A Scottish mother paid £1,000 for her 21-month-old daughter to compete in a baby beauty pageant in London. Caitlin Lynch, 29, travelled from Glasgow with her husband Ibrahim Abdullah, 28, so their daughter Amriah could take part in the glamour competition on Saturday, October 3.
The toddler was crowned 'Mini Miss Pink Beauty Queen' wearing a custom dress that cost her parents £500. Caitlin, who said she was inspired by the US television show 'Toddlers and Tiaras', believes her daughter has star quality.
Family turned pageant into holiday
Caitlin told the Record: "Amriah showed incredible early talent, charisma, and confidence on stage, completely stealing the show at less than two years old. We believe in her star quality so much that we turned the entire event into a major family holiday."
She added: "We travelled over 400 miles and spent another £400 on accommodation - with the total spend close to £1000. It's a lot of money but it's brought us special memories that we'll cherish forever."
The dress, she said, was "beautiful and the cherry on top of a perfect day. It was expensive but that's all part of the experience. What a way to begin her pageant journey."
Inspiration from Toddlers and Tiaras
Caitlin, a qualified dental nurse whose husband is a head chef, said watching 'Toddlers and Tiaras' as a young girl made her want to enter her own child into a similar contest. The US reality show, which followed competitive child beauty pageants, went off-air in 2016.
"As a young girl watching the show, it made me really want to enter my child into similar pagagents. I always thought 'if I had a daughter, I'd like to do that'," she said. "Watching her take part in such a special experience was amazing."
Prize and future plans
Amriah's prize package includes her new title, a designer handbag, and paid-for trips and events with London Beauty Pageant. She will hold the title for one year.
Caitlin said: "We're so excited to see what the next year brings for her. We can't wait to watch her grow in confidence, make beautiful memories, and enjoy every moment of her new title."
She added: "I'd love it if she decided to pursue a career in beauty but it's completely up to her what she wants to do in life - as long as she's happy, that's the most important thing to us."
