Two beauty queens have made history by becoming the first joint winners of a Miss England title since the competition began in 1928. Caitlin Bennett, 19, and Ellie Daglish, 23, both finished with identical scores at the Miss England East Midlands final on Sunday, resulting in a shared tiara—a first in the pageant's 98-year history.
Historic Double Crowning
The unprecedented tie occurred after contestants competed in several rounds, including a makeup-free bare-faced round, a fundraising segment, and a catwalk presentation. When judges' scores were tallied, both Bennett and Daglish had achieved exactly the same total, making it impossible to separate them. Miss England Director Angie Beasley said: "It's incredibly rare for our judging panel to produce an exact tie, but with both contestants achieving identical scores, we felt it was only fair that they should both progress to the national final." Rather than selecting one overall East Midlands winner, each will now represent her own home county.
Contestants' Reactions
Bennett, a student and part-time dance teacher from Wigston, Leicestershire, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to have won my very first pageant at 19. Sharing the title with someone who has been with me since the very first audition makes it even more special and I'm honoured to be heading to the finals alongside Ellie, now a friend I've grown so close to. Graduating from my performing arts course the day before made this an unforgettable week and I can't wait to see what the finals bring." Daglish, a fashion merchandiser from Nottingham, expressed surprise: "The double crowning was something I never expected and I still can't quite believe it. It's been such a privilege to share this experience with Caitlin and I'm excited for what we'll both achieve in our reign."
Path to the National Final
Bennett will now compete as Miss Leicestershire, and Daglish as Miss Nottinghamshire, in the Miss England final at Leicester's Athena on November 17. The winner will represent England at Miss World 2027. Reigning Miss England Grace Richardson, who hosted and organized the event at The Pumping Station in Leicester, said: "The judges simply couldn't choose between them. Both contestants performed brilliantly throughout the competition and thoroughly deserved to win." Richardson will compete at the Miss World 2026 final in Vietnam next month.
