Five-year-old is runner-up in Miss English pageant (From Swindon Advertiser)

Five-year-old is runner-up in Miss English pageant

12:00am Thursday 26th July 2012 in News

SHE may be just five-years-old, but Kelsey Husband has already been crowned at a national beauty pageant.

The Eldene Primary School pupil took part in the Miss English Beauty 2012 competition at the weekend, where she was one of 10 girls competing in her age group and won the runner-up title.

She is following in the footsteps of her aunt, Chloe White, who took part in Miss Teen Queen 2010 and represented Swindon at Miss Spirit of True Beauty 2012.

Kelsey’s grandmother, Jill White, of Park North , said: “Kelsey was really confident in the pageant, she did so well. She loved every minute of it.

“As a family, because Chloe has done a couple of pageants, we thought she would enjoy it.

“Kelsey has always loved the camera, she got picked to play Mary in the Christmas play at school because she loves being on stage.

“Pageants have such a bad name and people say they exploit children, but at Kelsey’s age they are not allowed to wear make-up. It is just about being creative, having a great personality and a bit of dance.”

As part of competing in the four to seven-year-old category, Kelsey had to wear a T-shirt she had designed herself and an evening dress.

Jill said they were so impressed by the pageant that they are hoping to start their own to raise funds for Cancer Research UK in honour of their friend who has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

“Some people talk about pageants as if they are this awful thing. That is why I am determined to show a different side of it.

“It is all fun and it builds their confidence as well,” said Jill.

“I think it depends on the pageant. This one is about having fun and making friends and exploring their own personality.

“When she got crowned she came off the stage and said ‘it’s the best day of my life’.”

Kelsey won a crown and a sash for her achievement.

“There is no way with Kelsey being the age she is we would let her take part in a more grown-up pageant. She will have to wait until she is about 14-years-old,” said Jill.

“They treated the kids so nicely and encouraged them to have some fun.”

The competition took place in Norwich on Sunday and saw dozens of girls from across the country taking part in different categories.