Latest news with #MissGreatBritain
Daily Mail
13-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I paid £25 for a quick fix to get a better tan - but I've been left with irreversible damage on my face
A former beauty queen has revealed how using a nasal tanning spray just twice in her 20s left her with permanent marks on her forehead - as she issues an urgent warning to young people going to extreme lengths for a bronzed glow. Jen Atkins, 32, from Grimsby, won Miss Great Britain in 2020. But after using a £25 nasal spray that arrived with little more than a leaflet for instructions, she was left with dark, patchy marks on her skin that no treatment has been able to reverse. 'I just wanted to look good - no matter what the consequences were,' she told FEMAIL. 'Now I regret it so much.' Nasal tanning sprays, which are currently illegal in the UK and carry several health warnings, contain an artificial substance called Melanotan II, which stimulates the body's production of melanin and makes the skin look darker. Jen had tried tanning injections in the past but disliked needles. So when a nasal tanning spray landed in her Instagram inbox, it seemed like an ideal solution - and she had no idea that the spray would have lasting consequences for her body. 'It made me feel important,' she said. 'Especially back then - I didn't used to get offers from companies. Tanning was right up my street.' The spray came with vague instructions and no real warning. 'I wish I'd looked into it. I never asked anyone, I just accepted it,' she admitted. 'I remember taking it one morning just before work. It said it would work even without sunbeds. But I felt so ill - I could barely drive. I felt like I was going to be sick, my face felt sunburnt.' Despite the reaction, she tried it again the next day. 'It was even worse,' she said. 'I had to stop using it. It made me feel so funny.' Soon after, Jen went on holiday to Mexico - and that's when the pigmentation started to appear. 'It developed so quickly. It was such a shock. I tried to do everything to stop it - I wore suncream, a hat. It's never gone since.' The marks - darkened, uneven patches across Jen's forehead - have now been present for over four years. 'I've tried creams, facials, exfoliants. It's horrific. Even with concealer you can still see it,' she said. 'When I started playing football, this girl said, "You've got some muck on your forehead." That was really hurtful. I had to explain it wasn't muck.' Jen says she didn't go to a doctor initially - she simply hoped the marks would fade, but they didn't. 'Someone pointed it out to me in a restaurant and said, "Don't worry, it happens." I thought - what happens?' she said. 'I knew straight away it was because of the nasal spray.' Although she's since made the permanent switch to fake tan, Jen says the damage has been lasting, both physically and emotionally. However, she's overcoming her embarrassment to share her story with the world in the hope of deterring others from using such sprays to enhance their bronzed hue, and has made television appearances in recent months. 'It took so much for me to go on This Morning and talk about it,' she said of her recent TV appearance. 'It's embarrassing, but I want to spread awareness. I don't even go on sunbeds anymore.' Jen had built a life in the public eye - as a model, a pageant winner and a country singer. Now, she says, all of that has been put on hold. 'Since I won Miss Great Britain, I've barely done anything,' she said. 'It really affected my confidence. There are points now where I'm just so self-conscious. When something makes you feel that way, it makes you question everything else.' 'Because it's right on my face, I can see people staring. It makes me feel so awkward - I'm not confrontational enough to ask what they're looking at. I used to model all the time. Now I do absolutely none of it, out of fear.' The impact on her career has been profound. 'I work an admin job now, and I'll probably do that until I die,' she said. 'I used to be a country singer - I released music, I did gigs - but I've just not had the confidence to do that again. I still write songs, but they don't leave my house.' 'I feel like what I achieved in life was because of how I used to look,' Jen continued. 'I do think I've got a good personality, but I think my looks helped me. Meeting people, modelling, travelling for work. Even with singing - it helps.' Despite her success, Jen says she never thought of herself as particularly gifted. 