Chance meeting at Telford charity shop lands Jade a place in Miss England semi-finals
A Shropshire business analyst is to contest the semi-finals of Miss England, the country's leading beauty pageant, after a chance encounter at a county charity shop.
Jade Ferriday, 26, is a regular visitor to her local animal rescue shop Team Poundie in Wellington, but in spring this year, she was taken aback when a woman approached her in the shop and asked if she had ever considered modelling.
Jade, from Telford, said: “It was earlier in the year. I go into the charity shop a lot with old clothes and things, and I was in there chatting to a friend of mine who works there when this woman approached.
“She asked how old I was and said had I ever considered entering a beauty pageant or did any modelling work.”
That woman was Eloise Saresini, last year's Miss Shropshire and a Miss England finalist.
“She said she thought I would be ideal for it and that I should apply, but I really wasn't certain.”
Jade said she did some research and discovered that beauty pageants had gone a long way since their hey-day in the 70s.
“I was a bit apprehensive at first so did some research and discovered they are not as superficial as they used to me. There's a lot more to the competitions that just beauty, there's charity and sports rounds.”
She said she decided to take the plunge and entered Miss Shropshire in July, and came runner-up – winning a place in this year's Miss England competition in October, and a chance to go on to compete in Miss World.
“I just thought it would be good to do something out of my comfort zone,” said Jade, who is currently finishing off her senior qualification as a business analyst for a finance firm.
Jade says that this month, the first of a number of rounds take place for the Miss England competition, and she is seeking support from people in Shropshire to back her.
“There are eight rounds to enter before the semi-finals on October 3. These include posting a picture on socials without make-up on, a charity round and a sports round and these are by public vote – If I win one of these rounds I make it through to the final,” said Jade.
The Miss England 2025 Semi Final will take place on Friday, October 3, 2025, at The Grand Station in Wolverhampton. This championship-style event will see contestants compete for a regional title and a chance to advance to the national final of the Miss England contest.
People wishing to support and vote for Miss England competitors are asked to download a free app which allows users to vote for contestants, view exclusive content, and stay updated on the competition. You can download it on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
Voting starts for the semi-finals on September 22.
