A FORMER Accrington Carnival Queen has proved she is still a hit on the beauty circuit – seven years and two children later.
Joanne Walker, 25, came runner-up in the prestigious Miss Blackpool beauty pageant.
She was the town’s Carnival Queen in 2001 under her maiden name Swindells.
As part of the Blackpool event the contestants, who came from as far afield as Birmingham, stayed at the Imperial Hotel and were chauffeured around in limousines.
The show was opened by the 16 girls doing a choreographed dance to the song Candy Man, followed by swimwear, evening dress and clubwear rounds.
Joanne’s prize was £300, while she also received a £60 hair and beauty makeover and a family pass to the Sandcastle water park.
Joanne, who used to live in Manchester Road, Accrington, said: "The whole experience was overwhelming and amazing.
"All the girls looked fantastic and we were treated like royalty for two whole days prior to the final.
"We got taken out for a fantastic meal the evening before and we all had our hair done before the final. We had to go up on stage and speak about ourselves, which was a little scary but I was quite confident."
Since serving as Carnival Queen, former Dunkenhalgh Hotel beautician Joanne has married Glenn Walker and moved from Accrington to Wesham where she is a full-time mum to three-year-old twins Oliver and Sophie.
She is now planning to enter Miss British Isles and is hoping that further modelling work will come from her success.
She added: "A friend of mine told me about the competition, otherwise I wouldn’t have thought of entering. But it was a fantastic experience and I will definitely go back next year to try for first place."