'I've got little bits of talent that are not great. I'm an okay singer, but I've never been really good at anything. It was just a mixture of stuff that got me places.' Now, she wants young women to understand the risks of these quick-fix beauty products. Nasal tanning sprays, many of which are illegally sold online and contain Melanotan II, are not approved for use in the UK. Melanotan II stimulates melanin production and, while it can darken the skin, it's not properly regulated. Users are often unaware of the correct dosage, the long-term side effects or how the chemical might interact with their body. These sprays can cause nausea, vomiting, increased blood pressure and, as in Jen's case, changes to skin pigmentation. Because they are largely untested and unregulated, the risk factors remain unknown - particularly when taken without medical supervision. In May, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute issued an urgent warning against the use of tanning sprays, or any other tanning product that is 'inhaled or ingested'. The Melanoma Fund has also warned that use of the products 'may also encourage abnormal skin cell changes in response to UV exposure'. The CTSI also raised the alarm on the growing trend of people using flavoured nasal tanning sprays, drops and gummies. They warned that 'unscrupulous' sellers on Facebook and TikTok were posting pictures of the products available in child-friendly flavours such as peach, bubblegum, grape, strawberry and lime. The regulator said it feared they could become the latest 'must have' products among young people 'leading to a youth epidemic as we saw with disposable vapes'. Susanna Daniels, chief executive of the skin-cancer charity Melanoma Focus, said: 'We're becoming increasingly concerned about the use of both nasal tanning sprays and tanning injections and their potential links with melanoma skin cancer. 'These unregulated and illegal products not only pose serious health risks but also encourage harmful behaviours, particularly among young consumers. 'We urge the public to consider the long-term impacts on their health and avoid using these substances altogether.' 'Don't rush into it,' Jen warned. 'Do your research. We only have one body, and a lot of these products can affect you in irreversible ways. Make sure you know what you're putting into your body.' Jen also believes social media and influencer culture have played a huge part in fuelling demand for unsafe beauty products. 'One hundred per cent,' she said. 'I used to be a massive fan of Love Island, but I haven't watched it the last three years because it annoys me. I think we've lost the meaning of the word influencer.' 'I always wanted to be an influencer. But people want it now for the wrong reasons. We're supposed to use our following to promote good things. 'These days, people will promote anything if they're paid or get free stuff. They don't care what they're promoting, it's about self-importance, money and fame, and it's a shame. 'I could have promoted that nasal tan,' she added. 'There are so many who will post anything, no matter how damaging it could be to their followers.' While she's no longer in the spotlight, Jen says the experience has changed her relationship with beauty and how she treats her body. 'I look after myself more now,' she said. 'I haven't used sunbeds in about three years. It's made me realise that things can happen to you - even if you think they won't.' 'More than anything,' she added, 'it's just made me really self-conscious.' Jen's story, while concerning, is not the only frightening consequence of using tanning nasal sprays. Last year, Edith Eagle, from King's Lynn, Norfolk, revealed how the £25 spray she bought to enhance her bronze glow almost killed her. The mother-of-four, who works as a chef, was left unable to breathe when her face ballooned as the tanning spray she bought online 'poisoned' her on holiday. Ms Egale woke up on the second day of her family holiday last April with a swollen face and struggling to breathe. Hospital staff acted quickly and treated her with a high dose of steroids and discharged later that day. But she said it took more than a week for her symptoms to subside Edith woke up on the second day of her holiday with a swollen face, which left her unrecognisable to family, and struggling to breathe. The 'frightening' incident saw her rushed to hospital. She was treated with a high dose of steroids after being rushed to the nearest hospital on the Canary island. Shocking pictures of the incident show her lying in a hospital bed. Edith, who also owns a wedding venue with husband Carl Fox, 54, believes she suffered an allergic reaction to something in the spray, and is urging others to avoid using similar products. She said the ingredients weren't listed on the label of the product, meaning she doesn't know what she was allergic to. She used the tan after step-daughter Kayla Fox, 33, suggested getting nasal spray as a way of getting a quicker tan. 'I googled it and saw it pop up online and ordered it,' Edith said. 'I think I paid £25 for the bottle. I like being tanned because I prefer not using makeup. I always liked looking fresh-looking with a tan. 'On the first day, we were so brown, I've never experienced anything like it. I was very tanned after one day. 'But the next morning, I woke up and realised I couldn't breathe properly. I then noticed I was completely swollen. I was so out of breath and had to concentrate so much on breathing. It was really difficult to breathe. 