Catherine-Leigh Cleaves, 26, became Britain’s shortest beauty queen despite being bullied as a child.
Her classmates called her ‘Oompa Loompa’ and asked if she shopped at Mothercare due to her petite frame. The bullying caused her to suffer from anxiety and often come home from school in tears. However, she overcame the abuse and achieved her dream of becoming a beauty queen.
Catherine overcame the odds to embrace her size and began modeling despite being told she was too small for the industry. This year, she broke the stereotype of tall, leggy catwalk models by entering the Miss England competition. She was surprised when she was announced as one of this year’s semi-finalists, making her the shortest contestant in the pageant’s 94-year history.
Catherine believes her size is advantageous since she can save money by shopping in the kids’ section. She hopes to inspire women of similar height.
Catherine beat the bullies and will now be the shortest woman to compete in the Miss England semi-finals. She stands at just 147.32cm and wears a size 2.5 shoe. Her mom will need to alter all her dresses for the event. Catherine has learned to be proud of her height.
Catherine has come to terms with her height and is proud to be the shortest person in a massive competition. The modeling industry is typically oriented towards tall women, but Catherine has worked with photographers who appreciate her unique look.
She started modeling at 21/22 and gained confidence despite being shorter than the other models. I was constantly told I was too short to be in the modeling industry, predominantly for tall people with long legs. However, they were wrong. I have been published in magazines, had photoshoots with different photographers, and now I am a semi-finalist in the Miss England competition.
After participating in several modeling competitions, I saw the applications for Miss England this year and thought, ‘Why not?’ I applied and put myself out there. I was voted number one in a public poll and received an email informing me that I made it to the semi-finals. Although I did not expect to reach the finals, I am nervous about being around much taller people and blending into the background. However, it may also bring me more recognition.
Miss England organizer Angie Beasley stated that Miss England does not have height restrictions like model agencies and looks for inspiring females like Catherine to participate in the contest. I wish her all the best. Catherine will attend the Miss England semi-final at Viva Blackpool on April 7th.