Grace Richardson Becomes First Openly Gay Woman Crowned Miss England

Grace Richardson has made history as the first openly gay woman to be crowned Miss England. The 20-year-old musical theatre student and part-time model won the Miss England 2025 title on Friday, November 21, and will now represent England at the 2026 Miss World competition.

Richardson, who came out five years ago on TikTok, revealed that she faced significant homophobic bullying during her school years. “My coming out story wasn’t the easiest,” she said. “My very close friends and family were all very supportive. But for some reason those at school, my peers, just weren’t in the same way that my family were. It was a struggle to accept myself while a lot of people weren’t accepting me.”

Following her victory, Richardson highlighted the importance of visibility for young LGBTQ+ people. “It is important for young people in the LGBTQ community to see people representing them in all types of walks of life,” she said. “I haven’t seen anyone in pageantry talk about sexuality in the way that I have so it is important to me for them to feel seen.”

The Miss England finals were tightly contested, with the winner decided in a tie-breaker based on the talent portion of the competition. Richardson’s “show-stopping singing and dancing performance” ultimately secured her the crown. “I wasn’t expecting it to be me,” she said. “There were so many incredible girls in that top 12 and I think all of them deserved to win.”

Richardson’s victory reflects a broader shift in beauty pageants, which have gradually become more inclusive of LGBTQ+ contestants. Notable milestones include Lehlogonolo Machaba competing as the first transgender woman in Miss South Africa in 2021, and Nguyen Huong Giang representing Vietnam in Miss Universe 2025 as the country’s first trans contestant.