A UNIVERSITY student who was bullied at school over her sexuality has become the first openly gay Miss England.
Grace Richardson, now 20, was picked on and subjected to homophobic abuse when she came out five years ago.
But she has had the last laugh by winning the national beauty pageant.
The musical theatre student, from Leicester, said: “Knowing that I’m able to share my story and represent a part of our community that hasn’t been represented in this way before is really special.
“It is important for young people in the LGBTQ community to see people representing them in all types of walks of life.
“I haven’t seen anyone in pageantry talk about sexuality in the way that I have so it is important to me for them to feel seen.”
Grace won Miss Leicestershire 2024 and this year’s Miss East Midlands.
She took the Miss England crown at the finals in Wolverhampton — and goes on to Miss World next year.
Grace said: “I wasn’t expecting it to be me.
“There was so many incredible girls in that top 12 and I think all of them deserved to win.
“I’m feeling quite empowered right now knowing that there is a whole community of women out there that are going to hopefully feel inspired by the fact that I have gone and said that so publicly in a competition where it’s not really talked about.”