'My neck was so swollen that my necklace was tight. I was just swollen everywhere. I realised it must be an allergic reaction.' She added: 'There's no ingredients on the bottle — you don't know what you're putting in the body.' Edith contacted the hotel reception who called a taxi to drive her to the nearest hospital, where she was fast-tracked through the emergency department. Hospital staff have her a high dose of steroids and discharged her later that day. But she said it took more than a week for her symptoms to fully subside. 'I said to the consultant the only thing I've done differently this week is take this nasal spray,' she said. 'I've never had an allergic reaction in my whole life to any foods or anything. I think it was definitely the spray. 'I wouldn't be standing here if the hospital staff hadn't acted so quickly. I was rushed straight through. It was so frightening.' Since the incident she has seen other people post about similar reactions to tanning nasal sprays on social media. Ms Eagle said she could have 'died that day'. 'If they hadn't been so hands-on that day in the hospital, I wouldn't be here to tell the tale,' she said. 'I will never again buy anything like this again - especially from the internet. How they can sell sprays with no ingredients listed is so worrying. I'd rather not have a tan. 'It was frightening for my family to see me like that. I feel grateful to be alive. 'Please don't make the same mistake as me. If this can save someone's life then I would rather suffer for anyone else before they make a stupid decision like me! I blame myself,' she added.
South Wales Argus
09-07-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Cardiff mum creates documentary on postpartum depression
Sydnee Smith, now 21, became a mum to her son Parker, 2, at age 19. She convinced herself that Parker didn't love her, as he'd cry in her arms and settle down when visitors were present. Sydnee realised something was wrong when she started having graphic visions when her son was two months old. Sydnee suffered from graphic visions when Parker was two months old (Image: Supplied) She recalled changing his nappy and having illusions of Parker lifting his head and throwing it back down or bathing him and him drowning. Sydnee, a media and film graduate, from Cardiff, said: "I loved my baby, but I didn't think he loved me. I was adamant that he'd be better off without me. "I'd be driving and suddenly think 'should I drive off and kill us both?' 'He doesn't want to be with me'. I was petrified from going out driving." Sydnee found out she was pregnant unexpectantly when she was just 18. She had just been accepted into the University of South Wales but decided to still go, hiding her baby bump under baggy clothes for the first semester. Sydnee gave birth to Parker in December 2022 and immediately started to grapple with the feeling that he didn't love her. Sydnee juggled university and raising Parker before graduating (Image: Supplied) She said: "I was trying to be the perfect person for everyone. I was determined to prove everyone wrong. "I don't remember much from when he was first born - I was in my head. "From the moment he was born I'd have visitors all the time. By myself my baby was always crying and I'd be trying to settle him. A visitor would come over and he'd be completely still. That would upset me because I'd think I'm the problem." Sydnee's visions became worse when Parker was around two months old and she went to her doctor after five months of dealing with them. She was then diagnosed with postpartum depression. She was offered tablets but chose to see if she could manage it herself first – but she urges mums to discuss all options with a medical professional before making any decisions. She slowly got better by finding other mum friends and opening up about her struggles to friends and family. She joined apps and got into a better routine. Now she is graduating from her media and film course after producing a documentary on the subject - called 'Broken by Birth'. Alongside this achievement and raising Parker, Sydnee was also crowned Miss Cardiff 2025 and will compete to be Miss Great Britain in October this year. She's now striving to help others talk more openly about postpartum struggles. Sydnee has made a documentary about her struggles with postpartum depression (Image: Supplied) Sydnee said: "No women should feel embarrassed. I still have visions from time to time, but they are not awful. "I'm happier and I openly speak about postpartum depression. "Just because you're a young mum doesn't mean your life is over." The NHS says self-help, talking therapy and antidepressants can be used to treat postnatal depression but to speak to a GP, midwife of health visitor if you think you may have it.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Miss Essex's battle to get ADHD and autism test
