Ealing Woman Seeking to Become Miss Universe GB

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Anesu Noelle Mande wants your support in her bid

Anesu Noelle Mande and a Kiss for GB. Picture: Paul Simmons at Happy Jack Studios

June 1, 2023

A woman from Ealing has made the final of this year’s Miss Universe GB and is looking for support from people from the area.

28-year-old Anesu Noelle Mande, who works as a model, applied to enter the competition in July last year and found out that she had made the finals this March.

Anesu, was born and raised in Zimbabwe coming to this country in 2004 when she was just 8 years old.

She started modelling when she was still doing her GCSEs but her mother was adamant that she must continue with her education. It wasn’t until she was in her early twenties, after a period studying architecture at university, that she decided to switch to modelling.

Initially, she had to work part time as a luxury sales assistant on the Kings Road in Chelsea to pay the bills while building her career as a model by expanding her portfolio on her days off.

This hard work paid enabled her to get a foothold in the fashion industry and by 2020 she was a full-time model working for brands such as Rimmel London, Sainsbury's TU as well as independent brands in the UK and overseas.

Modelling provided her with the platform to fulfil her ultimate ambition of taking part in beauty competitions. Anesu says, “I was then able to unearth the passion I had buried as a young girl to one day compete in a pageant. It’s taken lots of trying, lots of failing, lots of looking like I don't have any direction. Besides all that today I get to work for brands such. I am the first in my family to pursue modelling let alone pageantry. Every single time I look back on my journey with how far I have come I cannot begin to tell you how many times I wanted to quit.

“Perseverance rewarded me for being consistent. I’ve endured people calling me all types of things and I wouldn't be where I am today had I listened to them. I want to inspire young people to find out who they are and practice living from an authentic place.”

When she was growing up in Zimbabwe there was a pageant on TV called Miss Malaika which sowed the seed of her desire to take part.

During lockdown she watch full shows of the Miss Universe competition on YouTube. Initially she thought of representing the country of her birth but found out that Zimbabwe hadn’t participated in the competition for many years. The idea stayed with her and she says, “Something kept pulling me to try. In 2022 after refreshing the applications page on the Miss Universe GB site I found the applications link open. I submitted the application and left it to God.”

She wants to be an ambassador for the competition itself which she believes isn’t as valued in this country adding, “I want to get as many women, men, girls & boys in Great Britain as I can involved in this event because it's only fair for the nation to take part in deciding who they really think is the best candidate to represent Great Britain at the Miss Universe Pageant.”

There is currently a public vote in which you can give your support to Anesu. The winner of this public vote gets a 15 point head start, with ten points for second placed and five for third. The winner will then be selected by a panel of judges and get to represent the country at the final in El Salvador in December.

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