sense of driven. Both my Mum and Dad both run their own businesses and I find that inspiring, it has pushed me to do the same as I launch my bespoke swimwear range last year. I feel a lot of the morals they have taught me, I stand for already. We are a close family and I am so lucky to have that, and I hope to spread the importance of looking after those nearest and dearest to you, both family members and friends. They will always be the ones to catch up when you fall, and you will be there to do the same for them and I am so grateful to have them in my life. I hope to teach the next generation to be ambition, be confident in your ability and never give up on the things you don’t go a day without thinking about.
Q. If you could be invisible for a day, how would you like to spend it?
You may find this a bit random, but that’s me really! If I could be invisible I would love to watch and see where my two cats go when they leave the house for adventures. Especially at night, of course if I’m just casually walking behind them they may not go anywhere but if I was invisible I’d love to see what they get up to. They always come back looking like they’ve eaten for two and smell like perfume. I always imagine them having cat parties with the other cats in the neighborhood, theynever fail to amuse me!
Q. Would you like to share your most special childhood memory with us?
I have had many wonderful memories growing up, so it is really hard to narrow it down. My favorite times were being on stage and as a child I spent a lot of time performing in shows. So, I would say a very special memory was when I auditions for The Arts Educational School at the age of 13, most of the children who auditioned had a musical instrument of some sort to play. But as I didn’t play one, I was asked to do something else to show why I deserved a place. I decided to perform an acting monologue from the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream as I love Shakespeare. I remember clear as day performing it and the room was just silent afterwards, I smiled and walked out. Although that may have felt uncomfortable for some, I knew with a quiet confidence that I had won my place in the school to which I was then called a few days later offering a place to start in the new school year. I still can remember my piece over 10 years later and have even used it as apart of my talent piece in pageants.
Q. What is your advocacy, can you tell us more about it?
My advocacy is mental health, I am ambassador for my MIND mental health charity in my local area. I attend fortnightly support and well-being groups to help talk and address people issues of anxiety, depression and other conditions they may have. I have supported this cause for many years as it’s something personal and close to my heart. Mental Health can be a hidden illness which is just as dangerous as someone with a physical impairment or disability and can result in someone quality of life being seriously affected. I have completed a course on mental health and am studying to become a trained therapist. I wish to use this platform to set up my own support groups for young people who are suffering with eating disorders and to form my own charity to provide better access to therapy and support for these people, so they can be treated quicker and in the right way for their complex conditions. I look forward to gaining more professional knowledge, hands on experience after qualifying as a psychodynamic counselor in the field of childhood trauma and eating disorders.
Q. What is the one thing you can label as your guilty pleasure?
I know I am not the only one who has this, but I have avery naughty sweet tooth. I love chocolate, kinder is my favorite and that’s all I can say really!
Q. If you are granted 3 wishes right now, what would you ask for?
A big thing I would wish for is having equal rights between men and women in all areas of life, this is anissue that needs to change as I believe we should always feel equal to those around us. I wish that there was a cure for dementia. It’s a condition that is in-reversable and can have such a big impact on how someone with the condition can live. As well as this the impact it has on the people around that person can be very heartbreaking. My final wish would be to let every person in the world, who may feel alone or unable to speak about there issues or conditions. To know they really aren’t alone and to make them realise that most people in today’s society have experienced or have been faced with some form of mental health and it can be controlled and stopped with the right support and guidance. But most importantly with that is wishing people would be more open to listening to those in their time of need.
Q. Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans atAngelopedia?
I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has ever supported me in my pageant journey. The words of wisdom and positivity have been over whelming and I am so grateful to be apart of a community that thrives of empowering others.
Thank you and I won’t let you down!
Miss International UK 2016