The winner of Miss Essex 2025 said she wanted to use her platform to share her struggle to get assessed for suspected ADHD and Redgrave has plotted her difficult journey getting "believed" and tested through her Instagram page, Navigating said she wanted to break the "stigma" around women and girls being diagnosed, adding the conditions presented themselves differently in men and 29-year-old said she hoped through social media she could "give people a place to feel a bit more understood and supported". Miss Redgrave, from Basildon, was awarded her tiara last week at the Rayleigh Club and will attend the national final of Miss Great Britain on 17 year's Essex winner, Lauren Jennings, also used her award to raise neurodiversity awareness. On her Instagram page, Miss Redgrave talks about how the high volume of referrals for such conditions had made it difficult for people to get help and support."I've been fighting for an ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] and autism diagnosis for quite a while now, and I've had problems with people not believing me - like GPs submitting my referral, and then going back and checking and realising that they've actually not submitted it properly," she told the BBC. If you need support with suspected or diagnosed conditions such as ADHD or autism, BBC Action Line has links to organisations that can help. Last year, the Nuffield Trust warned that a large rise in demand for assessments and treatments in England had overtaken the NHS's capacity to meet it. The Department for Health said it was "vital to have a timely diagnosis of autism or ADHD" and it was "taking action to reduce assessment delays".Speaking about raising awareness on social media, Miss Redgrave said: "I just wanted to be able to give people a place to feel a bit more understood and supported, because I felt like I was so dismissed and invalidated because I seem 'normal'."I've learned to be like this, I've put a lot into this, so I wanted to make sure that it was like a safe space for people to feel like they could go somewhere, and be like, 'Oh, OK, they're like me.'" Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
HKFP
05-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
District councillor enters Miss Hong Kong Pageant – this is a problem?
Today, gentle reader, the defendant before you in the court of public opinion faces a charge of conduct likely to bring the Sai Kung District Council into disrepute. This woman, careless of her obligations to the council and the public, sought to enter the Miss Hong Kong Pageant. No, indeed, the Miss Hong Kong Pageant is not in itself illegal. Many of us have happy memories of watching it in the days when there was only broadcast television to watch and not much choice of that. Every year, they picked a different hairdresser to attack the tresses of all the contestants. This often produced startling results, sometimes apparently inspired by the works of Hieronymus Bosch. The competition retains its appeal for presentable young women, and this led to the temptation of Ms Angel Chong, who sits on the Sai Kung District Council as an appointee of the government. After attending the first round of interviews, and before any result had emerged, she rashly told Instagram consumers what she had been up to. Some people then complained. Some of them were maybe simply taking advantage of a chance for a bit of soft resistance to the 'reformed' electoral system. Among those complaining, though, was Alice Mak, the secretary for home and youth affairs. We may charitably suppose that Ms Mak was asked a question on this topic and felt some sort of reply was called for. On the other hand, it is perhaps a pity that she did not take the better course of replying that what Ms Chong did with her free time was nobody else's business. Ms Mak said that councillors, regardless of their profession, should follow the Performance Monitoring Guidelines for Members of the District Councils (hereafter, the PMG) and fulfil their duties. Ms Chong understandably interpreted this as a rebuke and promptly dropped out of the pageant. Oddly enough, nobody made the traditional complaint about beauty contests, which is that they are demeaning to the contestants and corrupting for the spectators, because they imply that the most important thing about a young woman is her appearance. This may be a bit unfair. In my early reporting days, I was often sent to cover early heats of the Miss Great Britain contest. These were held at a swimming pool, and most of the contestants were swimmers of pleasant appearance who had been talked into it to make up the numbers. The prize money, which was modest at this stage, went to the professionals. You could spot them easily: carefully applied tan, enormous eyelashes, one-piece swimsuits and hair that had certainly not been in the pool. They also had the pose: one leg forward, body slightly turned to emphasise the – cough – chest, and a big smile. These women were on a circuit, which was just a rather basic part of the entertainment business. Many knew each other, and in the summer, they turned up for pageants all over the place. It was, in the season, virtually a full-time job. They were all beautiful, though having been unhappily married for a while to a former Miss Southport, I was not