In 2016, 26-year-old Emma King took home the title of Miss British Beauty Curve.
(Image: Emma King)
Now, almost 10 years later, the Croydon social media manager is back in the spotlight as a finalist for Ms Great Britain 2025, hoping to use her platform to inspire, empower, and make a real difference in her community.
The now 35-year-old told Your Local Guardian: “I’ve grown up in Croydon my whole life, and I trained as an actress, and fell into modelling at the same time, and that’s how I found pageantry.
“I entered my first pageant when I was 25 and came first runner up.
“The following year, I reapplied and was named Miss British Beauty Curve.
“The year after that, I went in for Miss International and landed first runner up for that too.”
(Image: Emma King)
After three years of pageantry, Emma took a break.
She entered digital marketing, had a baby, and realised that pageantry was something she was truly passionate about.
She added: “I got a lot out of pageantry; it was very empowering.
“You make amazing friends, and I just knew that I wanted to do another pageant, but I just didn’t know when.
“But I feel like now’s the perfect time, because of the job that I do.”
Emma is being sponsored by Scaramanga Marketing and Brid’s Tanning and Beauty.
On top of pageantry, Emma is passionate about fundraising and supporting others.
“My love for fundraising and helping charities sometimes doesn’t get a light shone on them,” she said.
“For instance, endometriosis is something that I suffer from, and I wanted to support the charity.
“I’m also running a 10k on July 19 for cancer research, and I chose this charity because many of my family members are battling different types of cancer, and it’s also one of the main charities supported by the pageant.
“They even have a special award for the contestant who raises the most or brings the most exposure to charities.”
Emma’s passion for fundraising extends beyond cancer research.
She’s also a spokesperson for her employer’s support program for women dealing with gynaecological issues, inspired by her own experience with endometriosis.
To qualify for the pageant, Emma submitted a series of videos and a detailed written application outlining her passions, motivations, and what she would bring to the role if she won.
She explained: “I had to film a formal interview video, fill out a long application about why I’m doing this, and then record another video to show my personality and how I present myself.”
Once through to the finals, contestants take part in multiple rounds during the event itself, including an opening round, swimwear, and evening wear.
But there are also optional side awards, such as Most Photogenic, Best in Interview, and a Charity Award for those who raise the most or bring the most exposure to their chosen causes.
Emma says one of her goals is to win Best in Interview.
Emma said: “If I get that, I’ve got a really good chance of winning.
“You’ve got to be able to present yourself, speak well, and handle being in front of cameras and photographers. You’re thrown into everything.”
She’s also aiming for the Appearances Award, which rewards contestants who go the extra mile to get involved in their communities and raise their profiles.
She added: “I’m putting myself out there quite a lot, by getting into the paper, attending events, and just really shouting about what I’m doing.
“If you just enter and don’t do anything, you won’t get anywhere.
“It’s not just about being beautiful.
“There’s so much more behind it.”
The winners will be crowned at the grand final on October 17 at The Athena in Leicester.