For the first time in nearly 50 years, the New York Yankees have loosened their long-standing facial hair policy, allowing players and staff to sport “well-groomed” beards from now on. The decision, announced by owner Hal Steinbrenner on Friday, marks a significant shift from the strict grooming standards established by his father, George Steinbrenner, in […]
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MICHAIL ANTONIO could be back training with his West Ham team-mates next month — in what would be an amazing recovery from his horror car crash.
The striker is lucky to be alive after a smash involving his Ferrari in Essex on December 7 left him with a broken leg.
Yet Antonio, 34, who was in hospital for more than three weeks, has been in light training in Dubai and could even return to action this term — even though it was feared he might never play again.
Antonio was due to return to London last night and boss Graham Potter hinted he might be involved in full training after the next international window in late March.
Ahead of visiting Arsenal today, Potter said: “He’s recovering.
“He’s been in Dubai and it’s been good for him to get that work in.
“He’s not at that level of kicking a ball yet.
“It’s just a case of slowly getting back on the pitch in probably a slightly warmer environment than our training ground here in February.”
Asked when he could be back training with the squad, Potter said: “I wouldn’t be thinking anything this side of the international break for sure.”
And a Premier League return this season?
Potter said: “I wouldn’t want to put any time on it because it’s not fair on him.
“We just take it day-by-day and see.”
West Ham has suffered in the absence of Antonio this season.
Since the striker was ruled out two days before the club beat Wolves 2-1 at the London Stadium.
It was during that game that club captain Bowen held up an Antonio shirt in honour of his team-mate.
Since then, manager Julen Lopetegui has been sacked from the dugout and replaced by Potter.
The Hammers have lost six of ten league games, winning just once, which has left them sitting 16th.
Potter and his squad will hope to turn their fortunes around and produce a shock win over Arsenal at the Emirates.
MATT SHERRATT’S family and friends are “fuming” at him for taking the Wales job as it threatens their plan to watch today’s clash with Ireland downing cut-price pints.
Before he was appointed as Warren Gatland’s successor for the Dragons’ last three Six Nations games, Sherratt agreed to host his brother-in-law’s 50th birthday party at the Arms Park.
As Cardiff coach, Sherratt is charged just £2 a pint.
But while the party-goers are watching the match on TV, the caretaker boss will be next door trying to end Wales’ grim run of 14 defeats in a row.
The party is going ahead, but the boozers are afraid they will have to pay full whack although Sherratt revealed he has a load of vouchers for freebies that he will leave behind the bar.
He grinned: “It’s my brother-in-law’s 50th birthday this weekend and I got tickets for everyone to watch the game in the Cardiff clubhouse.
“But since I took the Wales job they are fuming with me and pestering me every day, asking if I can still get the tickets and have I got any free drinks.
“They only wanted to go with me because I get a pint for £2!
“They are frightened to death they will have to pay £3.50 per pint.
“I’m not sure they wanted me there for my company or my contacts!
“I haven’t told them this, but I have managed to get them some free vouchers.”
With that headache taken care of, Sherratt can focus on trying to breathe fire into the Dragons, against a team who are 50-1 ON to win in Cardiff and wrap up the Triple Crown.
And making ten changes to the side beaten by Italy shows he is not afraid to back himself.
Sherratt added: “It’s exceptional circumstances this week. There’s no hiding away from that.
“I want us to be cohesive, brave and to improve. And we’ll see where that takes us.”
A MAJOR fashion chain is shutting another high street store for good today with 100 branches still at risk.
New Look is closing its branch in Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf, with many more stores expected to follow suit.
The news comes shortly after reports emerged that the fashion retailer is accelerating plans to close nearly 100 stores, following challenges linked to the Autumn Budget tax changes.
The sites at Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, as well as in St Austell, Cornwall, and Porth, Rhondda Cynon Taf have also shut up shop.
A New Look spokesperson said: “Our store in Porth is set close on February 22.
“We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years.
“We hope customers continue to shop with us online at newlook.com, where our full product ranges can be found.”
Local residents have wasted no time expressing their disappointment over the closure on social media.
One shopper said on Facebook: “So sad! The staff have worked so hard to keep this shop open.
“They have been a credit to New Look.”
Another said: “May as well knock Porth down. There’ll be no shops left.”
A third said: “Every town centre is the same.
