A 73-YEAR-OLD woman is a finalist in Miss Great Britain pageant.

Maureen Lewis, who lives in Newport with her husband Nigel, has been chosen as a finalist for Ms Great Britain Classic.

The classic division of the competition is focused on women aged 40+ and Mrs Lewis is believed to be the oldest contestant to ever reach the final.

The winner of Ms Great Britain Classic 2022 will be announced at a ceremony in Leicester in October.

Who is Maureen Lewis?

Mrs Lewis is a mother of two and a grandmother of six; she is married to Nigel Lewis, and they live in Newport.

She is former languages teacher and lecturer.

South Wales Argus:

Mrs Lewis is passionate about singing – she has been volunteering to sing at care homes for 13 years, although the Covid pandemic and ensuing lockdowns put this on hold.

Soon she will return to the charitable singing, with an invitation to sing at the Bryn Ivor Lodge Care Home in Castleton.

Mrs Lewis is also supportive of charities; in June of this year, she took part in a 3K Cancer Race for Life in Cwmbran, raising hundreds of pounds for Cancer Research UK. 

She also supports the charity, Alex’s Wish, which was set up to eradicate Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, an aggressive form of Muscular Dystrophy that affects one in every 3,500 boys born.

The Mayor of Newport, Cllr Martyn Kellaway, is also supporting a fundraising effort to help a local boy, Elliot, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. 

The Mayor has chosen to support Elliot’s Endeavour to End Duchenne and The Burnt Chef Project during his year in office.

What is Ms Great Britain Classic?

Miss Great Britain is the longer running UK beauty pageant, held annually since 1945, with Ms Great Britain Classic focused on women aged 40 and over.

The competitions are inclusive and diverse; while appearance plays a part the pageant is also about raising money for charity.

The Miss Great Britain national final – which will include crowning Ms Great Britain Classic, Miss Great Britain, and Ms Great Britain – will be on Friday, October 21, at the Athena in Leicester.