Rochdale pageant queen goes for national crown on a budget

Rochdale pageant queen Demi-Lee Mills is competing for the title of UK’s National Miss 2022 with a twist this year – competing on a budget.

Demi-Lee, of Kingsway, will be representing Lancashire as Miss Lancashire in the competition on 2 July, where she hopes to bring home the National Miss Crown.

No stranger to pageants, this year Demi-Lee, an ambassador for raising awareness of sexual assault, has decided to compete on a budget by wearing mostly second-hand and pre-loved dresses.

She said: “People think you need to spend a lot of money to win a pageant, but I want to show them that you don’t have to spend all your wage to be in the chance to win.

“I’ve been told the reason people won’t enter a pageant is because it’ll cost too much and they just couldn’t possibly afford it, so I’ve decided to use my platform to share that you can do it all on a budget.

“I’m hoping to get people to start going to charity shops as it doesn’t just help the charity and reduce items ending up in landfill, but it also helps the buyer save money whilst staying stylish.”

Demi-Lee says she found her love for second-hand items at a young age and now most of her belongings hail from charity shops: “From my couch to the shoes on my feet, I often find myself walking into a charity shop to find something I need rather going into the local stores. 

“I’ve often had people who compliment my outfits in shock when I tell them it’s all from the charity shop. They find it hard to believe my outfit costs under £30.”

She added: “I know we all are looking at ways to save money after the price of living is going up. I just want to help people see there are gems in the second-hand market; you just have to look in order to find them.

“I am incredibly excited for July to show what I can do on a budget.”

Demi-Lee last year reached the final 10 in one of the world’s largest beauty pageants, Miss International UK, after holding the title of Miss Lancashire International 2021.

 

Read more: Local beauty pageant queen places in top 10 for Miss International UKPublished: 30 July 2021

 

The National Miss 2022 takes place on 2 July. The UK’s National Miss competition will be held at the Mercure Hotel, Manchester Piccadilly, across two days, with the activity day on 1 July, and the grand finals on 2 July.