The Beauty Queens
Gemma Garrett
Gemma hails from Belfast. She took the crown as Miss Great Britain in 2008. She’s no stranger to a glam lifestyle, and if she could give one piece of beauty advice, it would be to “never try and do your own hair. Ever. Never ever.”
Gemma works as a professional make-up artist now, but only between sharing the adventures of her two English bulldogs on social media.
She’s ready to let Beauty Queen & Single help her out with her love life, and asks only that she’s found a partner “who’s funny, doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and NOT in the beauty business!”
Orlaith McAllister
Orlaith is originally from Belfast. She has competed in Miss Northern Ireland, Miss Great Britain, and was crowned Miss Belfast in 2000. Orlaith is a busy mother of 2 and a self-proclaimed beauty addict. “I think every girl should be high maintenance, and I like the fact that I am.”
While Orlaith is happy to broaden her horizons when it comes to dating and participate in Beauty Queen & Single, there’s one thing she’s adamant about when it comes to her future man’s dating attire: NO TRAINERS!
Leanne McDowell
Leanne comes from the small town of Cookstown in Northern Ireland. She became Miss Northern Ireland in 2015, and is not afraid to admit her obsession with all things beauty pageant, calling herself a “super fan.” Beauty is such a huge part of her life; she even works as a professional make-up artist, bringing an extra bit of glamour to her clients.
Despite her love of cosmetology, she thinks going bare-faced for Beauty Queen & Single will show that “underneath all of the make-up [she’s] just a normal girl who chills at home and loves a bit of TV.”
Date night deal breakers
Our Beauty Queens discuss their non-negotiables on date night!
Karen Montague
Karen originally hails from Maghera but is currently living and working in Manchester. She earned the title of Miss Ireland at the Miss Supra National pageant in 2015 and represented her country in the world finals in December of 2015.
Karen is hoping Beauty Queen & Single will help people to realize that just because she’s a beauty queen, doesn’t mean she’s any different to anyone else. When it comes to finding love, “I wouldn’t say I’m high maintenance, I would rather use the word ‘particular.’”
Amira Graham
Amira is a proud Belfast native. She has participated in Miss World Northern Ireland, Miss World Ireland (where she placed top 15), but best known for the title of Miss Earth Northern Ireland, which she won in 2013. While these are some of her biggest achievements, she’s hoping to prove that there is more to her than just her crown and her sash, which there certainly is, as she now works in investment banking legal. “I’d like to be treated like a princess, and I don’t mean that in a diva way, but if the crown fits, you know, wear it!”
Dream Date
Find out who the Beauty Queens' dream date would be.
Rebecca Maguire
Rebecca proudly comes from West Belfast. She’s a former Miss Ireland 2012. She first competed in 2011 and came in as runner-up, only to return in 2012 for the same outcome. However, this all changed after the board of Miss Ireland gave her a call the day after her 2012 pageant. “I’m probably known as the most controversial Miss Ireland; I wear that title with pride.”
While having a full-time modeling career, Rebecca recently finished five years of university and her exams for pharmacy. She thinks it only right a woman combines her beauty and her brains, saying “I think it’s a very intelligent thing for a woman to know what she has and use it to her advantage, I don’t see why not.”
