Meet the Team - Pageant Girl

Based in Culcheth, Warrington, a small team co-ordinates the finals of several UK pageants, among them Miss Teen Great Britain, United Kingdom Galaxy Pageants, Miss Teen, Miss and Ms Pageant Girl UK, Miss International UK, UK’s National Miss and Universal Woman Great Britain. Between them they bring more than a decade of experience to the job, and their stated aim is to put on events that feel both professional and memorable.

The organisation describes itself as one that celebrates and empowers women, built on the belief that all women are beautiful and that one of the finest qualities a person can have is being unapologetically herself. Its motto is “Beautifully Inspiring.” Since 2012, its competitions have raised over £1,000,000 for chosen charities.

The setup is deliberately friendly and relaxed. Many contestants have never taken part in a pageant before, and the team’s priority is that they feel at ease at the grand final. Not every finalist can take the top prize, but the goal is that all of them go home with good memories and new friends.

Director – Holly Pirrie

Holly Pirrie (née Ikin) competed in pageants herself, both in the UK and internationally, so she knows first-hand what it is like to stand on that stage — and what it takes to organise a good event.

Her own time in pageantry inspired her to give more girls and women the opportunities she had been given. She works closely with contestants and winners throughout their year in title.

Holly was the first director of United Kingdom Galaxy Pageants, which launched in 2008. In 2010 she founded Miss Teen Great Britain, now the leading pageant for teenagers in the UK. She has also held the UK National Director licences for Miss International and Miss Grand International, and from 2011 to 2018 was the UK national director for Miss Intercontinental. In 2019 she launched the Miss Pageant Girl UK competition, which grew into the Pageant Girl Weekender; a Miss Pageant Girl UK is now crowned alongside Miss Teen Pageant Girl UK and Ms Pageant Girl UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020/2021 she created UK’s National Miss, whose first final was held in summer 2021 at the Pageant Girl Weekender, crowning five new queens.

Event & Operations Manager – Kelsey

Kelsey has worked with the organisation since April 2021, co-ordinating events so that they run like clockwork and managing the core team. A former finalist and a Galaxy queen herself, she understands exactly how it feels to compete — whether it is a first pageant or a seasoned attempt at the crown. She works closely with finalists, answers their questions, attends every grand final and is always on hand to help. She is a firm favourite with contestants.

Social Media Executive – Annie

Annie joined in November 2022, bringing a background in social media and videography. She works closely with Kelsey and Grace on everything behind the scenes, preparing for events and creating content for the organisation’s social media channels. New to pageantry, she is enthusiastic about experiencing the events and the sisterhood that comes with them.

Admin & Marketing Assistant – Grace

Grace joined in April 2024 and has a background in theatre. She works alongside Kelsey and Annie on behind-the-scenes preparations and helps develop and create content for the marketing channels. Also new to pageantry, she has thrown herself into the glitz, glamour and knowledge of the field, and is there to support contestants on their pageant journey and answer any questions.

The Dress Studio Senior Sales – Holly

Holly is the resident expert on pageant dresses. As Senior Sales and Administrator at The Dress Studio, she knows what goes into finding the perfect gown, and she is happy to work through hundreds of different styles until the right one appears. She has helped many contestants choose their dresses, several of whom have gone on to win the crown.

Behind the scenes

This group forms the core of the team that brings the finals together. At finals weekend a larger team also helps backstage, prepares contestants for interview and handles queries as they arise. The team prides itself on being friendly and approachable — a point that former contestants often mention in testimonials.