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Madeleine Wahdan

@maddiewahdan

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🇵🇸Palestinian🇬🇧British
Miss Great Britain 2023/24 @missgb_official
Director of @teenuniversegb
Founder of @thebritishpageantassociation

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The 80th anniversary of Miss Great Britain, what an incredible milestone for a pageant system that means so much to so many of us!

Tonight, we welcome THREE new queens into our sisterhood. Miss GB isn’t just a title, it’s a family, a platform, and a transformative journey that has shaped who I am today. It may have taken 5 years to win it but it was definitely worth the wait.

And when it came time to pass on my crown, I couldn’t have asked for a more incredible successor. @ava.morgan26 you are PHENOMENAL. Watching you come into your own as Miss GB fills me with so much pride. You embody everything this title represents, and I know you’ll continue to inspire and make us all proud with whatever you do next.

To our three new queens being crowned tonight, welcome to the sisterhood. You’re stepping into something truly special, and I can’t wait to watch you shine and make your own unforgettable mark on this legacy.

Here’s to 80 years of empowering women, celebrating strength, and creating lasting bonds. I’m so grateful to be part of this amazing group of women 💕 by @maddiewahdan

Welcome to our National Director from Great Britain 🇬🇧✨ by @maddiewahdan

Two years ago today, my life changed in a way I never saw coming.

The job, the home, the future I had built was gone, just like that. I had to pack up, move back down south, start again from scratch and figure out how to rebuild when everything felt like it was falling apart.

That time was not easy. And I don’t think I would have got through it without my family, my friends, and something that has been part of my life for years: pageantry. Not because it saved me or suddenly appeared, but because the women, the confidence, and the community I have been involved in for so long reminded me of who I was when I really needed it. It kept me going when everything else felt like it was disappearing.

Fast forward two years, and my life looks nothing like it did back then. I am living in a new city. I'm around so many people who bring out the best in me. I work in a completely new industry. I am the happiest I have ever been with someone really great. And just yesterday, I interviewed for a title that the old me genuinely didn’t believe she was good enough for @missuniversegb , and now I feel ready, capable and excited to take it on, if I am lucky enough to make it through to the next round and ultimately win the crown.

I used to wish that what happened never happened. Now I can honestly say I am grateful for it. If things hadn’t fallen apart, I don’t think I would be here, on this new path that feels more “me” than anything I was holding onto before.

Sometimes life forces a reroute because we are too scared to take it ourselves. And looking back now, I am glad it did. 🤍✨ by @maddiewahdan

Hands up if @missgb_official weekend is your favourite weekend of the year 💃🏻♥️💃 by @maddiewahdan

Directors uniform is of course @houseofbearuk 🤎 by @maddiewahdan

✨👑 TEEN UNIVERSE GREAT BRITAIN👑✨

Another year has passed and we just had our second ever live Teen Universe Great Britain finals! 💫

I can't put into words how much I love directing this system. It has been such an incredible year, and I'm so grateful to have spent it alongside our 3 outgoing queens. Watching you grow, shine and represent Teen Universe GB with so much grace has been an absolute honour. You've made this year unforgettable. 💖

And now, I'm beyond excited to start this journey with our NEW 3 queens! 👑👑👑 The next year is going to be something special, and I can't wait to work with you all. This February, you'll be heading to PANAMA 🇵🇦 to compete at the biggest teen international pageant in the world, and I know you're going to make Great Britain proud! 🇬🇧

Thank you so much to everyone who made last night happen:

🌟 The Teen Universe GB team who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. We couldn't do it without you.
🌟 Our amazing judges for your time, care and expertise.
🌟 Everyone who supported us by buying tickets or tuning in online.
🌟 And to our incredible finalists: you made a fierce competition truly amazing. Every one of you should be so proud of yourselves. Your confidence, hard work and sparkle lit up that stage. ✨

This system is nothing without all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 💕

The next chapter starts now...

NEXT STOP: PANAMA! ✈️🇵🇦👑

#TeenUniverseGB #TeenUniverse #TeenUniverseGreatBritain #NextStopPanama PageantFamily TeenPageant by @maddiewahdan

Any excuse to get the old sash out! My second favourite night of the year ♥️🇬🇧 by @maddiewahdan

August 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇬🇮🇪🇸🇦🇪 by @maddiewahdan

As we get ready to crown a new Miss Great Britain, I can’t help but reflect on just how much this title changed my life. ❤️

It took me five years to win Miss Great Britain. Five years of trying, coming close, picking myself back up and believing that one day it might be my turn. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. What’s meant for you won’t pass you by, and when it’s your time, it will happen.

To this day, winning Miss Great Britain remains my proudest ever achievement.

Beyond the crown and incredible memories, Miss Great Britain meant more to me than I could have imagined. My reign coincided with one of the most challenging periods of my personal life, and having something so special to pour my heart into gave me purpose, strength and a reason to keep showing up, even on the hardest days. It brought wonderful people into my life and reminded me what I was capable of when I needed it most. I’ll be forever grateful.

I’m still in awe of the queens who came before me, women I once looked up to and now get to call friends. And I’ve loved watching those who came after me carve out their own paths and make the title their own. Every woman brings something different, and that’s what makes it so special. The GB sisterhood is a thing I will never take for granted.

To the 2026 finalists, although I haven’t met many of you, I’ve been watching from afar and I’m genuinely blown away by the work you’re doing. You should be so proud.

If this isn’t your year, please don’t give up. I know how heartbreaking it is to watch somebody else achieve your dream. I’ve been there! But not winning doesn’t mean you’re not worthy. After all, Miss Great Britain loves a comeback story. 😉

And one little reminder: it’s okay to be disappointed, but please celebrate whoever wins. Don’t dim her light, and make sure your friends and family show her kindness too. She’ll remember how people made her feel in those first moments. You never know how much that crown might mean to someone. I certainly know what it meant to me.

The crown might only sit on one head, but there’s room for every one of you to shine. Good luck girls. Enjoy every second. ❤️👑 by @maddiewahdan

living my Pinterest board 🇫🇷 by @maddiewahdan

Anyway, if you fancy looking ridiculously glowy and standing in pretty golden hour lighting, I know a girl with a camera. ✨

#portrait #portraiture #portrait_perfection by @maddiewahdan

Smokey glam on the beautiful @maddiewahdan 🤍✨
#mua #pagentglam #makeupartistgibraltar by @maddiewahdan