Chloe Roberts, 21, is aware you might not have the most positive view of her Miss Somerset title. Rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly, beauty pageants have been dismissed by many as a frivolous pursuit.
If you’ve ever heard the cliché that feminists “burn their bras”, that rumour originates from when American feminists threw their bras into bins to protest a pageant in 1968. Decades later, pageants are often seen as symbols of repression. In her 2013 music video for Pretty Hurts, Beyoncé plays a beauty queen whose desperation to win the crown leads her to deep self-loathing and insecurity about her looks.
Chloe, who is from Minehead, knows what a lot of people think about pageants. She says the stereotypes are totally wrong: “The pageant industry these days isn’t what it used to be like. Many people, you say the word ‘pageant’ to them, and they typically think of Toddlers and Tiaras or the age when it was all about the skinniest girl or the prettiest girl.
“These days, it’s nothing like that. It’s more about who you stand for as a person and your community and charity work.”
The idea that beauty pageants could actually be a force for good isn’t considered much. And yet, when Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America in 1984 it was seen as a watershed moment for civil rights. The Egyptian feminist Doria Shafik even entered a pageant as part of her fight for women’s rights, saying: “In Paris I had asserted myself in the intellectual sphere. Now I wanted to assert myself in the feminine sphere.”
Chloe is also using her pageant platform to talk about something that matters to her- and to honour someone who isn’t with her anymore. She explained: “I lost a close friend of mine in 2021 due to suicide. I dedicate my pageant platform almost in memory of her, to carry on her legacy. My platform is called ‘Talk It Out’.”
Chloe Roberts, 21, will be repping our county at the Miss Royal UK finals in Manchester this year. But she’s also hoping to be a voice for people with mental health struggles.
‘Talk It Out’ is also the name of Chloe’s podcast, which she uses to spread awareness of a whole range of issues from bipolar disorder to epilepsy. Now that she’s been crowned Miss Somerset, Chloe will have a golden opportunity to advocate for these issues when she competes for Miss Royal UK this October.
If she wins at the grand finals in Manchester, she’ll then have the chance to compete on a global stage in the International Royal Miss Pageant in Florida. The winning contestant gets £20,000 and a ticket for a five-star cruise trip.
When I ask Chloe how it would feel to make it to internationals, Chloe replies that it would be amazing but it seems clear to me she’s more excited about using her platform to destigmatise mental health issues.
Not everyone has been supportive, but she remains undeterred: “The reaction has been a bit mixed. There has been a few negative people saying ‘maybe you shouldn’t be talking about this’.
“But at the end of the day, with what I’ve been through, losing a friend… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with speaking about mental health.”
Alongside the main pageant, there is also a separate competition for best ‘spokesmodel’. The spokesmodel title recognises contestants who use their platform to speak up about something that matters to them. They have two minutes to deliver a speech on their chosen issue in an outfit inspired by the issue.
For example, someone advocating for protecting the oceans might wear a blue dress with seashells in their hair, whereas someone fighting for more funding for libraries might tailor a dress made from pages of their favourite books.
Chloe has designer her outfit herself: “I already have the outfit in my wardrobe for [the spokesmodel competition], it just needs a few touch-ups. It’s going to be a big secret that’ll be revealed on the day.
“All I can say is it’s going to be mental health-based and focused on my platform with Talk It Out.”
When asked what advice she’d give to aspiring pageant queens, Chloe said: “I would say absolutely go for it! Pageantry is something you almost get to learn to love. Some people enjoy football, some people enjoy rugby, and pageantry is a whole other level.
“It’s so positive and full of so many inspirational girls. You make friends from literally all across the UK, even the world. I have friends in Scotland, Wales, and even some international friends in America and Zimbabwe. The list is endless.”
You can listen to Chloe’s podcast Talk It Out on Spotify. If you’re struggling with your mental health, there is help out there.
Mental health resources
- Samaritans: you can call Samaritans for free 24 hours a day at 116 123. You can also email them at jo@samaritans.org or mail a letter to ‘Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS’. Samaritans is confidential.
- CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably): CALM’s free and confidential suicide prevention helpline is open from 5pm to midnight everyday. It is open to anyone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts or who has lost someone to suicide. You can call 0800 58 58 58, use their online live chat feature, or connect with them on WhatsApp.
- Mind: you can call Mind’s confidential support line from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, on 0300 102 1234. Please be aware they are not a crisis service.
- Childline: young people aged 18 or younger can contact Childline on 0800 1111 24 hours a day, everyday. You can also use their online chat feature. To protect vulnerable children, Childline cannot always guarantee confidentiality.
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