candidatas a miss universe great britain 2022. final: 9 july.

ella baker roberts

We start by welcoming Ella Baker Roberts, a 26-year-old female sound engineer from Canterbury who works on some of the biggest theatrical shows in the West End. Ella has seen sexism first hand in her industry and believes there is a need for radical change to reduce gender-based bias within the workplace, particularly within the technical arts. Growing up, Ella says she had few female sound engineering role models - nobody to show her that her dreams were possible. So, she became her - the woman she always wished to see. Still, today, only seven per cent of sound engineers are female. Through her work, Ella wants to encourage understanding and acceptance of women in the sound industry and pave the way for the next generation of young girls to become world leading sound engineers.

mariam bakre

Fast forward a few years, and Mariam is a graduate of a BSc in business management and also an MSc in international financial management, both from one of the top universities in the UK. She works as a go to market specialist for the world’s second largest mobile phone company where she manages big device launches involving more than 80 stakeholders. Through her initiative Loophole, Mariam supports the development of young students by holding confidence workshops and giving career talks in partnership with schools, charities and other organisations. Also, as a writer, most of her pieces are focused on the importance of recognising intersectionality within feminism and she hopes to one day create a book on the subject. Through another of her programmes, Sọrọ, which in Yoruba means “Speak” she is hoping to teach other women how to turn their voices into their greatest assets, no matter what room they may find themselves in.

kanika batra.

Miss Universe Great Britain finalist, Kanika Batra, is an author, model, classically trained operatic singer, actress and mental health advocate. She recently published her debut novel Honeytrap which she has been working on for more than five years. She adores cats, and has three Persians by the names of Wilhelmina, Lillith and Crosby. Kanika describes herself as very adventurous and loves to swim, dance and sing, and I keep fit with Pilates, barre, and Lagree. The causes she advocates for are domestic violence, brain cancer and sex-based discrimination against women and girls across the world.

carla beaton

Today’s finalist is 25-year-old Carla Beaton from Edinburgh who works as a political aide in the House of Commons. Carla was adopted at the age of five and exposed to hardship from a very young age which taught her to be resilient in the face of adversity. Even as a child, Carla knew that she wanted to grow into a woman who was entirely self-sufficient and shielded from any kind of ill-intentioned external influence. This mindset propelled her into education, where she achieved straight A’s and attended the University of Edinburgh. Now, Carla hopes her drive and determination will take her to an international institution such as the United Nations where she can make a real impact on policy worldwide. Alongside politics, she is an avid investor and businesswoman and started a think-tank, called Impact Global, to educate young women on personal finance. Carla believes knowledge such as this can help protect women against coercion and abuse.

sharon gaffka

Miss Universe Great Britain 2022 finalist, Sharon Gaffka is a media personality, female rights activist, and trainee solicitor. After spending seven years working in central Government, she was inspired to use her academic and professional experience to be a voice for violence against women and girls. Sharon is also the face of several public health campaigns, after talking about her own encounters with cancer. In October 2021, Sharon founded her #ProactiveNotReactive campaign after writing an article for the British publication Grazia, which detailed her own experience with assault. Her article has empowered victims to be open about their own stories, which has led to Sharon submitting a paper containing 1500 testimonies to the Home Affairs Committee. Since then, Sharon has spoken in national media and met with Parliamentarians which led to a mention in the House of Commons on International Women’s Day. The aim of #ProtactiveNotReactive is to ensure that victims are protected through a stand-alone piece of legislation.

libby griffiths.

Libby Griffiths is our 19-year-old finalist from Kendal. She is currently taking a gap year between A-Levels and before attending Newcastle University to study Journalism, Media and Culture. While in this ‘in-between’ phase, Libby is spending her time travelling around Europe and enjoying time with friends. One of Libby’s passions is travelling which is what initially got her interested in journalism. As a little girl, she would attend her dad’s business meetings abroad to get a chance to immerse herself in other cultures and traditions outside of her own. Recently, Libby launched an online blog ‘mushy brain’ to communicate her thoughts and feelings’ She describes herself as ‘something fresh, something intriguing, a fresh open-minded girl with an intention to make a difference - no matter how big or small’. You can watch Libby at the MUGB 2022 final by joining our live stream (link in bio) on Saturday 9 July! It’s going to be an incredible night as we crown the woman who will represent Great Britain at the next Miss Universe – make sure to tune in!

sapima gurung

Miss Universe Great Britain 2022 finalist, Sapima Gurung, is a first-generation immigrant and a university graduate which she says makes her value her dreams and feel empowered. Coming from a Gurkha British army background, self-belief, confidence, ambition and above all the idea of service before self comes naturally to Sapima. She volunteers to empower the men and women in Leeds Nepalese Gurkha Community by providing them with health awareness, senior English literacy programmes and connecting the youth to professionals in their interested careers so that they can step into their full light. Sapima is also studying for a masters in precision medicine: genomics and analytics with the intention to continue to pursue her passion for humanity and education. Having lived in three different countries and speaking three languages, Sapima has a passion for spreading the beauty of culture and hopes that by celebrating cultural diversity she will help build new bridges and connections.

