Miss England Scraps Bikini Round As Contestants To Be Judged On CPR Skills

The Miss World England pageant is shaking things up by ditching its 97-year-old swimwear round in favor of a more practical and life-saving skills competition. Contestants will now be judged on their ability to perform chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as part of the new "CPR Queen" challenge. This revamp is the brainchild of current Miss World England titleholder, Milla Magee, who aims to modernise the competition and focus on more relevant and impactful skills. 

"Contestants who reach the semi & final of the next Miss England contest will now have the option of actively being involved in teaching local kids how to perform CPR in towns and cities throughout England. This initiative is now an official round in the semi-final contest and part of Milla Magee's Beauty with a Purpose project, which she is taking to the 72nd @missworld in Telangana, India this May," Ms Magee wrote on Instagram.

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Notably, Milla Magee, the driving force behind the initiative, is a trained lifeguard. She became a fierce advocate for CPR education after a personal tragedy left her family helpless during an emergency. "When my grandparents suffered heart attacks at home, no one knew what to do. Family members waited for help that came too late,'' Magee told South West News Service.

She added, "If just one of them had known CPR, maybe their story — and mine — would be different."

The new challenge encourages contestants to get creative in showcasing their CPR knowledge, whether by teaching it in their communities or sharing techniques online. 

The traditional Miss England contest typically features a range of segments, including personal interviews, swimwear and sports attire, formal evening wear, and a live question round. However, this year, Ms Magee will personally select a semi-finalist as her official "CPR Queen."

The beauty queen is also fighting to make CPR training mandatory in schools across England. Her campaign, "Go Far With CPR," aims to educate students on life-saving techniques like chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. 

Milla Magee's campaign, Go Far With CPR, is gaining momentum, with notable supporters rallying behind her cause. Prince William has expressed his support, sending Ms Magee a letter of encouragement as she prepares to compete at Miss World in India. Even the pageant director, Angie Beasley, is on board, admitting that she only learned CPR because of Ms Magee's efforts. 

She said: "I'm excited to see Milla take her Beauty with a Purpose project Go Far With CPR, to Miss World in Telangana, India, next month. The need to learn CPR is universal, and her project could make a difference."

"Realising how important this knowledge is has made both Milla and me want to share this with the future contestants. Now it's an actual round where they can make the shortlist if they support the project will give them even more of an incentive to learn this potentially lifesaving skill. I think it will be a great addition to the competition this year," Ms Beasley added.