Northumberland student qualifies for final of Miss England beauty contest

It is a remarkable success for Corel Antwhistle given that it is also the first pageant she has ever entered.

The 21-year-old admitted: “It's something I’d wanted to do for a long time but just have never had the confidence to put myself out there.

"I really didn’t think I’d get any further than the application process because there are roughly 50,000 women who enter every year so it’s quite an achievement to make it to the final.”

Corel made it through the semi-finals last week as 40 participants were whittled down to 16. She is now looking forward to the final on October 13-14.

“Being with all the girls in the semi-finals surprised me a lot,” she admitted. “I thought it would be a little like the movies, but it was nothing like that.

"All the girls were so kind to each other and so supportive. there were compliments flying around the room at all times, about the dresses, hair, make-up or just how beautiful someone was in general.

"It was so lovely and made everyone feel so much more comfortable.”

Now living in Hexham, Corel has lived in various parts of Northumberland as a result of her parents’ jobs in hospitality.

“I've lived in Venezuela, Florida and London but have been in Northumberland for about nine years now,” she revealed. “I've lived in Rothbury, Morpeth, Alnwick, Chathill, Longframlington, Longhorsely and now Hexham.”

She is working in the Cumbria Park Hotel in Carlisle over the summer before continuing her fine art degree at Northumbria University in the autumn.

Corel has received sponsorship from Lowes Financial Management on her Miss England journey.

Now she is on a mission to raise £10,000 by undertaking an 11.5 mile walk in the Cheviots in aid of Beauty with a Purpose, the charity created by Miss World founder Julia Morley.

The walk, created as part of the RAF100 Celebrations, encompasses three crash sites as well as passing the RAF memorial to the airmen who lost their lives in the Cheviot Hills from 1939 to 1946.