Belfast beauty pageant star Eden McAllister crowned Miss Great Britain

"A small dream of mine has become a reality and I can’t quite believe it."

By Lauren Harte 19:31, 20 SEP 2021 UPDATED 07:49, 21 SEP 2021

Eden McAllister after being crowned Miss GB

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Belfast student Eden McAllister is on cloud nine after being crowned Miss Great Britain 2021 and bringing the title back to Northern Ireland for the first time in nine years.

The 22-year-old from East Belfast took the top spot at the UK’s longest-running and most prestigious pageant just days before she begins another new chapter in her life – starting a masters degree in law at Queen’s University, Belfast.

A stunned Eden was surrounded by 20 members of her family and friends when her name was called out as the winner at Friday night’s Miss GB grand final in Leicester.

It followed two days of intense heats when Eden was competing against 36 other girls to secure the crown.

She also emerged as this year’s Miss Beach Body winner and reached the Top 10 in the talent category.

Her big win of the Miss GB title will see her go on to compete at Miss Tourism World, the date and venue of which has yet to be announced.

It has certainly been an action packed few days for the Dundonald girl who just last week also graduated with First Class Honours in Criminology and Forensic Science at Northumbria University.

She told Belfast Live : “When my name was called out on Friday night, everyone was screaming and cheering for me which I wasn’t expecting at all. It was just incredible and I felt so proud but shocked and I couldn’t stop shaking.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet as I only got back home in the early hours of Sunday morning so I haven’t even had a chance to sit down and relax yet.

"It has been a jam packed few days. I had my graduation in Northumbria on Wednesday, then I travelled to Leicester for the start of the two-day Miss GB contest on Thursday morning.

“Today is the first day of my masters degree in Queen’s so I hope to be able to combine studying part-time for that with my new commitments as Miss GB.

“Hard work and determination is going to be needed for the year ahead but I am ready for that as I’m used to being kept busy.”

Miss Great Britain Eden McAllister, centre, with Kirsty Fletcher and Katherine Henry

Eden was born with spina bifida but the condition wasn’t diagnosed until she was in her mid-teens and it has certainly never held her back.

The former Methodist College pupil entered and won her first pageant — Miss Team Galaxy Ireland — in 2016 and ended up going to Florida for the Galaxy Internationals later that year.

A year later she made it into the top five of the Miss Northern Ireland contest and, after moving to England to study at university, she won the final of Miss Pageant Girl UK in 2019.

Eden first travelled to Northumbria on Wednesday for her graduation ceremony

The historic Miss Great Britain event is an annual, national beauty pageant that has been crowning winners since 1945.

Every year the competition attracts a mix of independent and empowered women, giving them the platform to showcase their brand and the causes they support.

Despite running for 76 years, Eden is only the fourth woman to bring the coveted Miss GB crown back to Northern Ireland, following in the footsteps of Gemma Garrett, who also hails from Dundonald, in 2007.

Eden added: “Northern Ireland has been overlooked in the past as there have only ever been three Miss GB titleholders from here.

"It is incredible for someone from Northern Ireland to be successful, especially in our centenary year. I gave it my all and worked so hard and all I ever wanted was to do Belfast and Northern Ireland proud. A small dream of mine has become a reality and I can’t quite believe it.”

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/whats-on/be/belfast-beauty-pageant-star-edenmcallister-21625344