“It’s sad but if most people shop online or out of town the only people to blame are us as customers for not using the shops enough.”
New Look is ramping up a store closure programme ahead of April’s National Insurance hike.
Approximately a quarter of the retailer’s 364 stores are at risk when their leases expire.
This equates to about 91 stores, with a significant impact on it’s 8,000 strong workforce.
The company has restructured its store estate twice in the past six years, reducing its portfolio from around 600 UK stores in 2018.
FOUNDED in 1969 by Tom Singh with a modest loan of £5,000 from his parents, the first shop opened in Taunton, Somerset.
Singh’s vision was simple but revolutionary: to offer the latest fashion trends at accessible prices.
This focus on “fast fashion” proved a winning formula, propelling the brand’s rapid growth throughout the following decades.
By the 1990s, New Look had expanded significantly, growing from 200 to an impressive 1,000 stores.
This period saw the introduction of new lines, including menswear, teen, and maternity wear, further broadening the brand’s appeal.
Embracing the digital age, New Look launched its online store in 2007, bringing its trendy offerings to an even wider audience.
The brand’s success wasn’t confined to the UK. New Look expanded internationally, establishing a presence in numerous countries across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
At its peak, the company boasted over 900 stores internationally and employed over 18,000 staff.
New Look’s ownership structure has also evolved over the years. In 2004, the company went private, with founder Tom Singh, chief executive Phil Wrigley, and private equity investors taking the reins.
In 2015, South African investment firm Brait SE acquired a 90% stake in New Look for £780 million, with the Singh family and management retaining the remaining 10%.
Tom Singh himself announced his departure from the company in 2019, marking the end of an era for the brand he built.
For the time being, stores remain open as usual, and no final decisions regarding closures have been made.
The move to accelerate store closures is understood to be driven by the forthcoming increase in National Insurance, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in October.
Employers currently pay NICs for most workers earning more than £9,100 a year.
The sum they pay is the equivalent of 13.8% of the employee’s earnings above that threshold.
For an employee earning £30,000, the employer would pay NICs of £2,884.20.
However, in the Autumn Statement, the Treasury announced it would increase the tax rate to 15% and reduce the threshold at which firms must pay to £5,000.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that these changes will create a £2.3billion bill for the sector.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
A New Look spokesperson said: “Our store estate is an important part of our business, alongside our best-in-class website and app.
“We have recently invested over £3million in our stores in Greater Manchester to trial new omnichannel initiatives to improve customer experience.
“We also continue to invest in our thriving online platform which has resulted in a strong online sales performance, with volumes significantly outpacing last year and an improved online margin.”
“On occasion we do have to close stores, either due to the landlord’s request or because the site becomes unviable.
“However, we always remain on the lookout for appropriate new opportunities across the country and continue to invest in our existing store estate.”
More than 70 businesses, including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s, told Rachel Reeves in an open letter last year that the changes announced in the Autumn Budget mean price hikes are a “certainty”.
But, new research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
Shevaun Haviland, the group’s director general called the situation “a pressure cooker of rising costs and taxes.”
“Firms of all shapes and sizes are telling us the national insurance hike is particularly damaging,” she said.
“Businesses are already cutting back on investment and say they will have to put up prices in the coming months.”
Almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024 after a challenging year for high street firms.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
It recorded that the remainder of the jobs lost were through “rationalisation”, as part of cost-cutting programmes by large retailers or small independents choosing to close their stores for good.
Professor Bamfield added: “The comparatively low figures for 2023 now look like an anomaly, a pause for breath by many retailers after lockdowns if you like.
“The problems of changed customer shopping habits, inflation, rising energy costs, rents and business rates have continued and forced many retailers to cut back even more strongly in 2024.”
Independent retailers, small businesses generally with between one and five stores, shed 58,616 jobs in total during the year.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
BRITS are bracing for 70mph winds and 12 hours of rain tomorrow, as the Met Office issues warnings across almost the entire UK.
A new map shows large swathes of the country covered by the yellow weather warnings – including England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Southwest England and south Wales will be hit by a nine to 12-hour deluge of rain over the course of the day.
Rain warnings are in place between 9am and 9pm, as residents are warned of potential flooding to homes and roads in those areas.
They have also been told to expect travel disruption – with bus and train services affected – as well as possible power cuts.
