Mum and daughter win beauty pageants on same night

Eden Ronson and her mum Dawn Kippax are continuing a family tradition of competing in beauty pageants

A mother and daughter from Blackpool have been crowned as beauty queens on the same night.

Eden Ronson, 31, took home the title of UK's National Ms while her 59-year-old mum Dawn Kippax was named the UK's National Classic Ms - a competition for the over-45s.

The family genes are clearly strong - Dawn's mother was a beauty queen in the late 1960s, while her sister won Miss England in 1980 and went on to compete in the Miss Universe contest.

"There's nine girl cousins in our family and they all compete," Eden explained, before Dawn added: "Some people go fishing, but we do pageants."

'It's a sisterhood'

Bridal consultant Eden, who has competed since the age of three, said she "got the bug straight away".

"I think it's just from seeing pictures over the years of Mum and Nanna and just wanting to follow in their footsteps," she said.

Dawn said beauty pageants had changed over the years in order to stay relevant.

"Back in the 80s you just used to just turn up with your shoes and swimsuit, got on the stage and it was the prettiest or the one with the best figure," she told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It wasn't about interviews or substance, but now it's a year working up to it doing work in the community, charity work and appearances.

"And when you get to the final, 50% at least is on the interview.

"The media did us a favour when they stopped broadcasting," Eden said, "but if they were now televised, it would maybe change people's minds on pageant queens and the girls within the community and how much they do on a daily basis.

"It's evolved so much and it really is a sisterhood."

Dawn said: "It isn't really about the crown - it's about representing all the girls that are behind you, that have competed with you."