Yazmin McClean (20) has already won Miss Teen Galaxy Ireland and Miss Galaxy Ireland in competitions in Texas and Orlando.

She will now compete for the title of Miss Great Britain Belfast when the competition comes to The Merchant Hotel in June.

The Belfast heat will mark the first time the competition has come to Northern Ireland to find local beauty queens vying for the title. In 2021, Dundonald’s Eden McAllister became one of only four Northern Irish competitors to win the Miss GB title, while NI influencer and former Miss Ulster Gemma Garrett won the title in 2008.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph during a shift break from her role as a children’s student nurse in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Yazmin, who is from Jordanstown, said she was “over the moon” when she found out that she would be competing for the Belfast crown.

“When it was first announced it was coming to Belfast, I knew it was something I wanted to go for,” said Yazmin.

“Miss Great Britain is so empowering for women, and their support for two charities, Alex’s Wish and Cancer Research is really inspiring. They’ve raised over £160,000 from 2015 for Cancer Research.”

Yazmin found out recently she would be one of the finalists in the beauty queen contest.

“I was so happy, it’s something I wanted to do for years and I’ve held two titles before this, Miss Teen Galaxy Ireland in Texas in 2022 and in 2023 as Miss Galaxy Ireland in Florida, which were both incredible experiences,” she added.

“Being able to represent on an international stage is great.”

The pageant comes just months after the beauty queen entered her second year at Queen’s University to study nursing. Despite a busy schedule, Yazmin is proud of being able to juggle both titles — nurse and beauty queen.

“I also ensure to keep up with my pageant training, practising my walks and things. My studies are going so well so far, I’ll be completing my placement and then going back to university to do the usual Monday to Friday.

“You are always a little bit nervous, but I’ve been doing it so long now, it’s grown my confidence. We have a community in NI within the pageants, everyone gets on with each other and supports each other.”

Her future aspiration to become a children’s nurse means Yazmin is hitting back at the beauty queen stereotype.

“There are so many girls who are smart, educated and have competed in pageants. ”

The Belfast heat of Miss Great Britain will be held in Belfast’s Merchant Hotel on Sunday, June 9 with Garrett and McAllister as judges alongside Miss Galaxy England, Ariana Neo and Alan Wallace from Inspiring Belfast and Chris Suitor doing a DJ set.

Organiser Lizzy Doherty, from Derry, said earlier this year she was delighted to be bringing the inaugural event to The Merchant Hotel in June with such a stellar line-up.

“We’re delighted to have modelling royalty involved,” she told Sunday Life: “Our head judge Sally-Ann Fawcett is very well respected within the community and would judge a lot of competitions.”