In the southwest, including Plymouth and Exeter, 50 to 70mm of water is expected to fall – with 30 to 40mm in other areas.
And in Wales, 30 to 50mm is predicted – with as much as 90mm on higher ground.
A third rain warning is in place in Scotland, covering Wigtown and Dumfries, between 7am and 3pm tomorrow.
As much as 50mm of rain may fall in some areas, according to forecasters, with locals advised to prepare for travel disruption and road flooding.
Meanwhile, a wind warning covers almost the whole of England – except the southeast – between 6am and 6pm.
Gusts of up to 70mph could see road, rail, air and even ferry services delayed.
These should then ease throughout the afternoon and early afternoon.
A second wind warning is also in place across the majority of northern Ireland.
However, Brits will enjoy milder conditions today, with a few showers in the north and west, building slightly into this afternoon.
These will ease off again into this evening, with blustering winds building over the course of the night.
Expanding on the weekend forecast, Met Office meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “As we shift from a cold easterly weather regime to milder westerly conditions, the Atlantic air brings with it some potentially impactful weather.
“Over the coming days, successive weather fronts bring strong winds and bands of rainfall across the UK with a risk some areas, particularly in the west later in the weekend, could see some low or even medium impacts.
“Weather warnings have been issued to highlight the potential for travel disruption, dangerous conditions near coasts and the possibility of power cuts for some.
“Temperatures are also on the rise as part of this change, possibly peaking at 16°C in sheltered areas to the east and north of high ground today and on Friday, which is well above average for the time of year.”
It comes after yesterday saw a washout across large parts of the UK.
In a post on X, the weather agency said: “Wet and windy to kick off Friday.
“Heavy pulses of rain will be accompanied by gales around coasts and hills.”
Today
A bright start for many with sunny spells and showers, mainly in the north and west, but these will become a little more widespread during the afternoon. Cloudier in the southeast to start with rain slowly clearing eastwards. Staying mild.
Tonight
Showers will tend to fade with most places becoming dry with clear spells tonight. Cloud will build from the west later with winds strengthening as gales developing in the west.
Sunday
Unsettled on Sunday with wet and windy weather spreading across all parts of the country during the day. Turning drier and brighter from the west later with blustery showers.
Drier on Monday and Tuesday with sunny spells and showers, these locally heavy and slow to clear at times. Mostly dry and sunny for a time on Wednesday. Mild throughout.
ANDREW PORTER sat for his media duties this week dressed in shorts and a T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off.
It was not a fashion statement but a joke at the prop’s expense.
Not that he was forthcoming with the details as he insisted: “I didn’t do it. It wasn’t my decision. I’m not going to say who did it either, not going to rat him out!”
But many would not have been surprised if it was the Leinster star’s own choice to turn out like that and show off his muscles — he could easily have gone for a quick gym session beforehand as there is no one fitter in rugby.
In an attritional sport, and playing in a position that punishes the body, Porter is like the Duracell Bunny that can just go on and on.
Whereas many front-rowers are normally called ashore around the hour mark or sooner, loosehead Porter’s early departures tend to only come in games that are already in the bag.
But in the tight ones — be it South Africa or the All Blacks at the World Cup or the recent November internationals — the 29-year-old nearly always goes the full 80 minutes.
Porter’s shortest game in this season’s Six Nations so far was against Scotland when he was replaced by Cian Healy after 69 minutes.
Scotland’s Zander Fagerson is the only front-rower in the same stamina bracket having played 67 minutes against Ireland and 68 against Italy.
So how does Porter do what few, if anybody else at all, can manage?
He said: “I would have always enjoyed training and enjoyed pushing myself, but I wouldn’t really do much extras in-season.
“Some days are obviously tougher than others, pre-season you’re kind of dreading a small bit, there’s good days and bad days.
“But bottom line, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else really at the moment. Where else would I rather be, really?
“In training you’re in with your mates, even if you do have tough pitch sessions and a tough pre-season, you’re there doing it alongside your mates. It’s a win-win situation.
“I go to the well a good bit in pre-season and post-season and a lot of my time off feels like time on as well because I just enjoy training so much and I enjoy just being ready for if I need to play 50 minutes or 80.
“I suppose I like to cover all bases and just be as best prepared as I can, but in terms of in-season I wouldn’t really do that much extra.