stephanie hill
(top 3 de miss world 2017)

Today we introduce you to Miss Universe Great Britain 2022 finalist, Stephanie Hill, whose passion in life is campaigning for accessible education and healthcare, in addition to challenging gender stereotypes and championing global representation. Stephanie describes herself as a ‘contemporary polymath’, currently studying a PhD in cancer sciences at the University of Manchester focusing on research in cervical and bladder cancers. She is also a classical-crossover vocalist, equestrian, multi-faceted dancer, dressmaker, milliner, and is trying to master snowboarding too! Stephanie has given a TEDx Talk discussing how her personal experience of polymathy (which means a person of varied learning) was sourced from pageants. It was titled ‘Pageantry, Polymathy and Purpose’, and it was accepted by the TED collective and distributed globally. She has also worked internationally on humanitarian projects focusing on feminine hygiene awareness initiatives in India, Indonesia, China, and the British Virgin Islands.

gabriella jukes

Today, we introduce you to Gabriella Jukes - a sports presenter and reporter from Port Talbot in South Wales. Sport has always had a huge influence on Gabriella’s life which she believes has helped shape her into the determined young woman she is today. Gabriella’s love for sport inspired her to go to university to study for a BSc in sport and exercise science and later an MSc in sport broadcast. After graduating, she also enjoyed a successful modelling career after making it to the final 14 on Britain’s Next Top Model. Gabriella now works in her dream job of sports presenting and reporting working with top organisations including Swansea City AFC, Ospreys Rugby, BBC Sport, S4C, and the Paralympics. Working in such a male dominated environment lead Gabriella to start a podcast called ‘She Has a Goal in Mind’ all about women in sport, with the aim of empowering women by celebrating their achievements and showing that women can thrive in a male dominated industry. The podcast made the top 35 Women’s sport podcasts of 2021. Gabriella has also been a volunteer for Women’s Aid for many years and is now an Ask Me ambassador for the organisation having undertaken training to become more knowledgeable with spotting the signs of domestic abuse to help signpost women to help.

charlotte kamale.

Our finalist, Charlotte, has a bachelor's degree in fashion management and marketing. but her career has taken her on a completely different route – because she’s now training to be an engineer! She is also a fashion and lifestyle influencer which she describes as ‘an absolute journey in itself’ and has a blog page 'The New Everyday Woman' which covers a variety of topics such as; how to save for a mortgage, how to date online safely, a ray of food recipes, as well as key fashion trends for whatever season. Influencing has enabled Charlotte to travel to many parts of the world and she is very much on track to complete her target of experiencing 30 countries before she turns 30 years old goal! So far, she’s clocked up 25 countries visited. Because of the travelling, Charlotte understands that not everyone, especially children, is as fortunate as we may be here in the UK, especially when it comes to education. That is why Charlotte and her sister set up a non-profit organisation, called Light Up The Children, which fundraises for and supports an orphanage in The Congo which is run by nuns. Her biggest goal set and one both she and her sister are currently working towards is, raising enough funds to actually build a school in The Congo.

lauri knowler.

Our finalist, Lauri Knowler, can remember the exact moment she felt a passion to make a change for the better, admittedly at the time it was for animals like any other young person who wanted to be a vet, but it evolved into a love for learning and the environment. That moment led her to create a project called “The Eco Educator” dedicated to raising awareness of environmental issues alongside having a passion for promoting the benefits and enjoyment of the world around us. Lauri’s project continues to grow and she has now written her own picture book for children which will go to print this year. Ignited by the legacy her teachers left behind, Lauri knew that she wanted to become a teacher herself and is motivated by the fact not all girls around the world are given the privilege of education. Lauri is also running the London Marathon this year and has plans to visit the wonders of the world – so far she has personally seen five out of twenty seven!

anglee kumar

Miss Universe Great Britain finalist, Anglee, is a future trainee solicitor, a philanthropist, a fashionista and a fitness freak. She holds two degrees (in politics and international relations and law) and a master’s in law. She is also a twin and a big sister to two siblings. Anglee loves fashion because it allows her to express myself and, because she wants to help others do the same, she is launching her own fashion styling business. In October 2021, Anglee was diagnosed with cancer and during treatment she lost her confidence. Her resolve led her to start the #BeBold campaign to create awareness and empower girls and women to make bold decisions. As an ambassador for Look Good Feel Better (LGFB), The Girls Network and Girls Out Loud, she also undertakes projects which support girls and women to build on their confidence and take on the universe.