tempted. The Miss Hong Kong Pageant is a bit different because there isn't a circuit in Hong Kong, so the organisers have no supply of shovel-ready contestants to call on. Those selected are all more or less amateurs and get a good deal of training in what could be described as how to make the most of themselves. And some of them do go on to … greater things. If this means a career in showbiz, the matter of the Harvey Weinstein Syndrome comes over the horizon, though I have never heard anything of the sort about the Miss Hong Kong show itself. I do, though, recall a court case in which it emerged peripherally that the man who agreed to sponsor a TV programme was also accorded, as part of the deal, the right to cast all the female parts. I fear we all know what that was about. Anyway, if we leave the feminist perspective aside and assume that Ms Chong's virtue was not in danger, what is the problem? Apparently, many of the complainants thought that competing in the pageant was incompatible with discharging the time-consuming obligations of a councillor, and this may be what was bothering Ms Mak. This brings us to the PMG, one of those government documents perhaps more often cited than read because it runs to 16 pages, with a further 19-page annexe, which appears to consist mostly of forms. There is nothing in the PMG for or against beauty contests. District councillors are required to attend meetings; join committees; hold meet-the-public sessions; have (or share) an office, which is open 40 hours a week; and turn up at a minimum number of 'district events.' Clearly, you could make a full-time job of this if you wanted to, but you could also, without violating the PMG, fit in the odd bit of beauty pageant. Whether you should want to, I don't know. Despite attempts, possibly sincere attempts, by their organisers to introduce such matters as talking, talent and ambitions, the path to victory is to look pleasing to men. And their requirements tend to be distressingly simple. I once watched, on television, the Miss USA contest. My brother, also watching, announced at the stage when there were still 50 contestants that Miss Arkansas would win because she had 'the biggest boobs.' And in due course, win she did. Is a District Council member participating in this sort of thing a threat to the good repute of the council concerned? Only, perhaps, if the council's reputation is rather fragile.
Daily Record
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Hamilton dementia awareness campaigner takes Miss Great Britain Glasgow crown
Jenna Kinnaird has now set her sights on the Miss Great Britain title as she bids for glory in the 80th anniversary finals this October. A dementia awareness campaigner from Hamilton has been crowned Miss Great Britain Glasgow. Twenty-year-old Jenna Kinnaird, an accounts assistant who volunteers for Kilbryde Hospice, triumphed among a bevy of beauties in the glitzy ceremony at Larkhall's Radstone Hotel on Friday. Jenna raised hundreds of pounds for Dementia UK after her beloved gran's sudden diagnosis last Christmas and is passionate about using her platform to raise awareness of the heartbreaking disease. The brunette stunner, who also competed in the pageant last year, has now secured a place in the Miss Great Britain national final in October. Jenna, a former St John Ogilvie High School pupil, told Lanarkshire Live:"Standing in that top two and seeing how emotional my family were felt nothing short of a moment slowed down in time. "I felt proud, proud of every single girl I have competed with. Altogether for our chosen charities we raised over £18,000. When you put us determined, hardworking girls in a room, change is made. "Visiting my gran's care home was my first stop. I've always kept her updated with my pageant journey and her reaction was one I'll never forget - there was tears and laughter." Jenna previously told how her family's lives were turned upside down when her gran's memory deteriorated and she was diagnosed with dementia at 71. She now aims to educate others on the whole process that comes with it and how it not only affects the older generation, but young people too. Jenna added: "For me my growth and progression from last year's heat already felt like a win, the pageant community welcomed me with open arms. We are all amazing women who are passionate to make change. "The directors Olivia and Katie McPike truly want the best for every single girl and treat us all like family, they put on an amazing show and give every single girl the most amazing opportunities." Jenna has now set her sights on the Miss Great Britain title as she bids for glory in the 80th anniversary finals this October. She continued: "While the nerves are rushing I smile every time, and I'm overcome with a huge sense of proudness to be representing Glasgow. I know Olivia and Katie will have my back every step of the way. "I'll always continue to spread the word of dementia and the information that people can access out there." And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