“The training that we do is something that prepares us incredibly well. They’re incredibly intense training sessions.”
Porter insisted that preparation allows him to go full tilt for all the time it is needed.
But he also stressed that it is not just about fitness. It is also about know-how.
Of course he would not have got the know-how without the stamina that has allowed him to play more than anyone else.
He added: “I’m getting a few more minutes than four years ago.
“A bit more experience under my belt in my current position.
“I suppose I was playing tighthead back then and it was relatively new to me because I made the switch from tighthead to loosehead quite early in my professional career.
“So I suppose I’m a small bit of a different player. I’ve gone through good and bad experiences along the way.
“I think that’s added to my arsenal. Hopefully I’m a better player, a more rounded player.
“It probably just came off the back of a few good games that I was playing more minutes.
“I just want to be able to cover all bases and have every box ticked really and be as best prepared as I can.
“It definitely comes through the games, playing, and you can see the games as working on your fitness as well.
“The amount you’re sprinting, the easy option would be just to plod along and hope that the ball doesn’t come towards you.
“But I suppose I’ve changed my mindset to try and get to everywhere I need to be.
“The extra minutes have helped that and helped my development as a player as well.”
Wales will see that progress up close having been able to track Porter’s development as he played 72 minutes against them last year, 73 the year before and 66 in 2022.
But Porter acknowledged that it is hard to get a handle on what type of Welsh team Ireland will face today under interim coach Matt Sherratt.
They may have lost 14 internationals in a row but Porter continued: “We’re not going to take it lightly. We’re treating it like any other game.
“We know the talent that Wales have in their squad. They have some great players and on their day they can play some great rugby, so we’re preparing as best we can.
“Wales are a different team when they’re playing at home.
“They’re a very proud nation and they take a lot of pride from playing in the Principality.
“It’s always a great atmosphere, playing there under a closed roof.
“It’s definitely a step up in terms of atmosphere, and the noise levels go up again.
“It makes it that bit more difficult on the field trying to listen for calls and stuff like that as well. It’s a great experience to be a part of.
“I’ve been on both sides of the result over there, winning and losing.
“It’s a fortress for them. So we’ll be looking to go out there and give our best.”
WHITE House officials have raged at Volodymyr Zelensky, saying he would have been “six feet under” if it wasn’t for US backup.
The scathing remarks come amid a deepening rift between Washington and Kyiv, with President Trump openly questioning Zelensky’s role in ending the war with Russia.
Now, the Ukrainian President was accused of overplaying his hand in negotiations with Trump and alienating key allies.
A senior White House Official said: “Zelensky is an actor who committed a common mistake of theater kids: He started to think he’s the character he plays on TV.
“Yes, he has been brave and stood up to Russia.
“But he would be six feet under if it wasn’t for the millions we spent, and he needs to exit stage right with all the drama.”
The White House view is that Zelensky grew too accustomed to unwavering support under former President Joe Biden, including billions in military aid and NATO backing.
Now, Trump’s inner circle believes the Ukrainian leader has overstepped, Axios reports.
“We created a monster with Zelensky,” another administration official said.
“And these Trump-deranged Europeans who won’t send troops are giving him terrible advice.”
Zelensky has already clashed with multiple senior figures in Trump’s government.
“In the course of a week, Zelensky rebuffed President Trump’s treasury secretary, his secretary of state and his vice president, all before moving on to personally insulting President Trump in the press,” one official said.
“What did Zelensky think was going to happen?”
Despite the hostility, Trump’s team is still negotiating a mineral-rights deal as part of a proposed peace agreement.
Tensions hit a new high after Trump dismissed Zelensky’s importance in peace talks.
“I don’t think he’s very important to be in meetings,” Trump told Fox News.
“He’s been there for three years. He makes it very hard to make deals.”
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump doubled down, saying: “I’ve had very good talks with Putin, and I’ve had not such good talks with Ukraine.”
The US President also blasted Zelensky’s wartime leadership, callig him a “modestly successful comedian” who must “move fast or he is not going to have a country left.”
IT’S FAIR to say Kym Marsh has had a tough week, after it was revealed she had broken up with her toyboy Samuel Thomas
But to cheer herself up, the actress, 48, took her teenage daughter Polly out for some dinner as she put the split with Sam, 29, to the back of her mind.
