Beauty queen goes from tear gas to tiaras

Natalie Mageza said she escaped from violence in Zimbabwe when she was younger and came to the UK

A beauty queen who fled violence in Zimbabwe and came to the UK said representing her current home country was an "absolute honour".

Natalie Mageza, from Stone, Staffordshire, moved to England when she was 13 to escape violence during former Zimbabwe president, Robert Mugabe's 37-year reign.

The 26 year-old said the final straw for her was when she and her family "got tear-gassed in a church because our area did not vote correctly".

Thirteen years on, the winner of the Universal Woman Great Britain pageant said she could not be more grateful to represent the UK in an international version of the competition in India.

She told BBC Radio Stoke: "It is so crazy because as someone that moved to the UK at such a young age as a refugee, I grew up watching pageants and I was very passionate about them.

"For me to then move to this country and be able to represent this country that I have been able to make my home, that has given me so many opportunities, is incredible."

Ms Mageza was crowned Great Britain Universal Woman in 2024 and said she was apprehensive when she first got discovered.

She said a pageant director commented on how beautiful she was and asked her about modelling, while she was at college studying performing arts.

She added: "At first I was like 'what sort of pyramid scheme is this that I am about to get myself into?'

"It was scary, I did not know what she expected from me but she got me to where I am today."

The mother-of-one said she still struggled with memories of her childhood, growing up in the turbulent times of election periods in Zimbabwe under Mr Mugabe.

"Any time it was election time we knew how to prepare ourselves, we knew we needed water on the side because we knew the taps were going to be turned off while the tear gas was being thrown, to make it difficult for people," she said.

"We knew we had to lock our doors.

"That is no way for any child to have to grow up and have to see these things.

"There is a level of trauma that does stick with you."

Ms Mageza said the competition was more than just "glam and dresses"

As well as beauty pageants and red carpet walks, Ms Mageza said preparations for the future contest in India also included a host of humanitarian work including visiting schools and experiencing the culture, food and music of the country.

She hoped, by taking part in the international competition from 29 May to 8 June, with the hope of being crowned the global winner, she could help to make a difference to other people's lives.

"We are women with purpose, substance. We are women that want to make a difference in the world," she added.

"It is not just the glam and the dresses."