A stunning aerospace engineer from Lancashire has been crowned as the first redheaded Miss England.
Jessica Gagen, 26, has openly spoken about the bullying and teasing she received in her childhood for being ginger.
She says that she wants to use her new crown to empower redheads and encourage young girls to consider a future in STEM careers.
Jessica, an aerospace engineer, missed out on the crown last year but said earlier this year when telling her Instagram followers she was trying again: “There has never been a ginger Miss England, and there may never be a ginger Miss England – but I am happy to be the person to smile in the face of defeat once more if it means I can empower the redheads being bullied in school along the way.”
Over the course of her Miss England journey, she ran consecutive 5km runs for 96 days in fancy dress to raise money for charity.
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She’s also said she wants to represent ‘all of the redheads who feel self conscious about their pale attributes’.
Upon being crowned Miss Lancashire earlier this year, Jessica said: “This little sash not only qualifies me for this year’s Miss England final, but allows me to further reach out to teen girls who may otherwise go uninformed about the fabulous opportunities available to them in engineering and aviation careers. Empowerment, education and resilience. Redheads, we’re one step closer.”
She has also posted, before she was named Miss England: “My aim in gaining the title remains the same as it was last year – to use the platform (who’s outreach is mostly female), to further educate girls about engineering, it’s variety of disciplines and the fabulous career opportunities the subject can lead to.
“If I’m successful, not only will I become the very first Miss England to hold a degree in aerospace engineering, but I’ll be the first Miss England ever to possess natural ginger hair.”
Speaking of her childhood bullying, she wrote: “If this is happening to you, hear me out when I say that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
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“Just because it’s happening now, doesn’t mean it’ll happen for the rest of your life! By the end of secondary school I thrived; I was surrounded by lovely people, got a cracking set of grades and excelled in sport – and you can too!
“One bad chapter doesn’t have to last the rest of the book. Keep on reading.”
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Daisy Jackson -
19th October 2022 
