Great Britain’s Miss Universe pageant has been around for 66 years and throughout it’s entirety, it’s been pretty damn vanilla. However, this year Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers won the pageant, switching up the game and the pageant’s history. The 25-year-old Anguilla native became the first black woman to represent the British territory and the United Kingdom in this year’s Miss Universe competition.
Kentish-Rogers is a law school graduate and became Miss Anguilla in 2017. She shared a couple of winning statements with Buzzfeed, "I think it’s really humbling and I think it’s also a privilege for me to become the first black woman who is crowned Miss Universe Great Britain."
She also sees this as a step forward for the pageant and believes the competition is moving in the right direction.
"I believe that this is the direction that the pageant has been going in for the last couple of years because Britain is a diverse nation, we are a multicultural society and it is time that that diversity is seen on a stage where other young black girls and girls of all ethnicities can see that this is something for everybody not just some of us," Kentish-Rogers stated.
Buzzfeed also got the scoop from Paula Abbandonato, the national director for Miss Universe Great Britain:
"I am absolutely delighted that Dee-Ann has won the title this year. I took over this role in 2008 and I can honestly say there is no better gift then having our first black winner to celebrate 10 years in the job. Dee-Ann is a true role model for all women of all skin colours and with her dynamism off the stage, coupled with her presence on the stage, I genuinely believe Great Britain has a chance at the Miss Universe crown this year."
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for Dee-Ann Kentish Rogers and hope for a big win come December.
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