SWINDON beauty queen has been sharing messages of body positivity and acceptance after going from a size 8 to a size 20.

Hannah Golding, 32, has been competing in beauty pageants for 12 years. She has gone from skinny to plus-size during that time because of polycystic ovary syndrome.

The hormonal disorder affecting one in 10 women causes high levels of testosterone and makes weight loss particularly difficult.

But the mum-of-one says she's more confident now than when she was a size 8.

Hannah, a personal trainer and pageant coach, said: ''A lot of people judge you on your appearance or your size, especially those who think that pageants are really outdated because of old stereotypes of girls in bikinis with nothing in their head, but honestly they couldn't be further from the truth.

"Even as a personal trainer, I was staying at a size 16-18 despite doing so much exercise.

"When I first started pageants as a size 8, I had little to no confidence and I think I always second guessed myself in a sea of girls my size.

"I’ve always been bottom heavy so always had curves but I feel as my size grew, my confidence did too.

"So things like negative comments and questions about why I compete, just solidify why I should be competing.''

Swindon Advertiser: Hannah before and after her weight gain - Photo: Jason Wade photography Hannah before and after her weight gain - Photo: Jason Wade photography

Hannah has started her own podcast series that specifically addresses being plus-size in the pageant industry and it takes on a range of topics including why plus-size beauty queens enter pageants, whether they're represented in mainstream pageants or pigeonholed in their own categories and the dark side of plus-size pageantry which includes trolling and negative comments. 

She has received criticism from some within the industry for suggesting plus-size pageants aren't as important as mainstream ones, but Hannah stresses she is only advocating for choice.

"For some, entering plus-size pageants were the only chance they thought they had, then finding out that the pageant world is full of diversity with different systems. Many amazing plus size queens have started out in a plus size pageant," she said. 

"But many years ago, there were no pageants for plus size women until they were created. There were no pageants for women of colour until they were created. 

"We should be able to enter mainstream pageants and be considered competition. And that is what this series is all about. Having the choice."