Thurso girls have their sights set on pageant glory
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
TWO friends from Thurso have reached the finals of a national teenage beauty pageant.
Hannah McDermott and Maryellen (Elly) McPhee have been named as Miss Teen Caithness Galaxy and Miss Teen Northern Highland Galaxy respectively.
Both have won a place in the grand final of Miss Teen Galaxy Scotland 2012.
This will see Hannah and Elly – who have known each other since before primary school – competing in the event at the Park Hall Hotel, Lancashire, in March with girls from all over the country.
The winner of Miss Teen Galaxy Scotland will travel to the USA, along with contestants from all over the world, to compete in the Miss Teen Galaxy International final, which is being held in the summer.
Both girls have been issued with sashes and are now looking for charity fundraisers and other community events to attend in their roles as possible future beauty queens.
“It’s not about standing on the sidelines we have to be actually taking part,” said Hannah. “I’m looking forward to it – I can’t wait.”
Hannah (17) entered the competition online in September and found out she was selected a week later by e-mail.
“I had a typical girl reaction, I just kind of screamed and was jumping up and down,” she said. “It was a good thing I was by myself at the time.
“My parents were over the moon for me.”
She added: “I would love to win.”
The former Thurso High School pupil has always wanted to go into modelling and thinks that this could be a chance to jump-start her career.
She currently has a contract with online model agency Models Direct.
Meanwhile, North Highland College UHI business and finance student Elly (17) secretly entered the competition around a week after Hannah.
“I never expected to get in,” she said. “I got a letter and my mum said to me ‘you are one step closer to the crown Elly’.
“I’d completely forgotten I’d entered.”
Elly has never done any modelling before and said that while her friend is “in it to win it” she just wants to have fun and enjoy the experience as much as possible.
The student used to be in a local gymnastics team and is a lance corporal in the Army Cadets having been a member of for the last five years.
She plans to go on to do accountancy at university in a couple of years.
The teenager explained that she had not heard of the competition before entering but has seen previous entrants on TV programmes such as E4’s Tool Academy, Signed By Katie Price and Channel 5’s Big Brother.
“One of last year’s finalists is even carrying the Olympic torch this year,” said Elly.
“Once you know about it then you realise these people are everywhere. It’s really good.”
Director of the UK Galaxy pageants Holly Ikin said that the girls now have a chance to really change their futures.
“The international final is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and will be a truly amazing experience,” she said.
“Earlier this year Robyn Ferguson, from West Dunbartonshire, was crowned Miss Teen Galaxy Scotland and flew to Chicago to represent the country.
“Robyn has enjoyed a fabulous year during her reign and has been inundated with amazing opportunities.”
