An aspiring model representing Chelmsford in a national beauty pageant wants to challenge the stereotypes such competitions bring.
Miss Chelmsford, Sophie-Marie Clarke, will be vying for the title of Miss International-UK, which would see her represent the country at the world finals in Japan.
The 23-year-old, who lives in Margaretting Tye, said: "You don't have to be stupid to be in a beauty competition – it gets such a lot of negative press.
"People perceive it to be all about beauty, that's an element of it, but it's more about being beautiful from the inside out and making the best of what you have got."
The competition features an interview round, fashion round, swimwear round and ball gown round and entrants must have never been married or be a mother.
Miss Clarke was headhunted for Miss International UK pageant finals on Sunday, July 13, in Manchester after competing in Miss London in April.
The former Ingatestone Anglo-European student said: "I stumbled across Miss London while I was living in Majorca where I sang professionally for two years.
"Since finishing I got into modelling and childcare and although i didn't win Miss London, I got an email from them saying I was the best one they interviewed and would I like to try for Miss International-UK."
Miss Clarke, who works in childcare, has previously appeared in music videos for the likes of Chelmsford's Olly Murs and Professor Green.
She also does a lot of charity work, in particular for breast cancer charity Bosom Buddies and Broomfield Hospital's Children's Burns Unit.
"My niece Leale had meningitis when she was younger and is in and out of there all the time," said Miss Clarke.
"The complications are quite severe and the reason she is in the burns unit is because they treat a meningitis scar in the same way as they treat a burn.
"They help her enormously and do so much like taking her on holiday."
Sophie will be making a guest appearance at Chelmsford's Evoke Nightclub tomorrow (June 21) alongside Kiss FM's Andi Durrant.