It comes after The Sun revealed that Kym and Sam had actually quietly split before Christmas after six months together where they called each other “soulmates”
But the former Coronation Street star is now moving on with her life and decided to spend some quality time with her daughter.
Kym shared that she’d had a lovely dinner out with Polly, 13, who she shares with her ex-husband, Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas
The mum and daughter looked happy and relaxed as they tucked into their dinner.
Sharing the moment on Instagram, proud mother Kym wrote across the snap: “The best dinner date @pollylomas at the best restaurant. Epic as always.”
This week The Sun exclusively revealed how Kym and Sam had split.
Their break-up came following the end of their time touring together with their stage show.
The split shocked fans, as the couple seemed smitten and even branded each other soulmates in a series of gushing posts.
An insider told The Sun: “Kym and Sam fell head over heels when they first met and couldn’t wait to tell the world.
“But once Kym’s role in 101 Dalmatians ended it became harder to spend time together and some of the magic they had at the beginning just disappeared.
“It’s such a shame, especially before Christmas but Kym surrounded herself with family.”
Despite being very public about their new romance, neither Kym or Sam posted about each other on Valentine’s Day last week.
Kym and Sam also spent both Christmas and New Year apart – both sharing with fans the different things they got up to.
The source added: “There is no hard feelings, it was all very cordial.”
Kym met and fell for Sam not long after the breakdown of her third marriage to Army Major Scott Ratcliff.
She told fans back in August: “Met the most amazing man ever!
“Sometimes the most unexpected things happen at the most unexpected times. @samuelthomasuk I love you #beautiful #soulmate.”
She was quickly forced forced to defend their romance after being targeted by cruel trolls.
After telling one doubter to “do one”, Kym later added in another response: “It’s time to grow up and get on with your own life instead of giving hate to someone else’s life.”
To another hater, she added: “I wonder what’s missing from your life that you need to comment on others. Sad really.”
Kym – whose son David was born the same year as Samuel – revealed she had split from her third husband, Army Major Scott Ratcliff, 35, in May 2023.
The actress called time on her relationship with Scott because of the strain of their jobs – just 18 months after a stellar run on Strictly Come Dancing.
The actress has son David, and is also mum to Emilie, 27, and 13-year-old Polly.
She also became a grandmother in May 2019 when Emilie gave birth to a baby boy.
BRITAIN’S Got Talent is kicking off its new season today which promises to be full of drama and action.
At one point of the show, the production team had to stop filming when the audience hurled abuse at judges.
Among the boos and repeated insults directed at Simon Cowell were yells of, “You old fart” when he criticised any performers.
BGT has also had a huge shake-up behind the scenes with a new face joining the panel.
Social media megastar KSI will be stepping in as a guest judge for the first few episodes.
The show returns to ITV for its 18th series at 7pm tonight and is set to be the longest-running season in the show’s history.
Follow our live blog below for the latest news and updates…
IT’S 2016 and Miss Great Britain, Zara Holland, has been stripped of her title for having sex on Love Island.
Bosses at the competition announced “with deep regret” that she had been “de-crowned” as they felt they could no longer promote her as a positive role model.
The decision prompted widespread outrage, with women across the UK branding it “misogynistic” and criticising the organisation for “publicly condemning a woman for having sex”.
Miss Great Britain then issued another statement, saying “they have no problem with sex” but couldn’t “condone what happened on national TV”.
At that point, beauty pageants in the UK had long been plagued with accusations of objectifying and “degrading” women, putting immense pressure on contestants to maintain a certain image and contributing to unrealistic beauty standards.
For many women – both involved in the pageant industry and not – watching Zara cruelly lose her crown in front of millions of people was the moment these criticisms were validated.
That includes Miss Great Britain South East winner Amelia Perrin, who didn’t compete again after witnessing her fellow pageant queen “being thrown under the bus”.
The 28-year-old’s local win saw her land a place to compete in Miss Great Britain, where she was actually paired with Zara to learn a dance for the contest.
When Zara was “de-crowned” on national television by an organisation that she was “so dedicated to”, Amelia remembers thinking: “F**k this.”
“I just remember looking at the announcement and thinking, ‘God, this is so old fashioned and outdated’,” she recalls.
“I realised that feminism and pageantry don’t go hand-in-hand.”
