Lancaster prison officer backed by Tyson Fury named Miss England runner up

Monday, 20 May 2024 12:46

A prison officer from Lancaster backed by Tyson Fury has been named a runner up in Miss England 2024.

Melissa Butcher won the Miss England Sportswoman competition ahead of the beauty contest's main final last week in Wolverhampton.

Melissa, who works in a prison as her day job, qualified for the final 12 of Miss England by beating other competitors in a fitness and running event in Coventry.

The new Miss England was crowned at an event staged at Grand Central in Wolverhampton – with 24-year-old Melissa finishing as one of two runners-up.

Milla McGee, god-daughter of Meg Matthews and Noel Gallagher, was named overall winner and will now take her place in the Miss World Final.

Melissa, along with Charlotte Grant from Liverpool, were runners up.

She said her day job was "completely different to the beauty pageants and that lifestyle, dealing with prisoners on a daily basis".

"People tell me that I don't typically look like a normal prison officer, but I want to show that you don't have to look a certain way or be a certain gender stereotype to be in the prison service," she said.

"When I first got into the pageant world I thought it was all based on your looks. I was completely wrong. It's based on charity, fundraising, how you are as a person, what you stand for.

"With myself I am promoting women working in male dominated careers. I want to raise awareness that you don't have to be typically rough and tough, big and strong, you can be a petite girl and do the job just as well as the men can."

Melissa previously worked on reception at Jo & Cass hair salon in Lancaster, also doing a hairdressing qualification.

She moved into the prison service around three years ago.

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