'Glamour gran' to make history at Miss Great Britain beauty pageant

A grandmother who is set to make history at the Miss Great Britain beauty pageant has said she wants other women to see that getting older does not mean "disappearing".

Ann Marie Harper, 71, will be the oldest contender to ever compete in the national final in the competition's 81-year-history when she takes to the stage in the Classic category on Friday.

The beauty queen from Prestwick, Ayrshire, who is best known to thousands of followers on social media as Glamour Gran Ann, won Ms Ayrshire GB Classic in June to qualify for the final.

"For so many years I did not see myself as someone who could things like this," Ann Marie said.

"I had very little confidence and I carried a lot of that with me through life."

The pageant is a version of the Miss Great Britain competition for women over the age of 45 - meaning Ann is against women up to 26 years younger than her.

The sixteen finalists, who include 2025 first runner-up Ally Sussex, will compete across multiple rounds at The Athena in Leicester on 16 October.

These include fashion, swimwear and evening wear presentations, as well as on-stage and private one-to-one interviews.

Ann Marie said her decision to enter the competition came after years of struggling with self-belief and being made to feel like she would "amount to nothing".

For her, reaching the national stage at 71 is a reminder that it is never too late.

"To now be standing here at 71, representing Ayrshire and Scotland at a national final feels quite unbelievable," she said.

"I want other women to see that getting older doesn't mean disappearing.

"You are still allowed to take up space, try something new, feel beautiful, feel ambitious and surprise yourself."

As well as becoming the oldest person to make it into the competition, if Anne Marie takes home the crown at the weekend she will become the first Scot to win the Classic title.

Glamour Gran Ann became a business owner when she launched her own cosmetics brand five years ago.

Ann Marie has also used the competition as a platform to champion age positivity, body confidence, and greater visibility for older women.

"I think women are often made to feel that once they reach a certain age they should tone themselves down, cover up, or stop putting themselves forward," she said.

"I completely disagree. I'm 71, I'm proud of who I am, and I want women of every age to feel they are still allowed to be seen."

The Ayrshire grandmother has also reached the top 16 for the talent award - a separate competition based on overall skill, talent and entertainment value - with an ice-skating submission.

As part of the competition, she is also fundraising for Ayrshire-based Community Led Action Support Project, which supports people aged 50 and over to reduce isolation and loneliness, and improve health and wellbeing.