Amelia, from Essex, went on to publicly condemn Miss Great Britain for stripping Zara of her title, saying that “the pressure to remain ‘perfect’ is unattainably high” for pageant winners.
In the nine years that have followed, the British public has taken less and less of an interest in pageantry.
“It’s because of social media,” Amelia predicts. “Pageantry is just about beautiful girls, but there’s social media platforms full of beautiful girls now.
“And even on social media, the girls who ‘win’ all the followers are the ones who come across as very authentic.
“I think there’s more of a shift towards seeing women as authentic, vulnerable human beings – and that doesn’t come across in pageantry.”
Among the other indicators of pageantries decline are shrinking prize funds.
Miss Great Britain used to win £10,000 back in the Seventies, but now she wins a photoshoot and paid-for dinner somewhere fancy, like at The Shard.
Some winners have even handed back their titles.
That includes 2017 Miss United Continents UK winner Zoiey Smale after being told by organisers that she was “too big” and needed to go on a diet.
Beauty pageant contestants compete in on-stage events like interviews, catwalks, fashion shows and talent showcases.
The qualifying rounds before the big event involve social media tasks, fundraising and activism.
During fashion rounds, contestants are judged on appearance, confidence and communication as they strut down the stage.
Some fashion rounds held by leading pageant organisations include ‘Beach Body’, evening gown, swimwear and sports.
I think there’s more of a shift towards seeing women as authentic, vulnerable human beings – and that doesn’t come across in pageantry
Amelia Perrin
A number of pageant rounds have come under scrutiny, including Miss England’s ‘Make-up Free’ round, where contestants post bare faced photos of themselves on social media.
Miss England organisers declared earlier this month that the divisive segment is staying in the contest, despite talks about scrapping it altogether at the start of the year.
Some beauty queens had challenged the round, which is held in the qualifiers, for not giving women agency to make decisions about their appearance.
Beauty pageant contestants also advocate for social causes, aiming to represent and raise money for a community or organisation as an ambassador.
Dislike of beauty pageants is not a new phenomenon.
During the 1970 Miss World contest, feminist activists dramatically flour-bombed the stage at a packed-out Royal Albert Hall in London.
Britain’s Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM) staged the protest over the objectification of women and wanted to make a dramatic statement against misogyny.
They had been inspired by a similar protest the preceding year by the American WLM who had thrown bras in a dustbin and crowned a sheep Miss Universe.
The most recognisable beauty pageants in the UK are Miss Great Britain and Miss England.
On the international stage, the four major contests are Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth.
Beauty pageants have put celebrities like Molly-Mae Hague on the map, with the Love Islander-turned-entrepreneur competing in Miss Teen Great Britain in 2015 and winning the World Teen Supermodel UK crown aged 17 in 2016.
“I am forever grateful to the system for making me the girl I am today, I truly believe that things in my life wouldn’t be as good as they are now if I hadn’t stepped on that stage back in 2015,” she told of her experience.
Fellow Love Island alumni Ekin-Su Culculoglu, who came onto the scene as a bombshell in 2022, also took her first big step into the world of showbiz in beauty pageants when she was in her teens.
She was in several competitions, including Miss Asia Pacific World in 2011.
Model and former-WAG Danielle Lloyd also cut her teeth on the British pageant circuit, and was crowned Miss Great Britain in 2006.
However, she was stripped of her title half way through her reign after letting slip that she was in a long-term relationship with judge and England ace Teddy Sheringham, who had been the only judge to vote for her on the night.
Social media platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) are awash with negative opinions about beauty pageants.
“Frankly, there is no difference between a pageant and a show like Squid Games,” one anonymous poster claimed. “I agree that is shallow b*******t, but some people enjoy this, and thus they watch it, thus the show makes money.”
“I hate that they exist because they’re misogynistic and try to impose beauty standards on girls from a young age,” another believes.
And while the industry has been dying a slow death for many years in the UK, other countries have been quicker to denounce pageantry.
I hate that they exist because they’re misogynistic and try to impose beauty standards on girls from a young age
Reddit user
After 35 years, the annual Miss Netherlands competition was declared finished in December last year. The contest’s owner herself even dubbed the concept outdated.
Miss Italy is also struggling.
The pageant has its own Netflix show, named Miss Italia Mustn’t Die, airing on Wednesday (February 26).
