When Milla Magee boarded a flight to India earlier this month, she carried more than a sash and a crown—she carried purpose.
The 24-year-old lifeguard from Newquay, Cornwall wasn’t just Miss England, she was a passionate campaigner for CPR awareness and environmental justice.
But just days into her journey at the Miss World pageant in Hyderabad, she realized something felt deeply wrong.
And by mid-May, she did what no Miss England has done in the contest’s 74-year history—she quit.
“I Felt Like a Prostitute”: A Harsh Reality Behind the Glamour
At first, Milla blamed her sudden exit on “personal reasons.”
But now she’s pulled back the curtain and shared the unsettling truth: she left because the experience made her feel objectified, disrespected, and disgusted.
“I went there to make a difference, but we had to sit like performing monkeys,” Milla told The Sun.
She described a relentless schedule of wearing full makeup and glamorous gowns from the moment she woke up—even at breakfast.
She and the other contestants were paraded at events not for their platforms or personalities, but simply to charm wealthy male sponsors.
She described one evening in particular as the final straw.
She was instructed to sit alongside another contestant for hours with groups of middle-aged men, expected to smile, thank them for their money, and make conversation.
“I felt like a prostitute,” she said. “It was wrong. Unbelievable.”
“They Just Wanted Us to Smile and Be Pretty”
Milla tried to steer the conversation toward her humanitarian work, only to be met with blank stares and dismissive small talk.
One man even called her “boring” for trying to talk about her CPR campaign.
The way she was treated left her shaken. During one interaction, a pageant official reportedly clapped in her face to get her attention—something she described as patronizing and humiliating.
“It felt like he was talking to a child,” she said.
Emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed, Milla called her mum in tears.
“I couldn’t take it anymore,” she confessed.
On May 16, she told organisers she was done and immediately flew home, leaving behind both her crown and a competition she says is stuck in the past.
Her Spot Will Be Taken by Miss Liverpool
With Milla officially out of the competition, her place at the Miss World final—scheduled to be broadcast in over 180 countries—will now be filled by Charlotte Grant, 25, who is Miss Liverpool and the pageant’s runner-up.
Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, confirmed Milla’s departure earlier this week, saying: “We regret to announce that Milla Magee has returned home to the UK due to personal reasons.
We support her fully—health and wellbeing must always come first.”
A Beauty Queen with a Mission, Not Just a Gown
Milla’s time as Miss England was never about just winning a crown.
She made headlines last year as the first plus-size winner of the title, and she used her platform to advocate for better CPR education through her campaign “Go Far With CPR”—a cause that even caught the attention of the Prince of Wales.
But she had hoped the global stage of Miss World would amplify her voice even more.
Instead, she found what she described as a beauty contest “frozen in time.”
“It hasn’t changed since the 1960s or ’70s,” she said.
“It became clear that if I didn’t play by their outdated rules, I wasn’t going to win. And I wasn’t willing to lose myself just to fit in.”
Pollution Back Home Pushed Her to Speak Out
Even before heading to India, Milla was making waves—literally.
Earlier this month, she revealed how raw sewage had been dumped into the sea near her Cornish hometown, forcing her to pause training for Miss World.
“As Miss England, a surfer, and founder of the GoFarWithCPR campaign, I’ve seen how powerful the ocean is—not just for fitness, but for mental health and community,” she explained.
“That’s why it’s devastating to see Cornwall’s waters polluted with sewage.”
She’s been outspoken about the impact, calling it a public health crisis.
“Many of us have had to stay out of the sea because it’s not safe.
And that’s more than just missing a surf—it’s dangerous.”
Teaming Up to Defend Britain’s Coastlines
In response, Milla joined forces with the environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, which is campaigning to end sewage dumping in bathing waters by 2030.
She’s urging others to get involved in protecting the country’s coastlines.
“We need urgent action to keep the ocean a place of healing, not harm,” she said.
“This matters—for the kids who want to play in the sea, for the families who live by the coast, and for the people who care about protecting nature.”
Whether it’s through organised efforts or simple acts like beach cleanups, Milla believes everyone has a role to play.
“It’s such a small act for an even bigger effect,” she added.
A Crown Left Behind, A Voice Grown Louder
Milla Magee may have stepped away from the glitz of Miss World, but her decision to walk out has only amplified her message.
From challenging outdated beauty standards to standing up for the environment, she’s proving that real power doesn’t come from a pageant—it comes from standing your ground.
“I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said firmly. “Miss World needs to change.”
And with her courage, maybe it just might.