It focuses on bosses are desperately trying to salvage the competition amid scandals and changing beauty standards.
Following World War Two, a number of seaside resorts around the United Kingdom introduced beauty contests.
The first pageant of its kind, held in Morecambe in 1945, went on to become Miss Great Britain.
Alongside it was Miss England, which had its first competition in 1928 but got properly underway as a beauty pageant in 1953.
The winner of the first ever Miss Great Britain in 1945 was 18-year-old Lydia Reid, a civil service typist, who received a cup and a paltry prize (according to the local paper) of seven guineas, as well as a swimsuit.
Prize money increased to £100 the following year, £500 the next and reached £1,000 in the fifties due to the competition’s popularity, with it becoming a form of seaside entertainment for holidaying Brits.
“The contests were aimed at a family audience,” a blurb on the Miss GB website reads.
“Men could enjoy watching pretty girls, women could have fun backing their favourites and young girls could aspire to be a bathing beauty when they grew up.”
Morecambe Town Council put the contest up for sale following the 1989 final and it was purchased by new owners who rebranded it as the ‘Miss Great Britain Organisation’.
Former pageant queen Katrina Hodge doesn’t think that beauty pageants are completely dead – she just thinks they need a new lease of life.
Namely, they need to not focus on women’s bodies or appearance, but rather their confidence and charity work.
The mum-of-two, who was known as Combat Barbie in the Noughties for being a serving soldier while competing in Miss Great Britain, actually campaigned to have the swimwear round taken out of the contest on the grounds that it was “degrading” in 2009.
However, she doesn’t believe that the entire concept of pageantry is degrading.
So much so, she is now the director of two contests in the UK, named Miss Supranational United Kingdom and Mrs UK World (which is for married women).
“When I was Miss England, your measurements were read out when you walked on stage,” Katrina explains.
“I didn’t really understand why, to be a role model and somebody that became a charity ambassador, you needed to be the person with the most amazing bum.
“So yes, I campaigned to have the section taken out back then.”
I didn’t really understand why, to be a role model and somebody that became a charity ambassador, you needed to be the person with the most amazing bum
Katrina Hodge
Fast forward to today, Katrina actually has a swimwear round in both of her pageants – but it’s not compulsory, and the contestants can wear sportswear instead.
“The girls don’t get marked any differently if they wear sportswear, because we’re not actually marking a single point on their figure,” she says. “It’s all about their confidence.
“So you get some girls that will come dressed as a boxer because they do boxing – it’s all about showing personality on stage.”
Katrina also doesn’t agree with the notion that pageants are inherently anti–feminist.
“Feminism is about women having a choice,” she tells. “Nobody’s holding a gun to my head, or the women that take part in the competition.
“We are having a choice to take part in this, and if you choose not to take part in it, that’s your choice too. Pageantry is feminism.”
Katrina adds that “beauty is what’s on the inside too”, and she strives for her pageants to represent this.
In the age of OnlyFans models and controversial ‘influencers’ like Bonnie Blue, Katrina believes the charity work done by beauty queens is worth just as much attention.
If it’s fine for women to express themselves and do OnlyFans, then what’s wrong with women raising awareness and funds for charity, and walking on stage having the time of their life
Katrina Hodge
“If it’s fine for women to express themselves and do OnlyFans, then what’s wrong with women raising awareness and funds for charity?” she says.
“They’re walking on stage having the time of their life.
“As a mum, I know who I would want my daughters to be influenced by.
“Pageant girls all the way.”
Techies have tried to give beauty pageants an AI lease of life – but this has proved as controversial as the contests themselves.
The world’s first artificial intelligence-generated beauty pageant didn’t receive the alluring praise in April 2024 that the event’s creators hoped for.
The digital competition invited computer whizzes to design the ultimate AI beauty queen – and the sculptor to generate the most desirable woman was awarded the digital title of Miss AI.
A $5,000 cash prize was also up for grabs.
But the faux contest was condemned by some techies who branded it as a “disintegrating society”.
“Beauty pageant for AI women? What is the world turning into,” one person criticised on Facebook at the launch of the digital event.
A second wrote: “Wow, I have a theory that we are getting dumber by the day, and this fits in perfectly.”
Real Housewives of Atlanta star and model Claudia Jordan even ripped the contest, comparing it to photoshopped pictures.